Hi everyone, I'm new here and to keeping discus, but I've had experience with african cichlids for years. Recently I got 15 Altum Flora discus from Myrtle Beach Discus, they're 3"-3.5" in size and I'm assuming they're from IP Discus. They've been with me for two weeks now and are already showing some color.
The first week was a bit rough, adjusting to aging water and dealing with an ammonia spike, but things are settling down. I'm doing 60% water changes daily and adding prime and stability until my cycle catches up with the new fish in my 75 gallon tank. Of course, the daily water changes will continue for a while, until they're moved to a 210 gallon tank when they're bigger.
I'm concerned about the size of the fish, especially the bigger, more colorful one in the middle - do they look stunted to you? They're all within the advertised size range and I'm feeding them a mix of FDBW, Fluval Bug Bites Flakes, Hikari Vibra Bites, and Discus Bio Gold, 4-5 times a day. My pH is around 7.6-7.7 and I've got 4 hikari XL sponges and a large air pump for filtration. Water temperature is usually just above or below 85 degrees.
Any advice or help would be great, I've got the time and ability to care for these fish properly, I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything.
Stunted Juvenile Discus?
Re: Stunted Juvenile Discus?
Your discus look healthy to me. I think you're on the right track, just maintain your routine and they should thrive. I personally don't use Prime often. Stability seems similar to Prime - are they not redundant? What are your tap water test results like?
Re: Stunted Juvenile Discus?
Re: Stunted Juvenile Discus?
I'm with lunar, the discus look great, no stunting apparent to me either. Stability is indeed similar to prime, but its main purpose is to aid in the cycling process, supposedly speeding it up. I've found it helpful in my experience, but thanks for pointing out the redundancy.
I'm with lunar, the discus look great, no stunting apparent to me either. Stability is indeed similar to prime, but its main purpose is to aid in the cycling process, supposedly speeding it up. I've found it helpful in my experience, but thanks for pointing out the redundancy.
Re: Stunted Juvenile Discus?
Re: Stunted Juvenile Discus?
Originally posted by lunar
They look fine to me! Keep up what your doing and they should grow nicely. I rarely use prime. But isn’t stability the same thing as prime? I don’t think you need both. Have you tested your tap water?
Thanks for the reply. Stability helps boost beneficial bacteria. Prime, on the other hand, neutralizes chlorine and metals, and also provides temporary relief from ammonia and nitrate/nitrites. My tap water's pH is in the mid to high 8's, but after aging it overnight in my Brute barrel, it drops to the mid to high 7's.
Originally posted by lunar
They look fine to me! Keep up what your doing and they should grow nicely. I rarely use prime. But isn’t stability the same thing as prime? I don’t think you need both. Have you tested your tap water?
Thanks for the reply. Stability helps boost beneficial bacteria. Prime, on the other hand, neutralizes chlorine and metals, and also provides temporary relief from ammonia and nitrate/nitrites. My tap water's pH is in the mid to high 8's, but after aging it overnight in my Brute barrel, it drops to the mid to high 7's.
Re: Stunted Juvenile Discus?
Re: Stunted Juvenile Discus?
Originally posted by kayla
Stability helps with the cycling. Supposedly, speeding it up.
Discus look great to me, also.
Thanks for the reassurance. I've been really worried about their growth, so it's good to hear they appear fine to you too. I've invested a lot of time and effort into setting up this tank and I'm committed to giving them the best possible care.
Originally posted by kayla
Stability helps with the cycling. Supposedly, speeding it up.
Discus look great to me, also.
Thanks for the reassurance. I've been really worried about their growth, so it's good to hear they appear fine to you too. I've invested a lot of time and effort into setting up this tank and I'm committed to giving them the best possible care.
Re: Stunted Juvenile Discus?
Re: Stunted Juvenile Discus?
Honestly, I think you're overthinking it. Most discus have minor imperfections, and yours are no exception. That being said, they look great overall. The one on the right does have a slightly pointy nose, but it's not a major concern at this stage.
Your maintenance routine is solid, so I think you can skip the Stability. Just keep up with your daily water changes and cleaning, and you'll be on the right track. You've got a nice group of discus there, and with proper care, they'll thrive.
Honestly, I think you're overthinking it. Most discus have minor imperfections, and yours are no exception. That being said, they look great overall. The one on the right does have a slightly pointy nose, but it's not a major concern at this stage.
Your maintenance routine is solid, so I think you can skip the Stability. Just keep up with your daily water changes and cleaning, and you'll be on the right track. You've got a nice group of discus there, and with proper care, they'll thrive.
Re: Stunted Juvenile Discus?
Re: Stunted Juvenile Discus?
I'm impressed with the fish, but more so with the research you've done and your pH management.
