Quiting aquaria after discus experience

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cakemountain

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 12, 2007
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ohio
Ok, so after countless hours of researching specifically discus keeping, posting in several forum communities, and speaking with every local fishstore, fish hobbyist I can find in town I give up. I do not know what more I could have done to keep these fish happy.
The water perams were great, after my initial mistake with my first group. I went out and purchased all the equipment I could afford(RO filter, cannister filter, aging tubs, electronic temp checker, fistfulls of testing tabs and tubes and such, plants to give them cover that my other fish have never needed, a python so I can drain it and do water changes more often and easier, and a sump pump so I can pull the water out of the aging tubs) I may have forgotten something but I think I make my point. After 3 weeks they were still stressed out.

I could not get the damn live blackworms they have been raised on yet, that was the next step. But I come home ready to do a water check and feed, and I see another dead one. All my earlier fish have been satisfying to keep, angels and arrowanas especially. My friend tells me that if I can get angels to lay eggs(didnt try and breed them, they just layed them and someone kept eating eggs) I used to have a tank as a kid for years with angels and never had any problems. Then I try discus.....


Anyways I am out. I will be storing my tank and all that crap I saved up for in the attic. Moving on to a more satisfying pet, something that doesnt hide from me and die for no reason. Perhaps it was cruel to finish off the remaining discus, but I did not want to inflict these fish to any of my friends discus tanks. I want this tank and crap out of sight before I can sleep tonight. The fish will probably be dead by the time I finish typing this meaningless rant anyways. Any angry remarks will be purely for the benefit of the other MFK members as this is my last post. Terrible experience. Im glad I never got the 180 so I can get my arrowana back.
 
Man-o-man......Don't give up. Just cause you can't keep discus alive is not directly indicative to the fact that you are a bad fish-keeper. Keep trying and if they die, try again. Get some real cheap discus and keep experimenting. Having the fish's best interest in mind proves to me that you belong here.....
 
Well, hope you have a good break!! If you can get that discouraged and frustrated about keeping fish that easily, then you don't need to keep fish...period. Especially if you are so irresponsible to just kill your fish for no reason. Thats very immature. I feel sorry for your fish right now, because they don't deserve that. Sometimes, its best to not try to make things right, and things will work out. Discus ARE easy, but if you stress over every little thing, trying to make everything perfect, they are gonna be a hard, unenjoyable fish to keep. Just keep them like your other fish, simple as that. If they don't work for you, BRUSH IT OFF YOUR SHOULDER AND MOVE ON!

I LOVE Crenicichla, as most everyone knows. I have kept several types, but for some STUPID reason I can't keep Crenicichla sp. 'atabapo fire' for longer than six months before they die on me. Never had any problems with any other pikes, but that fires are just not my thing. Doesn't mean I won't try again, but I didn't let it make me leave the hobby. Thats just retarded. YOU LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES AND DON'T DO THEM AGAIN!
 
Peanut_Power;1239679; said:
Well, hope you have a good break!! If you can get that discouraged and frustrated about keeping fish that easily, then you don't need to keep fish...period. Especially if you are so irresponsible to just kill your fish for no reason. Thats very immature. I feel sorry for your fish right now, because they don't deserve that. Sometimes, its best to not try to make things right, and things will work out. Discus ARE easy, but if you stress over every little thing, trying to make everything perfect, they are gonna be a hard, unenjoyable fish to keep. Just keep them like your other fish, simple as that. If they don't work for you, BRUSH IT OFF YOUR SHOULDER AND MOVE ON!

I LOVE Crenicichla, as most everyone knows. I have kept several types, but for some STUPID reason I can't keep Crenicichla sp. 'atabapo fire' for longer than six months before they die on me. Never had any problems with any other pikes, but that fires are just not my thing. Doesn't mean I won't try again, but I didn't let it make me leave the hobby. Thats just retarded. YOU LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES AND DON'T DO THEM AGAIN!





I have the same problem with nandopsis haitensis....:( I get one AS SOON as the last one jumps gets beaten or just gives up on life) I will never stop till I get one the size of my upper thigh...lol
 
I find its a lot easyer when I dont test my water and just do my regular water changes and things. any fish I have had have taken a week plus to die. just a boom turned around and its dead makes me think the tank wasnt cycled or something along those lines. sorry to hear about it but there is all the help you could need right here just have to ask.
 
:cry::cry::cry: so sad, good luck in your future ventures.
 
I raised and bred Discus for years with no problems but I can't keep a Santanoperca Daemon alive to save my life. For some reason they die on me and they are sooo cool but I gave up on them. NO I didn't kill all my other fish and throw out the tank...like previously mentioned, that would be :screwy:.

Good luck in your next venture.
 
Problems with Satanoperca daemon huh? Interesting. I absolutely love them, and want to get some if I can find them. Figured they would be just like all other Satanoperca....i've kept jurupari with no problems. Its ironic the fish you can keep and then the ones you can't huh?
 
Peanut_Power;1239737; said:
Problems with Satanoperca daemon huh? Interesting. I absolutely love them, and want to get some if I can find them. Figured they would be just like all other Satanoperca....i've kept jurupari with no problems. Its ironic the fish you can keep and then the ones you can't huh?


Yeah weird. I always thought they were just too sensitive or something. They're one of the coolest looking cichlids imo but we just don't get along for some reason.
 
Quitting is fine...sometimes it's a good choice. I would have at least tried to put the unwanted discus up on craigslist...OH well.
 
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