What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

My new Discus

  • Thread starter elgecko
  • Start date

elgecko

I've got a magic window!
After keeping fish for over 18 years, I'm finally trying a fish that I've always liked, but have never kept yet. Discus.

post-22-1071705048.jpg
 
Oooh, Discus, my favorite freshwater fish! They are a bit fussy, so good luck with them!
smile.gif
 
Goregous little ones!

Have you done your research? I have an older book by Degen that I can reference for you if you need help. But I think the care is pretty straight forward, they are shy and life soft water slightly colored with tannins... as with all fish however, if you get most of their conditions right, they will be happy.

Keep us updated, Discus truly are one of natures most beautiful fish!
 
cool!
I also am a huge Discus fan..have had 4 of them for a few years now..

elgecko,
your fish look totally healthy and happy!
but..they wont get much bigger (they are probably full grown already..you can tell by the size of the eye) and they will never be round..
I wouldnt buy any more discus from wherever you got these!
they are definately "mutts"..nothing wrong with mutts really!
if they are healthy and happy, thats all that really matters..
but these will never be "purebred" quality fish..
in fact, if you posted that photo on any of the hardcore discus forums, many people would tell you to simply "put them out their misery"
sad.gif

well..they arent in any misery! they are just very "low quality" as far as shape and breeding goes..wont effect their health or lifespan at all though!
so nothing to worry about really..they are just of very poor shape, and shouldnt be allowed to breed..

just thought you should know..be happy with them!
as individuals, they will live long and normal lives..
but as representivites of the "discus ideal" they are the bottom of the totem pole...
honestly, most professional (and ethical) breeders would not even sell those fish..
they would have been "culls"..
sorry to be harsh..just letting you know something I think you need to know..

mutts are fine! as long as you understand that is what they are..
and dont pay purebred prices for them!

Scot
 
Hi,

I have to disagree somewhat with ScottyChaos. The large eye could mean they are older than their physical size would indicate but it doesn't mean they will not grow more and fill out and it can mean something else entirely. Feed them with as much live and frozen food as you can. If you can get them to eat finely chopped earthworms or red worms it will make a huge difference in their development. Discus also seem to love salmon. I would try the Omega One (salmon based) First Flakes and make a salmon frozen food. You take 2# of fresh salmon fillets, 1# of frozen peeled popcorn shrimp, a cup of frozen carrots, a cup of frozen peas, a tbsp of wheat germ and a box (4 individual packets) of Knox Gelatin. Cut up the salmon into chunks and blend them into a thick paste. Do the same with the shrimp and veggies. Make sure all are turned into a thick thick paste using just a little water to blend. Mix them altogether and stir in the wheat germ. Boil a cup and a half of water and pour in all 4 small packs of gelatin that were in the small box of Knox. Melt them and pour them into the mix. Then scoop out a cup or 2 of the mix into quart freezer bags, flatten and freeze. Discus really go for the mix. Frozen freshwater Mysis Shrimp by Piscine Energentics (or something like that) are a great food. In cold climates with basements or if you have a spare frig to culture them white worms are a great food. These rich foods really put the size and heft on the fish.
Discus breeders have become like dog breeders or orchid hybridizers. The fish they raise are beautiful but are only "pure" strains by discus world definitions. They are all mutts of basic color crosses or mutations. The round shape is ideal but many wild discus lack it. Yours my end up rounder than they now look with good feeding, room and water changes. If you want to breed your fish, you might be surprised to find that they produce some good fry. You never know until you see the genetics they contain in the living fry.
They might also have been hormoned -- which is my gut feeling. Their color looks like the kind that testosterone brings out in baby fish. The homones can also enlarge the eyes as it iniates a kind of early "puberty" in the fish. It can also effect the shape. It wares off in time and many fish recover and grow normally. Sometimes it kills the fish. Depends on the dose. This is one reason to search out home breeders of discus as some firms cannot resist the use of hormones to falsely enhance color in baby fish.

Bobby
 
Biggun,
yoiu might be right!
they could still grow some more and fill-out..
but based on the eye-size it doesent look too likely to me..
but one never knows!

for a comparision on eye-size, look at my fish when I first got them..

http://www.geocities.com/scottychaos/discusfour.htm

look especially at the amount of space between the top of the eye, and the top of the head..

when they are still young and have that "football" shape, they should have very small eyes in relation to the rest of the body if they are to "grow out" normally..
if fish arent fed well in their first weeks, or treated with hormones as you mentioned, they can easily become stunted..

elgecko, how large are your fish in that photo?
that will also be a factor..
again..I want to strss there is really nothing *wrong* with those fish! they arent sick or deformed or anything..they are just "footballs"!
smile.gif
 
RamPuppy,
Yes I did my research. I've been thinking of getting some for about a year. I bought a book just on Discus 3 weeks before I got them. I can give updates to how they are doing in a few months.

scottychaos,
I was little concerned that they might be stunted because of there eye size, and the color the small one is showing already. These are my first ones so I was not going to spend alot on them. If I can keep them alive I might get some high quality ones from a breeder.

biggun110,
Thanks for the idea of a food mix. Sounds more involved then I want to get. I have been thinking of growing my own white worm cultures. I printed out a few pages on how to do it.
 
sounds like you got it all covered. Congrats, and please do keep us updated. I love reading about fish!
 
Back
Top