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Originally Posted by HuttShun
Hmmm got nothing to do so just post this for fun. Maybe in future got use for new members who interested in keeping discus. If u guys think that i like to show off go ahead and think, I don't care. Good Discus keepers please correct me if i'm wrong.
Guide to keeping discus.
1)Make sure u have a at least (to me) a 2.5ft tank. Remember, the bigger the better.
2)Make sure you cycle your water properly, i cycled my tank for 1month with two sponge filters. You guys can choose to use other filters but make sure you cycle your tank and also make sure that the flow rate of the water is not so powerful, as discus don't like strong currents. The filter i recommend are sponge filters. ( I'm not too sure about this, so maybe someone can help me with the cycling of water?)
3)After finishing your cycling go and do some fish shopping, the place i recommend is "Chai Discus Farm" ( www.chaidiscus.com.sg ) I bought almost all my discus from there, they provide excellent service and they also produce good quality fishes. If u have any questions you can ask them.
4)Equipments: A heater ( discus prefer warm water and they do trive better in warm waters. if u have a heater maybe you can set it to 30 degree celsius)
P.H pen ( discus prefer low ph about 6.5 to 7? Please correct me if i'm wrong. you can choose not to get this. )
After having all your equipments and stuff ready. It's time to go and shop for discus!
1) get your discus from reputable aquariums. Other aquariums may con you into buying stunted discus.
2)After getting your fish, wait for it to settle down first, then try feeding a LITTLE bit of food to it. if it eats, then the discus is already stabilzed
3) get discus in a small group, they feel more comfortable living in small groups. abt 4 to 6 in a 2.5ft tank. of course when the tank is bigger u may want to add a few more into your tank. just make sure that they don't get too cramp.
Raising juveniles
1) as i said get your discus from reputable aquariums. if u plan to get a juvenile it is essential to feed it more often or they will get stunted.
2) checking for stunted discus, you look at their size of the body, if its small eye small body, then its not stunted, but if the size of the eye is big, its stunted. ( i'm not sure abt checking for stunted discus)
Breeding discus
1) If u get a confirm pair of discus, do not be too happy, they may be a pair but not a breeding pair.
2) if u intend to breed discus make sure that u have a lot of fish tanks. not too small not too big. maybe about 2.5ft or 3ft for breeding them.
3)if u spot a pair, u may want to seperate them into another tank, preferbly about 2.5ft to 3ft. get a breeding cone and wait for them to breed.
4) If they successfully breed and the offsprings are still eggs, u may want to add some metalyn blue to prevent the discus eggs from getting fungus.
5)if the fries are hatched do not feed them, they will feed on the slim on their parents body, but when they are slightly bigger you may want to seperate them and pump them wif food. juveniles can eat brine shrimp or blood worm.
Feeding Discus
1)you may want to feed dry food for discus. that is fine. but a mixture between dry and live food are the best.
2)Brine shrimp
3) blood worm
4) beef/ pig heart
If u have any more questions you may want to post it and i'll try to help you
And again as i said PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
Regards,
HuttShun  |
Bro HuttShun, To support U, let me add some A-Z
A.Acidic water is preferable for Discus, but it need not be exactly pH 6.3 or exactly 6.5, as long as it is on the acid side of neutral. Acid buffers can be quite safely used to lower your pH.
B.Brine shrimp nauplii (newly hatched) are an ideal first food for Discus fry after they are removed from their parents. Quick recipe: Hatch them at 80-82F in a pH of 7.5 or over using 6 tsp of salt per gallon of water to one tsp of eggs.
C.Canister filters are ideal for Discus- but choose one which will turn over the volume of the tank 2-3 times per hour.
D.Disinfect an empty tank that has contained diseased Discus with a solution of Potassium permanganate. Use enough to turn the water a deep purple- leave standing for one week, then rinse with fresh water.
E.Earthworms make excellent Discus food. Pile up grass cuttings in layers in a garden corner (not a compost heap), keep it moist and the worms will work their way up and through.
F.Protect eggs from fungus by adding a dose of Myxazin on the days prior to hatching.
G.Gill problems. Always eliminate the first three likely causes: Poor water quality, temperature too high, oxygen depletion, before you think of parasites. unnecessary treatments will only worsen the situation.
H.Heat can be used to treat Discus diseases. Gradually raise the temperature to around 30-32c for a few days. Aerate the water well to avoid oxygen depletion.
I.Intestinal parasites are often indicated by the passing of white stringy faeces. Examine them carefully before choosing a treatment.
J.Juvenile Discus have a strong shoaling instinct. Never keep less than six together.
K.Knowledge of the normal behaviour of your Discus will give you an early warning of when something is wrong.
L.Loss of colour can be seen in Discus when they are in too high a pH or are exposed to over-bright lighting.
M.When gill filaments turn mauve instead of a creamy white, there's a toxin present. Suspect and test for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH.
N.Nitrate is often forgotten as a pollutant, but in high concentrations it can produce the same symptoms as parasites- flicking and scratching. Test for nitrates before treating with chemicals.
O.Open wounds or scratches heal quicker when a broad spectrum bactericide is added to the water to inhibit infection.
P.Prevention is better than cure- there is no substitute for a clean, well maintained sensibly stocked tank.
Q.Quarantine tanks are a must for the serious Discus keeper- and will double up as hospital tanks.
R.Razor back Discus are fish that have lost a lot of weight, perhaps by infestation by parasites. The forehead becomes very sharply pointed.
S.Spironucleus infections can be treated with Metronidazole- one 200mg tablet per 10 gallons of water.
T.Tail and fin rot is caused by bacteria attacking a Discus when it is stressed. Find and remove the cause of the stress, then treat with Myxazin.
U.Ultra violet sterilisers have a use in temporarily "damping down" heavy bacteria levels, but shouldn't be used constantly. A pro breeder who uses UV is expecting you to do the same, to keep your Discus healthy.
V.Vitamins are essential for the health of your Discus, but need not be added in quantity to your food mix. A good quality flake mixed in will contain all they require.
W.White worms are a favourite Discus food. Culture them in margarine tubs in a mixture of peat, soil and fine sand- feed them on Ready Brek mixed into a paste.
X.Extra feeds of a cultured live food- white worms, small red earthworms, are useful to bring Discus into spawning condition.
Y.Young Discus can be weaned onto solid food within days of leaving their parents. Start with brine shrimp but add a very fine powdered food such as Promin to move them on.
Z.Zero ammonia is essential in the Discus tank. when setting up a new tank, mature the filter for at least four weeks, using a small shoal of Corydoras, and introduce the Discus when the tank is mature.
Best Regard
Ornald lim