Autumnsky's Conversations in water keeping

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What a difference a day makes.

Local guy - over an hour drive away!!!, from CAS will be selling me his Discus pair tomorrow. I guess they go for $130+ish each but I will be buying them for 40 per fish.

I never planned to buy adult and xxL size, too much crazy money for my budget. Only ones which cost about $30 as small juveniles. These fish are really large size since they are mature adults. Have had babies in the past and live together in a breeding tank with some bottom fish like Plecos or Cories.

So I am hoping they will be okay with the other fish swimming around. Now only need 4 more colors and we will have a real Discus tank.

Still hoping for the magical jumbo 120 -300G tank for peanuts someday.
:whistle:

These fish get automatic pwc of around 10% per day. The system is pvc pipes. Thinking if I do something like this at least as a temprary measure for best water, slight possibility I get kicked out of the house, but maybe not :whistle: not sure...if i'd rather try something like this, at least so I do not need to stress or lug as many buckets. Of course O could always change the sink and faucet in the bathroom water source and use the Python or Aqueon (have both) water changer I can't use now because of the odd faucet.

Fish are actually coming from this guy/fish room. You can go to minute 11:54 and see the auto pwc set up he has rigged. I will ask if he has a spare one handy to share/sell :)

This has been a dream for such a long time.

Gotta go catch fish!
 
Lots of fish catching and different doing things.

Got the Turquoise (maybe 1 is a red or just male and female) Discus and 3 of the most pretty finned Angelfish I have seen. 2 Koi and 1 Black lace silver. I would have liked a few more but I ran out of money! Hahaha.

Black worms & Feeder

Big chunks of Bolbitis probably 18-20?" altogether

Heater

Was sweating bullets earlier when the giant fish were getting used to the tank. They now seem calm and swimming peacefully. But only with the lights off. I went over and they backed up for sure not knowing me.

I thought my head would explode from the stress. Seeing a fish that size laying sideways in a tank "resting", OMGG (oh my goodness gracious)!!

We'll see how this goes over the next few days. Nail biter.

Still have to remove the Neons I think after talking to a couple people it will be alright for the rest.

Checking out livestock water trough pond options Monday.

Going to put the Platy in the pond. Though someone maybe buying some thin them down a little. Maybe found a home for the Swordfish trio. Maybe, maybe maybe!

Was researching heating options for the pond. Wanting a soloar heater maybe. Not the 2K pond heater though, I'm gonna hold off on that one.

Have been enjoying the BRS weekly videos, comparing and testing stuff.
 
Autumnsky's Conversations in water keeping incl/ the mysterious corner in the yard

Can't wait to see pics of your new fish! I am sure they are stunners and I will say a little prayer that they acclimate and thrive for you without any issues.
 
Fun pics of the "babies" before lights out, in the blue lights. Not their real color but looks crazy cool! They are pretty but not that wild.

Exclusive first pic debut!!! They don't want to get their pics taken in daylight, too shy still.

60074-albums11380-picture71026.jpg


60074-albums11380-picture71023.jpg



And this is a pic of the piping for the auto water change, mostly so I can recall the details

60074-albums11380-picture71027.jpg
 
Pics

Discus~

Pic from the text letting me know Discus were available
60074-albums11380-picture71038.jpg


Closer to the color they are somewhere between the first and this pic.
This is the Female less color than the other one which is brighter turquoise. Taken under the lower lights with blue in them
60074-albums11380-picture71039.jpg
 
Added StressCoat went to grab the other heater from the closet for the bucket for the Angelfish. Went to the tank and the Angel was Swimming!!! Like Lazerous, right before wasy looking bad.

Changed some of the plant locations.

The fish are breathing a little faster than I would like.

Did tests
GH 10
KH 2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
pH 6.8

Added 2 - 4x12 bags full of media
1 is Ammo-Carb
1 is Matrix and Ceramic rings

Those are under the inflow now, will go into the canister when I clean it out.

Maybe saw some baby Albino Plecos moving around in the cave?! Trying to decide what I can do with them.
 
After talking to 2 very succesful Pleco breeders. I moved the cave and Poppa didn't want to come out, so I just left him in. 2 babies fell out when I was trying to get the black eco complete out of the cave. I got a pic of one.

They are in the planted Spec V.

They survived the transfer of tanks... Baby is at the ~7 oclock place on the outside lip of cave. So tiny!!! Instead of going back inside, he swam away to the plants.


60074-albums13946-picture71075.jpg


60074-albums13946-picture71074.jpg
 
Yup 2 Guppies and little CPO moved. They are so cute!

Hope a few make it, though there were maybe 20 -30 bags of different Plecos at the auction (6-8 usually per bag), mostly albino Super Red and some longfin. Some Calico and a few of the normal brown. Definitely Super Red have taken over the group. My Super Red 3 or 4, not sure if they are all still in there. Will be ready to breed this fall or next spring.

Don't know if there will be any takers!
 
Today was canister filter cleanout. It took longer than I thought it would, way over due and Probably I haven't ever seen it that full of decaying stuff. When those plants melted it really filled up all the spaces in the foam and media.

Today was able to add the biological media, and actually found last time I had added more than I thought so I added the pouch of Zeolite and the additional ceramic pellet looking things from Fluval, removed a bunch of bulk filter pads form over the last couple years, where they had lost their fluffy /body and were just smashed looking flap things. Wow so dirty.

The Discus look very poor, and doesn't really want to eat. Turned up the head and did see him swimming a little , so hoping for the very best possible outcome of course. Hoping to see some good results by tomorrow.

Also probably going to use the bacterial option to treat as well as the fungus looks so bad yesterday and still yet today.
 
Where to start.

Sad, sad day.

Went to visit lfs and got some interesting and seemingly very good advice about the Discus. And was told that they can be very fussy and sensitive psycologically, that they can get stressed out easily, especially if they had been in a solitary existence, (even as a pair) didn't have much other activity around for years, that my tank with the Angels in it probably doubled or tripled the stress on them. Along with the move tipped the immune system over the edge.

Discussed the infection.

They had eaten last night before bed time.

When I had left in the morning they were swimming next to each other, and was hopeful that when I got home they would be better.

Bottom line with the clean water, good food and being in the tank as a pair again with out other commotion, they may well be happier and less stressed. That if the infection looked worse, treat for the bacterial infection and if better keep up with good food, low stress and clean water.

After work and the long trip to the lfs, came home to find him dead. My heart is kinda broken.

Having them in a tank with the Angels I now know was a risk factor I didn't understand. And after discussing the fish situation with a couple other knowledgeable people last week, it wasn't mentioned as a possible problem.

That was such a beautiful fish, an expensive fish. And I am angry / sad I didn't know better what to do, and didn't understand better. Even after having been reading about these guys for quite awhile. Did not understand it.

So now moved the lone Discus to a bucket with clean water while I clean out the QT tank and put her back in, going to get that done now. Got her a plastic plant to hide behind and a different air pump diffuser set up for the QT tank too.

Not too sure what will become of the single Discus. She doesn't have the fungal infection looking spots like the other one. Hoping she won't be so lonely and waste away. Of course waiting to make sure she doesn't take a turn for the worse, before adding any other Discus companions. It seems she looks okay.

Then wondering about adding a Discus or 2, to keep her company after all this distressing circumstances for the fish if that would be better or worse -which option would make her happy (as much as a fish can be happy)...

Very much do not like not knowing which course of action to take. I can't very well buy a bunch of discus only to have her hate the other fish. Though Discus I understand, do better in a group. Of like 5 fish. Gues will ask for advice from more experienced persons.
 
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