A while back I was really considering getting into discus, but all the bulletin boards and info I read discouraged me from it. I can see where someone might enjoy being very meticulous breeding a fish like discus or killiefish entirely for the pleasure of spawning and growing fish, but that isn't what appeals to me about this hobby. The idea of bare bottom tanks and plastic shoeboxes of fish doesn't fit with the fact that I enjoy spending lots of time watching my fish for their beautiful looks.
The recent pics of your tank has gotten me thinking about discus again though. You seem to go more along the path I would take. I have some questions regarding your setup.
-Did you start bare bottom and rigorously grow juveniles to a large size, or do anything special to raise your discus to the size they are now? Are they large specimens or a little smaller than discus breeders prefer? How long did it take them to reach the size they are now?
-Did you buy show quality fish? Did you buy them from a private breeder or an LFS? Fish show? What did you do to find the fish you chose?
-How often a day do you feed? How often do you do water changes and what extreme of changes do you do?
-Do your fish ever breed? Do you ever raise fry?
-Do you consider your fish much more difficult to keep than "regular" freshwater fish?
-Have you or do you ever have disease problems with your fish such as hole in the head, etc.?
-Do you keep any other fish species with your discus and would you recommend against it? If I did I would just want otos or something of that nature to keep my plants clean. I don't think I'd want any other fish detracting from my discus, but just out of curiosity would they eat a school of cardinal tetras?
Thanks! Right now I'm working on some planted tank setups that should eliminate my budget for months, but I still have one spot I think I could fit another tank so I am daydreaming.
The recent pics of your tank has gotten me thinking about discus again though. You seem to go more along the path I would take. I have some questions regarding your setup.
-Did you start bare bottom and rigorously grow juveniles to a large size, or do anything special to raise your discus to the size they are now? Are they large specimens or a little smaller than discus breeders prefer? How long did it take them to reach the size they are now?
-Did you buy show quality fish? Did you buy them from a private breeder or an LFS? Fish show? What did you do to find the fish you chose?
-How often a day do you feed? How often do you do water changes and what extreme of changes do you do?
-Do your fish ever breed? Do you ever raise fry?
-Do you consider your fish much more difficult to keep than "regular" freshwater fish?
-Have you or do you ever have disease problems with your fish such as hole in the head, etc.?
-Do you keep any other fish species with your discus and would you recommend against it? If I did I would just want otos or something of that nature to keep my plants clean. I don't think I'd want any other fish detracting from my discus, but just out of curiosity would they eat a school of cardinal tetras?
Thanks! Right now I'm working on some planted tank setups that should eliminate my budget for months, but I still have one spot I think I could fit another tank so I am daydreaming.