:iagree: The only time a high ph may give you a bit of a problem is for hatching discus eggs. Mine hatch out in 7.6-7.8. And those filters would be just fine.
Thinking about Discus
- Thread starter Temptress
- Start date
yes I would be buying them from hans.. I am actually going to the place tomorrow to check out what they have and what kind of prices they have for adult fish.. but there's no way i can justify spending $140 on just one adult fish.. I thought $40-50 was quite plenty =)
And I guess the other thing is that I have bought all the stuff for a heavily planted tank, pressurized co2, high lights, and all that stuff.. and now I am thinking about a tank with no plants.. or gravel of which I have 150lbs sitting here.. I'm just not sure this is what I should be doing.. I just really love these fish already! Is anything else even comparable? I like angels too but the colors are nothing compared to these guys.. I was really hoping for this to be a centerpiece fish with some little ones.. tetras or whatever to go with..
And I guess the other thing is that I have bought all the stuff for a heavily planted tank, pressurized co2, high lights, and all that stuff.. and now I am thinking about a tank with no plants.. or gravel of which I have 150lbs sitting here.. I'm just not sure this is what I should be doing.. I just really love these fish already! Is anything else even comparable? I like angels too but the colors are nothing compared to these guys.. I was really hoping for this to be a centerpiece fish with some little ones.. tetras or whatever to go with..
yes... this is where the decision comes into play for you. I will say this, if it helps. discus are among the most rewarding fish you can ever keep, and are not as difficult as many make them out to be. you just have to follow the rules. does that mean that if you go juvie, you cannot have lots of decor? sure... it does. but those fish are so beautiful, they really do not need anything else with them, at the end of the day. and... there is a reward at the end. when you grow them into adults... you already have all of the equipment you need to transfer them from being in a bare bottom tank, to a planted tank! you can use it as motivation to grow your fish correctly, so you can use your planted tank supplies! :dance:
you just need to have the patience to see it through. and that is the mark of a discus keeper... patience. without that, you would be doomed to fail with this fish anyway.
you have started this thread... asked many questions... did lots of research on your own. you do not come off to me as a person who lacks patience. do not be disheartened or discouraged. keep learning. and when you feel comfortable... go for it, and get the discus. don't force it... too much of an investment for that. but if you just do what you have done so far... ask questions... learn... filter through the different opinions and the different ways people do things... you'll find your way.
anyway... I do not mean to ramble. I do not want you to give up on this, but I don't want you to dive in if you are feeling unsure. personally, I think you'll be fine... it just may take some time to get to the end result you are seeking. but hey... nothing worth keeping is done overnight anyway, right?
I'll stop the motivational speech now... your going to be okay though. shutting up now.
-Rich
lol well maybe a motivational speech is exactly what I needed! haha
and so with a completely empty tank.. some automatic feeders, heaters, and filters.. there's not much you need to do for these fish.. is that right? I mean.. obviously there's no cycling needed.. and if I can just use tap water that's a huge step forward.. and I wouldn't ever add any fish anywhere without a drip acclimation after learning so much about that!
So what about the aggression in juvies? There being no plants or anything to break the line of sight will they fight alot? Is 8 too many to think of for the 75? which will have to double as the growout tank and the tank for the adults when they've grown out.. I'm not sure about how that's going to work yet..
and so with a completely empty tank.. some automatic feeders, heaters, and filters.. there's not much you need to do for these fish.. is that right? I mean.. obviously there's no cycling needed.. and if I can just use tap water that's a huge step forward.. and I wouldn't ever add any fish anywhere without a drip acclimation after learning so much about that!
So what about the aggression in juvies? There being no plants or anything to break the line of sight will they fight alot? Is 8 too many to think of for the 75? which will have to double as the growout tank and the tank for the adults when they've grown out.. I'm not sure about how that's going to work yet..
Temptress 8 is not too many for growing out in the 75G. For quite some time to come they will think they have been put into the ocean!!
