what can i put with discus??

[reptileguy2727]

None of those are Africans.

Actually garlic has been shown to kill internal parasites. I have successfully used NLS's Thera+A as the sole treatment in multiple fish. Even Jack Wattley suggests its use for this exact purpose in his column in TFH magazine.

Those super pristine conditions mean they never need to develop much of an immune system, like kids kept inside with everything they touch disinfected before they touch it.

Again, if you want the 'high quality' discus that someone, somewhere decided that is what discus should look like, go to a breeder. Otherwise look for healthy ones in an LFS. Then if you do get into them more go ahead and get high end ones.

 

[Star_Rider]

which internal parasites are you referring to?

also high quality Discus does not mean the discus are not capable of adapting as healthy specimens in a community tank.

I suggest a breeder for more than just larger healthier fish. for example pricing.

LFS sells 2-3" pigeonblood for $59.99
local breeder sells same fish(much healthier specimen) $20

simple economics would drive the purchase to the breeder since you can get more for the buck.
again this may vary from region to region. in this area..the discus never look very good compared to the breeders stock. which is why I suggest looking around and getting the best bang for the buck.

 

[2004jetta]

I'm gonna try to go to the breeder in queens this weekend and see what I see. I'll likely go through there...

 

[syddakyd]

Many of the species mentioned come from the same waters the discus are from naturally, so many would do very well with them. Discus do not come from some lake of hot, super soft water where they are the only fish. They are from Amazonia, home to MANY fish. So there are a lot that can go with them.

exactly.

 

[reptileguy2727]

When I have seen symptoms of internal parasites in discus and other species I have used NLS Thera+A and it went away. That was the only change.

Jack Wattley in his column in TFH suggests the use of garlic when writers describe the symptoms of internal parasites. He states that it is probably internal parasites and describes a homemade mix with garlic to treat the problem.

Maybe it has not happened to you. Maybe other things have worked, the garlic didn't work the times you tried it, maybe you didn't try it because you already 'knew' it doesn't work. But in many other cases garlic has cured internal parasites.

If I have a group of 30 juvenile discus to choose from and I want to breed, which do I choose? I can choose the top 6 to group, raise together, and let them pair off. How do I decide which are the top 6? I can choose the 6 fastest growing, healthiest ones that have not had any problems. Or I can choose the 6 that fit the shape, pattern, and colors that someone somewhere at some time decided a discus should look like. It is impossible to choose both. Now, you can choose the 6 hardiest of the 'high' quality ones, but you cannot breed for both hardiness and quality. Sometimes the hardiest will be high quality, but usually not. If you are breeding for certain characteristics besides hardiness, you are not breeding for hardiness. That makes the offspring more sensitive than they should and could be. That is not fair to the fish. I have heard time and time again how people get these high quality discus and they do fine for a little while, only to go downhill before long. Meanwhile their LFS bought discus are still growing, looking great, even thriving. Same care. Different sources. Yet the 'better' ones are the ones going down.

The most expensive ones I have bought were from a private breeders. Most shops are overpriced, plain and simple. The one I work at is not. Even without my discount I would pay less than I would at a breeder. Maybe mine are not shaped perfectly according to the standards of someone out there, but they are beautiful, healthy fish.

 

[pinkertd]

reptileguy, was wondering if your shop is one of the shops that sells Stendker discus for discus Hans?

 

[reptileguy2727]

I am sure the wholesaler we handpick all our fish from is not getting those discus, at least not the ones we buy. We get them out of their 'assorted discus' tank. We get in white diamond, pigeon blood, turquoise, red melon, blue diamond, and many others. We sell them for $30-40. We get them in at about 2-2.5" and do not raise the price as they grow to 3-4" in a couple months on nothing but New Life Spectrum. There are other fish in that tank, but they are all compatible and the discus usually run things in there anyways.

 

[Star_Rider]

interesting, so you do not know which internal parasite..but suspect internal parasite.

oddly it is ineffective for camillanus and capillaria. but it may work for protozoan infestation.

how you choose the quality of the breeding it specific to the breeder.

I know a Breeder (a good friend) who has worked towards breeding wild Discus so far the only one he has had real problems with is Heckels.

typically he breeds the largest , strongest first. then tries to breed in the color's . tho unlike many breeders chooses to work with the wild strains more often. to enhance the viability of wild strains to domestic stock.

he uses a home recipe for his discus. I am not going to argue with 40 years of his success. I have seen the results of his breeding. creating strong wild strains for domestic stock.
I appologize for being a bit off topic.

 

[reptileguy2727]

Yes. They were getting thin while others were growing normally. I use something that treats for internal parasites and they then get back on track. No, I did not pull out my microscope and examine a fecal sample while referencing my books on diseases, but I am pretty sure that since the symptoms fit and the cure worked, it was internal parasites.

Yes, other things work. Some breeders are better than others.