The discus on the right has my favorite pattern, but I agree with Jumper, it does look a bit pointy in the pic. Maybe it's not fully extending its dorsal, so it might look better in person or another photo.
Overall, lovely group - keep up the good work.
I'm impressed with the fish, but more so with the research you've done and your pH management.
The discus on the right has my favorite pattern, but I agree with Jumper, it does look a bit pointy in the pic. Maybe it's not fully extending its dorsal, so it might look better in person or another photo.
Overall, lovely group - keep up the good work.
Re: Stunted Juvenile Discus?
Re: Stunted Juvenile Discus?
Originally posted by Jumper
If you tried you could probably find some slight flaws but that's true with 99.9% of all discus.
I don't see anything to be concerned about, although the one on the right is a bit pointy. No biggie at this point.
Keep up with your water changes and cleaning and you'll end up with some really nice discus. You have a nice group there!
But, with your maintenance routine I don't think Stability is necessary.
Thanks for the reassurance Jumper. I agree that the 'pointy' one on the right is likely due to the angle of the photo and his dorsal fin not being fully extended. He's actually one of the taller fish in the group and among the top five in terms of size.
I'll keep up the good work, as I've always been meticulous about the quality of my African cichlids. Now, I'm applying the same standards to my discus. My goal is to provide the best possible care for these fish and ensure they thrive.
Originally posted by Jumper
If you tried you could probably find some slight flaws but that's true with 99.9% of all discus.
I don't see anything to be concerned about, although the one on the right is a bit pointy. No biggie at this point.
Keep up with your water changes and cleaning and you'll end up with some really nice discus. You have a nice group there!
But, with your maintenance routine I don't think Stability is necessary.
Thanks for the reassurance Jumper. I agree that the 'pointy' one on the right is likely due to the angle of the photo and his dorsal fin not being fully extended. He's actually one of the taller fish in the group and among the top five in terms of size.
I'll keep up the good work, as I've always been meticulous about the quality of my African cichlids. Now, I'm applying the same standards to my discus. My goal is to provide the best possible care for these fish and ensure they thrive.
Re: Stunted Juvenile Discus?
Re: Stunted Juvenile Discus?
Originally posted by FishNe
Overall I'm impressed not only by the fish but even more with the apparent research you have done and how you manage your pH swing.
Although the fish on the right is has the pattern I like the best, I have to agree with Brian. In the pic is does look pointy. It doesn't seem to be holding it's dorsal fully extended so it may well look better in real life or a different pic.
Overall, it's a lovely group. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the compliment, Liz - I've put in a lot of time researching and learning about these amazing fish. I'm glad you like the group, and I appreciate your honest feedback. The fish on the right does have a unique pattern, and I think it's one of the most interesting in the group. I've noticed that he's a bit of a character, too - always swimming around and exploring his surroundings.
As for the "pointy" comment, I think you're right that it's partly due to the angle of the picture. He's actually one of the taller fish in the tank, and when his dorsal fin is fully extended, he looks really impressive. I'll have to try to get a better picture of him sometime.
Anyway, thanks again for your kind words and helpful feedback. I'm looking forward to getting those SS's from you soon - I know they'll thrive in my tank now that I have a better handle on my water parameters.
Originally posted by FishNe
Overall I'm impressed not only by the fish but even more with the apparent research you have done and how you manage your pH swing.
Although the fish on the right is has the pattern I like the best, I have to agree with Brian. In the pic is does look pointy. It doesn't seem to be holding it's dorsal fully extended so it may well look better in real life or a different pic.
Overall, it's a lovely group. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the compliment, Liz - I've put in a lot of time researching and learning about these amazing fish. I'm glad you like the group, and I appreciate your honest feedback. The fish on the right does have a unique pattern, and I think it's one of the most interesting in the group. I've noticed that he's a bit of a character, too - always swimming around and exploring his surroundings.
As for the "pointy" comment, I think you're right that it's partly due to the angle of the picture. He's actually one of the taller fish in the tank, and when his dorsal fin is fully extended, he looks really impressive. I'll have to try to get a better picture of him sometime.
Anyway, thanks again for your kind words and helpful feedback. I'm looking forward to getting those SS's from you soon - I know they'll thrive in my tank now that I have a better handle on my water parameters.
Re: Stunted Juvenile Discus?
Re: Stunted Juvenile Discus?
Considering you're doing 60% daily water changes, the Stability is essentially being removed and re-added with each change. Since you're doing a fish-in cycle, your tank will cycle over time. The frequent water changes will keep your fish healthy.
Considering you're doing 60% daily water changes, the Stability is essentially being removed and re-added with each change. Since you're doing a fish-in cycle, your tank will cycle over time. The frequent water changes will keep your fish healthy.