1. Welcome to Aquarium Space! We are a friendly online community for aquarium owners all over the world who love their tanks including their fish, reefs, corals, invertebrates and their aquatic livestock. If you haven't joined yet, we invite you to register and join our community!

Discus Project Log

Discussion in 'Freshwater Aquariums & Fish Photos' started by LemonDiscus, May 9, 2009.

Page 2 of 3
  1. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Top Poster Of Month

    Ryan, I think you meant to post this in your log? Haha.
     
    Anonymous, May 14, 2009
    #21
  2. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

    Messages:
    3,588
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    This is my log... it got moved to the photos because I have been adding many photos
     
    LemonDiscus, May 14, 2009
    #22
  3. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Top Poster Of Month

    Oh! HAHA! I saw James post and thought it was the first post, didn't notice the giant 2 in bold next to pages.

    Oops.
     
    Anonymous, May 14, 2009
    #23
  4. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

    Messages:
    3,588
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    Speaking of which here are more pictures!

    55 Gallon Pair again:



    30 Gallon Pair and the largest of all of my Discus that is in the 30 Gallon to hopefully spawn:
    13-5-09-55-Heckels.jpg 13-5-09-30-Heckels.jpg 13-5-09-30-Heckel.jpg
     
    LemonDiscus, May 14, 2009
    #24
  5. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

    Messages:
    3,588
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    Morning May 15 Update

    55 - Nothing unusual, same behavior.... Feeding well now and come up to the top finally for food.

    30 - They seem more gentile with each other in the mornings... the aggression was much lower and they still have all of their color. These are feeding well and coming to the top of the tank now for food as well. They are less shy and seem more comfortable with their new environment than they were a few days ago.

    Feeding has been 1/2 of a cube of Frozen Bloodworms morning and night. A pinch of Tetra Bits when I get home from work on both tanks. The HUGE Discus in the 30 gallon is the one that still does not eat the Tetra Bits though...
     
    LemonDiscus, May 15, 2009
    #25
  6. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

    Messages:
    3,588
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    May 18th Update

    55 - 25% Water Change
    No changes in behavior. Only change is that the 2 are a bit more aggressive toward one another. Not violently, but gently. One likes to bump the others belly. No breeding tubes out yet.

    30 - 50% Water Change
    No changes in behavior. After water change they got more color. They have calmed down to one another and still bump each other around a bit but not aggressively. No breeding tubes out yet.
     
    LemonDiscus, May 18, 2009
    #26
  7. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

    Messages:
    3,588
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    May 19th Update

    55 - 15% Water Change

    30 - 8% Water Change

    No observations today...
     
    LemonDiscus, May 19, 2009
    #27
  8. stevenrox

    stevenrox New Member

    Messages:
    1,310
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    good job lemon keep up the good job
     
    stevenrox, May 19, 2009
    #28
  9. Leslie

    Leslie New Member

    Messages:
    1,236
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    i just seen this. good luck. i hope they breed. stange on how they are both doing so different than how you think.
     
    Leslie, May 20, 2009
    #29
  10. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

    Messages:
    3,588
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    May 21 - Update

    Nothing seems different. Planning another PWC soon. It seems both tanks are more natural when I am not around. I am kind of debating if an autofeeder would be beneficial so they quit running to the front of the tank when I enter the room.... :confused:

    IDK.... Kind of hoping this will work but have a feeling its not going to.... I am not that good or lucky... :confused:
     
    LemonDiscus, May 21, 2009
    #30
  11. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

    Messages:
    5,728
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    38
    Are you thinking that they aren't spawning because of your presence ?
     
    Anthony, May 21, 2009
    #31
  12. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

    Messages:
    3,588
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    Somewhat.... I walk in the room and see some cleaning or what not and then they stop and swim to the front of the tank like a bunch of zombies... [confused]
     
    LemonDiscus, May 21, 2009
    #32
  13. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

    Messages:
    5,728
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    38
    My Cichlids and Endler's always did/do that. That doesn't stop them from spawning. With them being wild caught it may take them longer to get to that point ?
     
