Well, I've gone and done it... be kind, please!

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
One tank is not the same as another. My swords have grown just fine in the water quality I provide, which is significantly lower in Nitrate than most people's tanks, planted, community, or whatever. Obviously, there is plenty of oxygen in the tank, as well, because all of the other fish are thriving. This tank has been set up, as it is currently, for eight months. Before that, it was a 110, and before that, it was a 55. I can imagine how "Discus in Community" sounds, but I haven't exactly thrown them in, hoping they'll fend for themselves. I'm still feeding them two extra times a day. They have begun coming into the open and poking around in leaves. I also saw them eating algae off of the back wall yesterday. Obviously, some folks are going to think this will never work, while others have posted their success stories. I wanted to hear both sides of the argument. I'm not ignoring those naysayers at all; but I think this is worth a shot.

I have gotten a lot of really good information from everyone here, so I thank everyone.
 
Just cause there is enough does not mean more oxygen would not be better. Thats like saying you feed your discus once a day and they are still alive so more food would not be better. Also all the other fish are not discus.

Im just trying to help you out. Im not try into be mean, but i can promise you your going to have problems. You just don't seem to understand all the variables or how delicate a fish you are dealing with. I guess your just going to have to learn for yourself.
 
1 1/2" discus are in an extremely delicate stage of their lives. As they get older they do get hardier, but at that stage, it's highly unlikely they will ever amount to anything in such a tank. Some species will adapt to the environment. With discus, you meet their needs or else you kill them before they ever grow up. You will learn this, even if you never get another discus. :)
 
I am one of the few who have attempted discus in a planted tank and am succeeding. I will not say you can not do it, but be prepared for the work entailed for at least the next year. Discus only grow for 14 months or so and then that is all you get whether they are 3" or 7". Part of the reason for my thread is so I can see the changes in them and if at anytime they appear to be stunting to me or anyone on here, I am prepared to rip out every plant, remove the substrate, move all other occupants to different tanks so that the discus can and will thrive. This is what I am talking about that it is a discus tank first. The plants I have are all low light low tech plants because the discus need it this way. They need low light and high O2, so no plants for that tank that need even Excel.....I won't chance it. After they are 14 months old and are done growing, they are much more like any other fish. They still are more likely to get diseases and parasites than other fish, but they are a little more forgiving with their water. Juvies on the other hand will stunt if you only change water once or twice a week with a planted tank (don't ask me why because I don't know, but I did months of research before trying this and it was always the same - get lax and the discus suffer immediately). I gravel vac my 110 for 1 to 2 hours every day. I have been doing it since July and will continue until next July when I know they are old enough for twice a week changes instead.
 
I did look through your thread, and found it encouraging. As I've said several times, I'm willing to do the work for them. I am considering taking the Angels out all together, but I'm going to discuss it with my husband.

I do believe that no two tanks are alike. For example, in some planted tanks, you might find leftover food in plant roots/leaves, but I've got ten or so Cories and six small Clown Loaches, and my sand and leaves are always spotless. They do an excellent job of eating leftovers. They must be bottomless pits.

I came in to this with the knowledge that it wasn't going to be easy. If I didn't take on challenges, my RTC wouldn't be living in the indoor pond we built just for him! I don't mind putting in the work to get a desired result.
 
just do what works for you. and you're right not everyones tank are the same what doesnt work for them doesnt mean it wont work for you. i always go against the rules. i do what works for me. i have never done any test for my water. i judge the water by just looking at it. i never had a problem.i keep discus in a planted tank against the rules everyone has been saying but im having success and im gonna keep doing it my way. their way is what works for them and everyone else. so thats good. sometimes you need trial and error and what works for you.
 
nikond70s;3696302; said:
just do what works for you. and you're right not everyones tank are the same what doesnt work for them doesnt mean it wont work for you. i always go against the rules. i do what works for me. i have never done any test for my water. i judge the water by just looking at it. i never had a problem.i keep discus in a planted tank against the rules everyone has been saying but im having success and im gonna keep doing it my way. their way is what works for them and everyone else. so thats good. sometimes you need trial and error and what works for you.
Click to expand...

Well said.....couldn't have said it any better.
 
As long as they are active and not hiding they are fine. As far as stunting the only way to tell if a certain approach will cause it is to run a test. Get a group of discus all from the same spawn and separate them into two groups. Use one rearing method on one group and another rearing methods on the other group. After 2 years either one method will produce more or larger discus or it won't. Ideally you would have a control but besides sticking a tank near the Amazon river and creating an isolated flow through system I can't picture one.

The main advantage of a bare bottom tank is that it's easier to keep clean. Better water conditions = happier and larger fish.
 
nikond70s;3696302; said:
just do what works for you. and you're right not everyones tank are the same what doesnt work for them doesnt mean it wont work for you. i always go against the rules. i do what works for me. i have never done any test for my water. i judge the water by just looking at it. i never had a problem.i keep discus in a planted tank against the rules everyone has been saying but im having success and im gonna keep doing it my way. their way is what works for them and everyone else. so thats good. sometimes you need trial and error and what works for you.
Click to expand...

OK, but how long has the tank been running? Let's see the photos! :D
 
LOL okay, I'll get some up today. I've been meaning to try and get some pics of the big tetra schools anyway -- they're so darn fast, and one's in focus, but one's not, etc. The tank has been set up, as a 125, for eight months or so, but this tank is really the best example of "justonemoretank" that I've got -- it's gone from a 55, to a 110, to the 125. The plants I've been growing for about a year and a couple of months, probably. Anyway, pics up soon!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom