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Posted by Mr. Zee on August 23, 2005, 1:13 am
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Hello: I entered the hobby about 6 months ago after a 15 year break.
Have a 55 gallon tank. Canister filter and Biowheel on the back. 6.7 pH,
3-4 KH, 0 Ammonia ant Nitrite, less then 20ppm Nitrate. 3 to 4 x weekly
water changes fm tap (The tap water is nice and soft.) Live plants, temp
82F. I have 4 cardinals 1 pair of Blue rams 10 'black' neon's, 3 cordy cats
and one small pelco. Lost a cardinal or two but that's it. (The rams
spawned twice but I think they ate the eggs!) I'm dying to try my hand at
discus. I really don't want to overstock the tank but as I understand it I
should get about 5 or so that they won't bully each other. I'm sure this
would be fine when their small but won't they outgrow the tank? Also, I
heard they need a 'bare bottom'. I don't have that. I really don't want to
mess with live foods. Would frozen beefheatr and all the great dry stuff
they have now do?
Any comments, suggestions and advise is welcome. I want to try my
hand with these fish but don't want to give up the live plants. Thanks very
much!
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Posted by Elaine T on August 23, 2005, 3:14 am
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Mr. Zee wrote:
> Hello: I entered the hobby about 6 months ago after a 15 year break.
> Have a 55 gallon tank. Canister filter and Biowheel on the back. 6.7 pH,
> 3-4 KH, 0 Ammonia ant Nitrite, less then 20ppm Nitrate. 3 to 4 x weekly
> water changes fm tap (The tap water is nice and soft.) Live plants, temp
> 82F. I have 4 cardinals 1 pair of Blue rams 10 'black' neon's, 3 cordy cats
> and one small pelco. Lost a cardinal or two but that's it. (The rams
> spawned twice but I think they ate the eggs!) I'm dying to try my hand at
> discus. I really don't want to overstock the tank but as I understand it I
> should get about 5 or so that they won't bully each other. I'm sure this
> would be fine when their small but won't they outgrow the tank? Also, I
> heard they need a 'bare bottom'. I don't have that. I really don't want to
> mess with live foods. Would frozen beefheatr and all the great dry stuff
> they have now do?
>
> Any comments, suggestions and advise is welcome. I want to try my
> hand with these fish but don't want to give up the live plants. Thanks very
> much!
>
>
You sound ready. Here's a great article by the very talented George
Booth about discus in planted tanks.
http://aquaticconcepts.thekrib.com/Articles/PAM_Discus.htm
As for foods, consider frozen bloodworms, frozen glassworms, and
prepared foods like Spectrum pellets. After reading Untergasser's
classic disease book, I'm not convinced that dead cow is a good food for
fish. ;-)
--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com
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Posted by Derek W. Benson on August 23, 2005, 5:07 am
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wrote:
>As for foods, consider frozen bloodworms, frozen glassworms, and
>prepared foods like Spectrum pellets. After reading Untergasser's
>classic disease book, I'm not convinced that dead cow is a good food for
>fish. ;-)
Hmm... presumably you're talking about beef heart. What does
Untergasser say about it?
-Derek
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Posted by Elaine T on August 23, 2005, 3:25 pm
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Derek W. Benson wrote:
> wrote:
>
>
>>As for foods, consider frozen bloodworms, frozen glassworms, and
>>prepared foods like Spectrum pellets. After reading Untergasser's
>>classic disease book, I'm not convinced that dead cow is a good food for
>>fish. ;-)
>
>
> Hmm... presumably you're talking about beef heart. What does
> Untergasser say about it?
>
> -Derek
Yes, I was talking about beef heart. I went back and looked. From p.
115 of "Handbook of Fish Diseases" He says "beef-heart (sic) alone can
never be adequate as food but must be fed along with supplemental greens
and occasionally with vitamins."
He goes on to talk about fatty degeneration of the liver from food with
too many carbohydrates and fats and a lack of choline and vitamins. He
also believes that hole-in-the-head is caused by vitamin D deficiency,
which is lacking in one-sided diets. I looked it up and beef heart is
high in choline, but not in vitamins.
Finally, he says that "Gastroenteritis (also called gastrointestinal
inflammation) may result from spoiled feed, a vitamin deficiency, or a
one-sided diet of meat (such as beef heart). Likewise, a diet of an
easily digestible food (such as white worms) with high nutritive value
or a one-sided diet of carbohydrates, fats, or proteins can lead to the
condition."
So, common sense rules. Vary the diet of your fish and be sure to feed
plenty of vitamins. ;-)
--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com
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Posted by Gill Passman on August 23, 2005, 5:26 pm
Please log in for more thread options
> Derek W. Benson wrote:
> > wrote:
> >
> >
> >>As for foods, consider frozen bloodworms, frozen glassworms, and
> >>prepared foods like Spectrum pellets. After reading Untergasser's
> >>classic disease book, I'm not convinced that dead cow is a good food for
> >>fish. ;-)
> >
> >
> > Hmm... presumably you're talking about beef heart. What does
> > Untergasser say about it?
> >
> > -Derek
>
> Yes, I was talking about beef heart. I went back and looked. From p.
> 115 of "Handbook of Fish Diseases" He says "beef-heart (sic) alone can
> never be adequate as food but must be fed along with supplemental greens
> and occasionally with vitamins."
>
> He goes on to talk about fatty degeneration of the liver from food with
> too many carbohydrates and fats and a lack of choline and vitamins. He
> also believes that hole-in-the-head is caused by vitamin D deficiency,
> which is lacking in one-sided diets. I looked it up and beef heart is
> high in choline, but not in vitamins.
>
> Finally, he says that "Gastroenteritis (also called gastrointestinal
> inflammation) may result from spoiled feed, a vitamin deficiency, or a
> one-sided diet of meat (such as beef heart). Likewise, a diet of an
> easily digestible food (such as white worms) with high nutritive value
> or a one-sided diet of carbohydrates, fats, or proteins can lead to the
> condition."
>
> So, common sense rules. Vary the diet of your fish and be sure to feed
> plenty of vitamins. ;-)
>
> --
> Elaine T __
> http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
> rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com
When I first read your comments on beef heart as an unsuitable feed I
immediately thought "Mad Cow Disease" (BST) - maybe a case of English
paranoia :-)
Gill
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> Have a 55 gallon tank. Canister filter and Biowheel on the back. 6.7 pH,
> 3-4 KH, 0 Ammonia ant Nitrite, less then 20ppm Nitrate. 3 to 4 x weekly
> water changes fm tap (The tap water is nice and soft.) Live plants, temp
> 82F. I have 4 cardinals 1 pair of Blue rams 10 'black' neon's, 3 cordy cats
> and one small pelco. Lost a cardinal or two but that's it. (The rams
> spawned twice but I think they ate the eggs!) I'm dying to try my hand at
> discus. I really don't want to overstock the tank but as I understand it I
> should get about 5 or so that they won't bully each other. I'm sure this
> would be fine when their small but won't they outgrow the tank? Also, I
> heard they need a 'bare bottom'. I don't have that. I really don't want to
> mess with live foods. Would frozen beefheatr and all the great dry stuff
> they have now do?
>
> Any comments, suggestions and advise is welcome. I want to try my
> hand with these fish but don't want to give up the live plants. Thanks very
> much!
>
>