Path: utzoo!hoptoad!amdcad!pyramid!lll-winken!gryphon!richard
From: richard@gryphon.CTS.COM (Richard Sexton)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: How to start keeping Discus
Summary: good luck
Message-ID: <3776@gryphon.CTS.COM>
Date: 3 May 88 15:39:37 GMT
References: <966@tellab5.UUCP>
Reply-To: richard@gryphon.CTS.COM (Richard Sexton)
Distribution: alt
Organization: Trailing Edge Technology, Redondo Beach, CA
Lines: 69

(note that since I've only been keeping fish for 18 years I dont
consider myself qualified to attempt to keep discus. The information
i have is from what I've read by people who seem to have credability)

In article <966@tellab5.UUCP> dpb@tellab5.UUCP (Darryl Baker) writes:
>I've been interested in discus for many years and have heard many horror
>stories about keeping them. I was wondering if any body could give me 
>some pointers?
>
>	1) Minimum size tank for keeping?

You're in trouble if you have to worry about minimum size. A 50 will hold
half a dozen and allow them to grow to a decent size. Discus get BIG, or
at least they should, given the spave they need. You can of course
crowd the, into a 20 or 30 but this is not a real swift move.

>				 breeding?

If, out of a half dozen, 2 pair off, just remove the other ones, although
a 30 HIGH tank might be ok here.

>
>	2) Inexpensive source for fish? (though inexpensive and discus may be
>					 an oxymoron)

Yeah right. Some fish are just never cheap. You can probably get brown discus
for $5, but the real neat ones are gonna cost $12-$20: powder blue, red faced
etc.

>
>	3) Tricks for good survival rate?

clean water

live food

clean water

85 degree (F) water

clean water

lots of plants for hiding places

clean water

dim light

and

clean water


There are ads in FAMA and TFH for mail order discus. Jack Wattley has done
more to further new strains of discus and is very reliable. I'd be leery
of pet shop discus, although I have seen Jack's fish in stores.

Jack breeds his in hard alkaline water, so obviously soft acid water is not a 
requirement to keep them alive like it was for wild caught discus.

Avoid tubifex worms. They love 'em, but they invariably cause disease
and discus in particular get a nasty one called "hole in the head disease"
that i'm not sure if a cure was found yet.

Keep us posted.


-- 
               "Words of wisdom Lloyd, words of wisdom"
richard@gryphon.CTS.COM                          rutgers!marque!gryphon!richard