My first Discus

[Scat]

Hi :D

Managed to get a few quick snaps of my discus i bought yesterday(now they are hiding!)

I cant remember there common name atm !

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g148/scat35/newdiscus4.jpg
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g148/scat35/newdiscus2.jpg
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g148/scat35/newdiscus3.jpg
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g148/scat35/NewDiscus.jpg


Cheers
Craig

[waitaki]

Nice Scat
They look like green spotted leopards 8-) 8-)
Have you just got 4 little ones?

[Hollowman]

The one on the left is a LSS, the one on the right is a leopard. note the vertical bars.

[Scat]

Hi Hollowman,

Excuse my ignonorance but what is a LSS ? and i definately have 2 types of discus ? because i bought them all as one type !

Thanks :D
Craig

[Xtreme]

Scat....

Did you notice the difference in number of bars per fish?

The one on the left should have 14 bars which has snakeskin in it hence SS

The other has should have 9 bars as do the leopards

HTH

[Hollowman]

Thanks Xtreme, just got back here. Scat, as Xtreme says. LSS = Leopard Snake Skin 14bars. Leopard = 9bars
Now these could have come from the same parents, you do get a mix, even if the parents were both SS's

Now you must feed them up, probably better to do in a BB tank (bare bottom) as big water changes are needed and uneaten food must be removed.
good luck

H

here is a photo of a LSS that I have, that looked just like yours at that age

[Scat]

Thanks for all your help guys ive learnt heaps already !

I was worried about having 2 of each variety until you said that they could have come from the same parents still *phew* !

So you think they wont be ok in being kept in a 7x2x2 with doing 30% weekly w/changes then ? As ive only just sort of dipped one toe into the discus world all my other tanks are full of malawi`s and catfish juvies !!

The discus i really wanted to get i held off from buying as they were $120 each rather than $60 and am just seeing how i go with these guys first to make sure i can look after them properly and make them thrive :D

But some of the discus ive seen here in the photo album make me want to abandon my malawis in the very near future :lol:

Cheers
Craig

[Hollowman]

Craig, there are always several different views on how to raise discus. Ime, trying to raise discus in a planted tank is difficult. There are issues with water quality, and water changes. In a bare tank, or with a thin layer of sand on the bottom you would find maintenance much easier. I would think by the photos that these fish are about 3'', at this size they need lots of good food, and lots of water changes. Changing 50% daily would be good. Doing this in a planted tank, you would find you would damage the plants, or roots while cleaning the gravel etc.
If you have another tank you could use to raise them up I would be tempted to do that. Once they have reached over 4.5 to 6'' then they could go in a planted tank imo.

btw, these are nice fish, you did well getting them, they must have come from a good breeder?

[Scat]

Thanks Hollowman :D

I got these guys from my LFS but he is a top bloke and a hobbyist also not just a fish shop owner which makes a big difference imo.

So these are good fish, he did say that but im too green with discus to tell atm.

Ive got a 4x18x18 which i use as a growout for malawi`s that i may be able to use to growout these guys ? I wouldnt call my 7ft a planted tank ive just got 4 amazon swords that ive grown to around 2ft over the last few years.

It certainly food for thought as ive seen more and more discus that i like on here.

Also thanks for showing me that pic of your LSS what a great insight :D Do you have any pics of what the leopard will turn out like ?

Cheers :D
Craig

[Hollowman]

Craig, the 4x18x18 is good, just right for bringing these on. I'll see if I can find an adult Leopard for you.

[Hollowman]

Here is a friend's adult Leopard

[Scat]

Fantastic :D

Thanks for sharing those pics with me :D

Cheers
Craig