How to fatten discus

[vanessa messig]

Hi everyone,

I have a discus which is very shy and had not been eating for some time, it had recovered since and is eating well now when it gets a chance as the others keep picking on it, I had added a couple more discus to the tank but the situation had not changed. It now has a sore on one side.

Today I separated a part of the tank with a grid to keep it and one other shy discus as a mate together, they are both ok and eating well but I need to fatten them both up so that they do not deteriorate, they need to become healthier and stronger to fight off the others.

I feed them three times a day mainly with blood worms, Omega feed (sometimes soaked in garlic) and beef heart once a week usually just before the weekend water change.

Can anyone give me some suggestions :?:

[Merrilyn]

Vanessa, although they seem to love blood worms, there's not a lot of nutrition in them, at least not enough to be forming the main ingredient in their diet.

Change your feeding routine to include beefheart every day, bloodworms only once daily and the third meal a good quality commercial dry food.

Freeze dried blackworms (different from the frozen bloodworms) are another good, high protein food.

Are you able to increase your waterchanges to twice per week of around 30% each time. That will make a big difference to the growth rate.

[Hollowman]

I feed them three times a day mainly with blood worms, Omega feed (sometimes soaked in garlic) and beef heart once a week usually just before the weekend water change.

Can anyone give me some suggestions :?:

Pretty much as Merrilyn said, this feeding regime should be reversed, BH every day, bloodworms for a treat, plus other food when needed.

Hollowman

[vanessa messig]

Thanks Merrilyn and Hollowman, I appreciate your advice. Which brand of freeze dried blackworms do you recomend? I have been doing waterchanges twice a week but reluctant with the BH because I was afraid of poluting the water. I am also still trying to keep the nitrates down and now with the added problem of my wounded discus.

Today he is not looking happy, a little too dark for my liking and just sitting with its head down. I am not sure what to do except to keep adding Melafix to the tank, is there anything else which would work better for a deep wound?

Do you think its a good idea to separate the discus with a grid? its a 6ft long tank so there is still plenty of room, I thought it would be less stressful then moving him into another tank where he would probably sit in a corner and not eat, at least he is still eating slowly and not being attacked.

Sorry to ask so many questions, I would just like to keep my discus happy and healthy.

I have lots of beefheart in the freezer and will start the day off with it every morning when they are most hungry.

[Hollowman]

I would keep up the water changes, what sort of % are you doing twice a week?
The one with the sore, I would put into a H/T and treat with Myxacin directly on the wound with a cotton bud. Hopefully that will knock back any infection and aid healing. Make sure if you do this to hold the fish in a damp/wet towel and don't get any in the eyes or on the gills.
hth

Hollowman

[BigDaddyAdo]

Discus Dinner is the go. Fatten them up in no time.


Ado

[Hollowman]

What is Discus Dinner?

H

[ILLUSN]

discus dinner is a beefheart mix made by the fish fuel co australia, it contains spinich (green leaf) beefheart, bloodworms, brineshrimp, fish bits vitamins amminos and fatty acids etc.

its not bad but my fish seem to prefer discus delux by posaqua.

if your buying this stuff, you'd be better off making your own for around 1/2 the price once you get some number of fish.

[Hollowman]

Thanks Illusn, I don't quite think it would be worth me buying any, after a week in the post to the UK, it might not be at it's best :lol:

Sounds like quite a mix though.

Here in the UK we are able to get the genuine Stendker Discus Beef Heart, Mark Evenden at DevotedlyDiscus is the main Stendker importer here, and this is good stuff, and apparently, this is all that Stenker use to feed their fish.
We also have a Uk base maker called Guy at YorkshireBeefHeart, and having used both types, the fish do very well on it too.

I have made my own before, and quite like to add different ingredients, but sometimes it is just as easy to buy it. :?

H

[vanessa messig]

Thanks, Hollowman, Illusn and Ado, I do a 80 litre change in the middle of the week and a 110 litre change on the weekend, should I do more? the aquarium is a standard 6ft long tank.

Hope I can find 'Myxacin', I have never tried such a procedure but if it works it will be well worth it and good to keep on hand. Discus dinner or discus delux sounds good, I will definitely try it.

Thanks again for all your help :) much appreciated.

[Xtreme]

Hi all,

To me Discus dinner is overrated by many here in Aust
It is no better than the other bh mixes commercially sold
It is just plugged solely by another LFS in Sydney
IMHO u r better of making ur own up ,,much cheaper and more of a overaul diet

HTH


BigDaddyAdo Why do you use it?
Where u told by a lfs to use it because he does? :roll:

[benkk]

Just wonder where can i get Freeze dried blackworms ??

Wayne, do you sell them ?? i am looking to buy some

thanks