THE AQUARIUM
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how i started with discus

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how i started with discus Empty how i started with discus

Post by blooper 24/1/2012, 23:29

hope you enjoy it

i'd seen discus in the lfs and thought no there to much like hard work i'll
stick with my community fish,i had recenlty bought a brand new aqua one aquience 1800r
(6x2x2) ,it took 4 very large bags of black gravel which when put in the tank looked
great.I already had a 4 ft tank that i had your basic community fish in i.e guppies,
platies and mollies etc that were going in the new tank along with the mature media
that was in the external filter.
how i started with discus Photo0115

after about 6mths i sold the 4ft and bought the 1500r
(5x2x2) with the sole purpose of it being a discus only tank,to which aquatic sand was added
and plants, i found that valis did excellent in the sand and grew like wildfire.
i bought my first ever discus from a private seller in south shields and they were a bargain £70 for 11 discus various
sizes and strains and was well chuffed with my self.Over the course of a few weeks i seen
another add for more discus and bought them this time there was 15 and i finally admitted
i was over stocked in that tank.So the next idea was to move the community fish out of the
6ft to the 5ft which i did ,thinking more space more discus.Eventually i decided to get rid
of all community fish which i did to my mother who also had community fish,and decide the
way to go was just discus with a few corys,danios and black neons in both tanks.

how i started with discus Photo0115
https://s187.photobucket.com/albums/x28/blooperuk99/?action=view&current=Video0005.mp4

After a few weeks i noticed a few had started to shimmy to each other but didnt know what was
happening so a trawl throught the internet gave me the answer,they were pairing up and dewly
laid eggs which they guarded furiously.the eggs disapeared but i wasnt bothered as i had no
intention of breeding them then.

I bought a few more discus from some one local and they looked fine,i totally forgot about
quarantine for this latest batch and duely placed the if the 6ft tank,all was well for about
3 days when i noticed 2 or 3 had lost all colour and were very dark,again it was the internet
for information as to what i could do to help them.The answer i found was large water changes
which i did everyday for 2 weeks now we talking 400 litre changes everyday as i hoped to cure
them,but to no avail i lost approx 25 discus within 3 to 4 weeks.

To say i was gutted was an understatement i advertised what i had left and was determined to
go back to keeping community again,but with perserverance from the wife she talked me in to
keeping them.Overtime i concentrated on reading all i could i joined forums asked lots of
questions and got all the info that i thought would help me to keep these kings of the aquarium.

In time i found a good supplier of discus and only bought from them and the quality of them is
emense,bright colors, nice shape and healthy.eventually i decided to see if i could make some
breeding cubes so i ordered some glass cut to size and set about you tube to watch videos of tank
making and gave it ago,success i had just made my first cube and it was water tight.Eventually
ordered enough glass for another 5 cubes and set about using these to breed these magnificent fish.
how i started with discus IMG00016-20110617-1915

how i started with discus IMG00039-20110619-1032
how i started with discus IMG00043-20110619-1039
hey water tight lol

My fish were paring off in both the display tanks and at the first signs of them wanting to breed
i placed them in these cubes with an air powered sponge filter.The first few spawns were dissappointing
as they laid but ate the eggs,eventually one pair got it right and i had my first lot of wrigglers
and to say i was over the moon was an understatement ,i was buzzing with excitement,after a few days these
wrigglers became free swimming and after another 2 days decide it was time for them to start feeding on
newly hatched brine shrimp as well as them feeding off the mucus the parents have over there skin.
there was water changes twice a day on these as the more water changes the better as they fry grow
quickly.Basicly i was up at half four in the morning cup of tea and a smoke the off into the shed for
water change time,then off to work and back in the shed for more water changes after work.if you dont
put in the time you dont get the results.My first batch of fry started of as approx 300 eggs and i successfully
raised 50 young discus which over time grew and started to colour up nicely.Which were sold at approx 3mths
old and at around the 2 inch mark in size.

I eventually had 8 proven pairs of discus which all bred and raised fry which i duely sold,you dont make
a fortune from them but is the satisfaction you get from breeding them.I eventually decided to down size my
breeding pairs to just 2 as work was taking all my time up.I have now decide to sell all my discus and
am going to keep frontosas and malawis,i have pictures some were i will try to find them and post them on this
thread, i lost most of the pics when just before christmas there my laptop decide to break and i lost some if
not all my pics,but think i might have some on a disc some were or on my photobucket account.

All will say is if you are going to keep and breed discus read all you can about them and ask lots of question
oh and its quality that counts not quantity.as i say will do my best to find the pics for you all to see

how i started with discus IMG00147-20120104-1941
how i started with discus SAM_0030
https://s187.photobucket.com/albums/x28/blooperuk99/?action=view&current=discus.mp4
how i started with discus 254269_10150275736780802_543795801_9181577_3161992_n1

will post more when i can find them

blooper

Posts : 375
Join date : 2011-11-09
Age : 57
Location : thornaby

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