New to Discus

[kevkoi]

Yeah well, I'd steer you away from using garden center peat....

I know it's cheaper, but it's meant for plants. There may be fertilisers and fungicides in the mixture which MAY be harmful to your fish. I really wouldn't risk it, when especially a number of Aquarium product companies make peat granules which are definately safe for aquarium use.

cheers
kev

[flukes]

Yeah i see what your saying kev but when you only have access to one fish store you have limited option. Id be seeing if this fish store has any peat, if they do well great if not then id try the indian leafs kev was talking about then as a last resort try the peat from gardening supplies, i know the supermarket in oz stocks some that is aquarium safe but its a matter of what you have access to. Just see what you can find but if your not successful try the gardening peat as a last resort and ask someone and if they dont know dont buy it. And watch out for people just trying to make a sale, if they say "yes use this peat because it doesn't contain....." then it sounds like they know what they are talking about but if they have no reasons and it like "I think this might be alright" then dont get it.
Try to stear clear of chemicals that lower ph like ph down, it noramlly changes rapidly and will cause a ph shock on the fish and many people have a hard time trying to find the right amount to get it to the desired level.

[Fefe]

Thank you all..well i searched a lot on Peat Moss and found a product called Peat Moss but the prblem is that thing more look like a natural compost or wood bark and was in the form of powder!!...i cant risk pouring that thing in my filter...plz key can you guide me how i can use those almonds leavs should i put them in a bag and keep that bag in external filter....i really appreciate all your help.
Warm Regards
Rafaqat

[flukes]

Just another question using that water life??ph tester what is your tap water?? Also if you can try to order test kits online or ask your LFS if they can get them in or test your water, test your tap water so you know what you have to work with. If you know you tap water parameters then you just get things like kh gh tested every 2 weeks or so, these shouldn't change at all in the aquaiurm unless something like shell grit or something is used as long as you got your ph test kit you should be right for your kh gh. Also get your ammonia and nitrite test if the LFS can do it other wise, before adding fish id recommend using a fishless cycle. I did this for the first time on this tank and ive never had a trace of either nitrite or ammonia because iam adding enough ammonia to create enough bacteria to be able to cope with more than the bio load that the fish i was putting in.

Cheers
scott

[kevkoi]

Hey Scott, stop daunting the poor guy....
Keeping fish in various parts of the world can be very different to how we keep fish here in Australia (or much of the Western world). I wouldn't be surprised if his LFS wouldn't have a clue what an Amonia and Nitrite test are and here u are hitting him with GH and kH? ... but then again, I may be way off.

OK, how are the bigger discus looking? Are their fins erect and the colour on the fish good and bright? Are they eating well? What are u feeding them with? IF you're feeding with live tubifex/bloodworms (which is common practice in many parts of Asia), be careful. I don't like using live worms because of the risk of introducing parasites and disease. Are the bigger discus responsive or are they always hiding away from you? Healthy discus should be responsive and not reclusive. When u walk up to the tank, the healthy discus should come up to the front glass and looking for you to feed them! A 'hungry looking' discus is a healthy discus.

U can tell a lot just by looking at the behaviour of the discus without the use of test kits (although it sure makes life easier to have them).

We take for granted that the rest of the world is 'into' testing water as we are.....
Here's a funny story. Most of the Discus breeders I talk to in Penang know about pH (they can confidently tell you the pH of their water), but try asking about amonia, nitrite, nitrate, kH, gH, filtration bacteria, nitrogen cycle etc etc and they look at you and say, "White-man keep fish very complicated.... Here we just change water." And it looks like their way works too! These breeders have over 500tanks and churn out top quality discus by the thousands!... Many have won awards and international acclaim... but on their 500tanks, u won't see a single filter on them and one air line blowing bubbles (not even an airstone on the airline!).

So there, I'm not say either way of keeping fish is right or wrong... just thought I'd share my thoughts.

Oh, and in Veitnam, I see Discus growing out in outdoor Goldfish vats! In Malaysia, I have 10 full size discus swimming around in my outdoor koi pond together with koi that are up to 80cm! Never fed the discus directly... just feed everyone koi pellets. These fish are 'retired' breeders from my uncle... but hey, they've been in there for 2year and they still look nice and chunky, no disease problems. (Bear in mind, the tropical climate in Malaysia allows for discus keeping outdoors throughout the year). Here, we pamper our fish a bit too much IMO.

kev

[Fefe]

Wow Kev Thanks for thsi i reall needed it.....well you r right these guys at fish shop laugh at me if i speak to them about PH amonia nitrates and nitrite they no nothin about it....well my new and ols Big discus are very active they are eating like pigs...and yes when i come in front of the tank they all come up and nibble the glass, they have very cute brilliant colors, red eyes,all fins intact no trace of fin rot, the biggest one i think he is male have problem i guess he eats a lot and also come up2 the front of tank but most of the time he is hiding behind things and turn almost black.
i really really appreciate your inputs.
And yes i bought Molbro red 5" at US$26/00 i guess it is not that exp.
Thanking you all from my heart
Rafaqat

[flukes]

Well there you go, dont listen to my mindless dribble if you what you do works, number 1 rule in discus do what works for you. I found that out the hard way reading too many post then trying to fix things in the tank that didnt need fixing.
You did say you have a ph test kit yeah?? really if your discus are doing well then id say the kh and gh are fine. And you could survive of just a ph test kit. I thought you just got the discus, sorry about all the dribble if things are good then nothing needs to be done.

[kevkoi]

Yeah, sounds like u have everything under control.

Just take my advice on buying the biggest size discus u can afford. Anything under 5cm can be touchy and sensitive, especially if you've got some bigger fish which will out-compete them for food.

Marlboro reds... nice fish. These guys dust/speckle in hard water and strong lighting. So if you see lotsa black dots appearing on the reds, it's either your lighting is too strong or your water is hard.


*photo I pinched off the net.....*
hoping your Marlboro reds look like this one and u'll one day actually see this happening in your tank!


cheers
kev

[Fefe]

Thanks Kev u r a real help thanks once again......Well few more questions...you said that i should not feed them Blood worms..how i can feed beaf Heart i mean u just clean the fat off the heart and cut into small pcs and pour in the water? it will sink to the bottom! will discus pick from bottom of the tank......i have hikari sinking type pellets i can soak them and fed them?
And yes you said that i can use Indian almond Leaf dried...how to use that should i put them in a net bag and add as filter media in external filters? We have a sort of almond tree in our garden but it is not the almond tree as in USA which produces real almonds.. the tree have few dark red leaves and few green ones....i m too much of trouble to you guys sorry about that but i love my new fish and like them to have the best.
Thanks for yoru support all
Love
Rafaqat

[kevkoi]

OK, sounds like everything u have been doing previously is correct... so don't go changing it.

I said, the bloodworms if live, MAY harbour parasites. If you can get frozen bloodworms, that would be better.

If you've never done the beefheart thing, don't do it. It's not just chopping up the heart and feeding the fish... It will pollute the water quite badly. There is a beefheart mix recipe somewhere on this forum..... I'm no expert in this beefheart thing.

The Indian almond tree is like the one you described. The scientific name of that tree is Terminalia catappa. Do an internet seach on this name and u will see the tree and the leaves and how ppl have been using these in their fish tanks...

HOWEVER, if you pH out of your tap is already fine and good, there is no need to go mess around with those leaves. I just brought it up because it reduces pH and I thought I'd point it out to fellow members of the board about their use. DOES NOT MEAN U HAVE TO USE IT.

kev