I always buy one more of a fish than I actually want just in case something happens to one or two of them. Get yourself some nice unglazed clay pots and some large aquarium plants to put in them and they'll work great for your bare-bottom tank. I believe they are more comfortable if they have a comfort zone (hidey spot) to go to in case they get startled. The nice thing about potted tank plants is you can move the pots when you vacuum the bottom of the tank. A lot of people put driftwood into the barebottom tank as well, so if you have plans for driftwood for the final planted version, you can add that to the bare-bottom tank as well. Only thing to keep in mind with driftwood is...try to keep the ends of the driftwood smooth and rounded. Discus startle and will fly thru the tank seemingly blind when they are startled. So no sharp jagged branches for the discus to get hurt on. Also, since there won't be substrate, I have read that it is best to either paint the bottom of the tank or put something under the bottom of the tank so it stops the discus from seeing their own reflection in the bottom glass. They act really weird when they can see their reflections. I've seen them do this when I've had them in a bare-bottom QT tank.
I always buy one more of a fish than I actually want just in case something happens to one or two of them. Get yourself some nice unglazed clay pots and some large aquarium plants to put in them and they'll work great for your bare-bottom tank. I believe they are more comfortable if they have a comfort zone (hidey spot) to go to in case they get startled. The nice thing about potted tank plants is you can move the pots when you vacuum the bottom of the tank. A lot of people put driftwood into the barebottom tank as well, so if you have plans for driftwood for the final planted version, you can add that to the bare-bottom tank as well. Only thing to keep in mind with driftwood is...try to keep the ends of the driftwood smooth and rounded. Discus startle and will fly thru the tank seemingly blind when they are startled. So no sharp jagged branches for the discus to get hurt on. Also, since there won't be substrate, I have read that it is best to either paint the bottom of the tank or put something under the bottom of the tank so it stops the discus from seeing their own reflection in the bottom glass. They act really weird when they can see their reflections. I've seen them do this when I've had them in a bare-bottom QT tank.ditto this. I put down some weighted down plastic plants in mine, but potted plants can work to, I know of folks that do that, and still keep it bare bottom. you can put stuff in there to make the fish feel more comfortable, just be sure to do it in a way that you can easily manuever as needed to properly remove waste, and your good.Temptress 8 is not too many for growing out in the 75G. For quite some time to come they will think they have been put into the ocean!!
I had mine in a bare bottom tank without any kind of covering on the bottom, and mine never got spooked by any reflection of theirs that I ever saw... however, I have heard this as a commonly reported issue, so the play it safe route would be, imo, to follow exactly what pinkertd has told you.
good luck and please continue to keep us posted!
Well I went in and checked out the discus that this store has.. and they looked terrible.. their fins were all jagged and they didn't look very good at all they were all listed as 2.5" of which I had spoken with Hans through email and he said I could probably do planted if I stuck with discus that were 4.5" and over and that he could ship them directly to me.. so that might be the route I take.. or even get smaller ones.. but I certainly think I am going to get them shipped cuz those guys looked terrible.. I would almost like to get them just to show them they can have a good life but the other side of me says my luck I will buy them they will die and I'll have nothing! =(
While I was there today I was looking at some other fish as well.. angels.. wow I had no idea how big they got.. I seen some big black ones with red eyes.. they were gorgeous! I really need to just get this tank set up and stocked so I quit changing my mind all the time! lol
While I was there today I was looking at some other fish as well.. angels.. wow I had no idea how big they got.. I seen some big black ones with red eyes.. they were gorgeous! I really need to just get this tank set up and stocked so I quit changing my mind all the time! lol
if you can order directly from Hans, you will definitely do yourself a favor if you can afford the shipping. sorry to hear about the store. I am lucky in that I have a store here in MD that will go directly to Hans facility in Baltimore and get my fish for me... and they take very good care of the ones they keep at their store. I suppose I figured all of the stores carrying Hans fish would do so with such high standards... I guess not.
I'd say order from Hans, unless you can find a good local breeder. or, this website also is highly recommended from dkarc... a guy I trust and learned a lot from about these fish:
http://www.discusdave.com/