    Anthony, May 21, 2009
    #33
  14. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

    Messages:
    3,588
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    Yeah... if they do... I have read SO much about these and they are almost impossible to breed.... I am somewhat positive, but still after reading the immense amount of information on breeding them... the chances look even less... :confused:

    Again I will re-iterate, there have been NO pictures of Wild Heckels spawning in a captive environment... BUT there have been people selling F1 Heckels which gives some hope.... why they did not take pictures, who knows.....
     
    LemonDiscus, May 21, 2009
    #34
  15. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

    Messages:
    3,588
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    Update May 25th

    Both Tanks - I tried an Endler feeding to the 2 breeder tanks to see what they would do... the ones in the 30 gallon payed it no mind (male juvenile) and the 2 in the 55 whacked the Endler (adult male) HARD when it came near the tall vertical piece of driftwood but did not pursue it to eat

    They both took a 10 Gallon Water Change using all cold water. Heaters in both tanks turned down 2-3 degrees to about 81
     
    LemonDiscus, May 25, 2009
    #35
  16. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

    Messages:
    3,588
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    Sorry I have not updated in a while. Race season started and I have had NO TIME to play.

    I have done several more water changes on both tanks. I have diverted the experiment a bit.

    The biggest change is that I have moved the 2 that were in the 30 gallon in with the 2 in the 55 to see if a group setting will stimulate them to spawn.

    In my 125 I have my old avitar and a wild Heckel holding down a piece of slate I placed in the tank. No spawning activity but the guard it like there is no tomorrow. I am considering shortly moving those 2 and the slate into the 30 gallon tank...

    My 125 is getting emptier and emptier.... lol

    Also in consideration is moving my domestics upstairs into my 55 gallon and moving the Heckels back down into the 125.... I still dont have a decision on that yet though... if I do that then I will not pair the Heckel and the Marlboro and hope that the 6 Heckels will try to pair and what not in the 125. My rationalization to the move is that the larger volume tank is closer to simulating the wild then the tight quarters in the 55. They might have more interest in the larger tank... I dont know yet though...

    I will keep everyone updated as best as I can through this busy time of year for me!
     
    LemonDiscus, Jun 11, 2009
    #36
  17. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

    Messages:
    3,588
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    I made the change... I moved all of my red discus to the 55 and moved all of my Heckels back to my 125

    Lets see what happens like this
     
    LemonDiscus, Jun 21, 2009
    #37
  18. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

    Messages:
    3,588
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    Ok... long time no updates!

    I have now 4 Heckels (2 died because they could not compete) and 2 domestics in my 125.... I HAVE A PAIR! 100% sure of it! They are defending 1/3 of the tank now... both sit dark like they are stressed and beat up any fish that comes near their end of the tank...

    Unfortunately its NOT 2 Heckels... It is the Mayan Jade and 1 Heckel... they stay near each other all the time... lip lock... bicker... EXACTLY like my angelfish... I am expecting a spawn within a week now... Time to wait... I have NEVER seen my discus do this EVER... this is NOT subtle! They are guarding a piece of slate as I type this and both are PITCH BLACK... the Mayan Jade wanders around the tank a little bit but for the most part spends about 85% of the time near its pair.... Actually it gets pushed away by another Heckel when its on the other side of the tank and immediately swims right back to its other half... the other one backs down INSTANTLY!

    Good news... but not GREAT... I wanted 2 Heckels... I will settle for this now... 2 VERY pretty fish none the less...

    I will keep everyone updated
    :D
     
    LemonDiscus, Jul 6, 2009
    #38
  19. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

    Messages:
    5,172
    Likes Received:
    15
    Trophy Points:
    38
    nice, glad to hear your others are doing well for you!
    <--is currently raising the heat in her tank plotting to get a couple discus IF the setup handles the gradual increase.
     
    MOD_Dawn, Jul 6, 2009
    #39
  20. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

    Messages:
    3,588
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    You will be ok... the setup will be fine Dawn! Take your time if you have livestock in it but most will adjust... the ones that dont just never will...
     
    LemonDiscus, Jul 7, 2009
    #40
Page 2 of 3