Bree's Discus Tank Build Thread

KingOfTheDeep said:
they'll get used to shadows, lights and sounds as they settle in.

i have noticed though, that the 'startled while in sleep mode' thing will either go away with time, or never go away at all. i have a tank full of adults that have been with me for MONTHS, and i still wake up to filter intakes and pre-filters floating, een had a few heaters break and heads and sides bruised.

i would say, at this stage of their acclimation, keep the shadows to a minimum, walk up to the tank slowly when its lights on time, or when lights are off in the day. eventually they will realize shadows or lights on is a good thing(FOOOOOOOOD!)


are you planning on using a Beefheart/Seafood/Fish mix in their diets at all? ken makes a pretty good heart flake, but nothing beats fresh meat :)
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Good to know it's somewhat normal!
Yes! I forgot to mention.. that's not the full diet.

Along with those flakes/pellets they will get:
Frozen Beef Heart (which they love so far.)
Frozen Blood Worms (which they LOVE so far.)
and Frozen Brine Shrimp until I run out! I know they aren't high in nutritional value, but I've had them around for ages and I really just want to get them out of my freezer! haha.

I'm also looking for an (EASY) seafood mix. But it probably won't be a staple part of their diet.
 
KingOfTheDeep said:
this is one of the best seafood mixes i know of. i sub the salmon with a pound of mixed seafood from the supermarket, and add in a pound of raw-de-shelled shrimp

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=69130
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Sounds simple enough, maybe I'll give it a try soon!
Thanks for the link!

Just did a 20% water change. They seem happy as can be, but man that aquasafe clouds the water. After an hour or so it goes back to crystal clear, but still... Definitely time to get a new water conditioner. Aquasafe is a no-go. But as long as it's safe (although annoying) I'm not super worried about it.
 
I tried a few different home made recipes...mine never ate it! But lots of people do well with that. My fish are just weird and picky!!

My adults still sometimes do the "dart and hit the side of the tank thing". Sometimes I know what sets them off...somtimes I can hear them when I am in bed. Maybe it's my cats who knows? But, I think in general it is normal for the occassional skittish behavior.

My fish do love the angelsplus flakes. Sorry I didn't see your post sooner...the hi pro growth flake is a hit with every fish I have ever fed it. I have grown out a nice batch of cory fry on it. Highly recommend any of their flakes!!

Oh...defintiely get some Prime...love that stuff!!
 
They look terrific! And it's quite normal for Kenny's fish to settle down easily and quickly and gobble food down very soon after acclimation! And you noticed how they LOVE those frozen bloodworms!

The startling in the tank.....mine are a few years old and I still have to be careful if I rush through the dark room in the morning. I did lose one once from it startling and ramming into the tank.

Looking forward to them growing!!
 
pinkertd said:
They look terrific! And it's quite normal for Kenny's fish to settle down easily and quickly and gobble food down very soon after acclimation! And you noticed how they LOVE those frozen bloodworms!

The startling in the tank.....mine are a few years old and I still have to be careful if I rush through the dark room in the morning. I did lose one once from it startling and ramming into the tank.

Looking forward to them growing!!
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Thanks, Debbi!

Yes, the feeding is not an issue, that's for sure!
I'm hoping the darting clears up in the next few weeks, because tip-toeing in slow motion is getting a bit old :) But it really doesn't happen often, mostly just if I flip on the lights or accidentally bump the tank. In all honesty, these fish seem pretty bullet proof!

Update:
Just finished a 50% water change, did a 25% cleanup earlier today.
Devouring the bloodworms as always! They also like the beefheart, but not with as much enthusiasm :) FBS is just getting in the way... I'll probably just toss it or throw it in my next BH mix. Every time I feed it, the shrimp float all over the tank- into the filters, in the water column, at the surface, etc. It's a pain to clean up! I like the BH and FBW because they sink and make for easy cleanup.

Still waiting on the new foods!
 
If you have a meat grinder or food processor BH &/or seafood mix is pretty easy. Kinda stinky & preping heart is not too fun. I only have 8 discus so I make small batches & experiment with ingredients. I put it in freezer zip bags & flatten it pretty thin so I can just break off a piece with my fingers while it's frozen.
 
Also the freeze dried blackworms that Al (brewmaster on simply) sells are great! I bought some pro gro(which has all the vits and mins etc) and soak them in that for 30 minutes all my cichlids go nuts for them.
 
Thanks for all of the great replies, everyone!

Just a quick update:

All of the discus are eating wonderfully- I can't believe I finally have them!
If I'm in the room, they all follow me around in the tank :)
And TOMORROW is the one week discus anniversary! Yeaahhh! I'll post some updated photos tomorrow to show their growth and colors.

I had a thought- would you guys want to see how they grow by me posting update pictures once a week? Say, every Saturday? I think it would be cool to have it all documented. Yeah?

Oh, and FTS coming tomorrow, Steph :)

 
fluctating temps...

Also, is it normal for tank temperatures to lower during the night?
My heater is set at 86* but it runs a little low, so that takes it to 84-85* which is what I aim for. During the day time, the temperature is correct, at 84* or 85*.

However, when I wake up in the morning and check the tank, the temperature has dropped to 80*-82*. Is that normal? Is the fluctuating temperature going to hurt them? I've heard it can be bad, but I don't know how to keep it constant...?

I have another heater, but I use it to prep the aged water. It seems like the heater should keep a constant temp, and it does during the daytime, but at night it lowers slightly. Maybe because the window is cracked open at night? Or there is (obviously) less light in the room to generate heat?
 
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