Michigan Cichlid Association

General Category => New World => Topic started by: JeffroM on September 04, 2011, 11:29:12 PM

Title: Discus
Post by: JeffroM on September 04, 2011, 11:29:12 PM
I have nothing to say about Discus, just sick of seeing the New World sub-forum empty of any posts.
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: Ron on September 05, 2011, 06:32:26 AM
Well you could say that they are very beautiful fish!

Or you could say that someone with hard well-water would need to get an RO unit if he wanted to keep any!

.... which is why I've never tried them.  :(
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: Frenchie on September 05, 2011, 08:45:45 AM
Have had them, And keep looking to get more but just not yet.
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: GrizzlysDad on September 05, 2011, 11:53:13 AM
I have nothing to say about Discus, just sick of seeing the New World sub-forum empty of any posts.

 :D :D :D :D
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: gmaschke on September 07, 2011, 08:06:02 PM
Yes very funny you are!   I have never kept them either.   But the wife really likes them so maybe if I get some she'll quit complaining and I will put a tank in the living room again and not have to listen to any crap.   I have hard water though and really don't want to have to mess with adjusting the ph all the time.   FF tells me they have some that have adjusted to a ph higher than the normal recommendations.
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: Frenchie on September 07, 2011, 10:31:17 PM
I have never done anything to my water, Just try and get some that were raised around here.
Post on C/L That you want some, I have seen a few now and then. Keep them hot and lots of air.
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: gmaschke on September 08, 2011, 11:18:14 AM
Just how hot is hot and how much air is a lot?
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: Frenchie on September 09, 2011, 08:27:00 AM
About 90 and i have lots of flow, and 3 air lines.
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: Frenchie on September 09, 2011, 08:28:21 AM
About 90 and i have lots of flow, and 3 air lines.

And rain water, I used it now and then.
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: gmaschke on September 10, 2011, 06:37:55 PM
90 degrees!!!! Holy crap I didn't know they liked it that hot!
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: Frenchie on September 10, 2011, 06:55:21 PM
90 degrees!!!! Holy crap I didn't know they liked it that hot!
And lots of air & flow.
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: Frenchie on September 10, 2011, 07:00:39 PM
90 degrees!!!! Holy crap I didn't know they liked it that hot!
And lots of air & flow.
http://e0.aqua-fish.net/show.php?h=discusfish
 Just look at this very helpfull.
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: mightieskeeper on October 03, 2011, 07:15:54 AM
A couple more degrees hotter and they will be ready for dinner!  I have never keep them, but they are very expense of fish.
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: gmaschke on October 05, 2011, 11:05:39 PM
A couple more degrees hotter and they will be ready for dinner!  I have never keep them, but they are very expense of fish.

Funny!  I was thinking the same thing.
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: Super Turtleman on February 09, 2012, 10:55:11 AM
Wow, a warning letting you know you're replying to an old topic. That's a nice feature. Anyway...

Holy shamoley...90 degrees? I never would've guessed.
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: JeffroM on February 09, 2012, 11:51:43 AM
That temp is the natural habitat for all SA fish.  Most just do okay with lower temps.  But if you plan on keeping any wild caught fish plan on at least low to mid 80's.
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: Marty on February 09, 2012, 02:30:40 PM
I don't believe you'd have to keep them that hot for them to be happy.  I know Carey Strong kept his in the low 80's unless they were sick.

I imagine you'd have to have lots of air flow at that temp just to keep a sufficient amount of oxygen in the water.
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: mightieskeeper on February 10, 2012, 12:07:03 AM
water evaporation happens fast at that temp!  I had a friend years ago raise discus in Flint city water.  They did well until the heater malfunctioned and cooked them. 
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: gmaschke on February 10, 2012, 06:45:38 PM
That and a cover
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: tnnsman7 on February 20, 2012, 07:31:09 PM
I'm itching to keep them again. It's been a few years since I last had them.
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: Michael Zebrowski on February 21, 2012, 09:20:24 PM
I actually had large discus for dinner while colecting in the Purus river in the Brazilian Amazon.  We ate the ones that succumbed after being collected.  Kind if like thin, bony bluegills, but very tasty with a cold Brahma beer.

We also ate Uaru, pike cichlids, peacock bass, and many others.  We almost cried while devouring what must have been literally thousand's of dollars worth of expensive and rare fish.

I recommend this to anyone.

Mike Z.
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: Nick on February 21, 2012, 09:25:08 PM
I actually had large discus for dinner while colecting in the Purus river in the Brazilian Amazon.  We ate the ones that succumbed after being collected.  Kind if like thin, bony bluegills, but very tasty with a cold Brahma beer.


That is awesome. One more reason for me to have a discus tank...I can actually charge people to catch their dinner at my house!
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: JeffroM on February 22, 2012, 04:31:17 PM
I actually had large discus for dinner while colecting in the Purus river in the Brazilian Amazon.  We ate the ones that succumbed after being collected.  Kind if like thin, bony bluegills, but very tasty with a cold Brahma beer.

We also ate Uaru, pike cichlids, peacock bass, and many others.  We almost cried while devouring what must have been literally thousand's of dollars worth of expensive and rare fish.

I recommend this to anyone.

Mike Z.
I wonder if you can get any of those fish locally as food.  I'll have to ask my local Meat/Fish market.
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: SKISWETPETS on April 03, 2012, 10:31:42 PM
I tried to get my brother, a very avid fisherman/hunter to eat the Oscar that i had a while back. He contemplated it for a bit... And then passed. Im thinkin maybe would not have been a good idea anyway...
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: Ron on April 09, 2012, 12:01:16 PM
I tried to get my brother, a very avid fisherman/hunter to eat the Oscar that i had a while back. He contemplated it for a bit... And then passed. Im thinkin maybe would not have been a good idea anyway...
I'd question what kinds of chemicals from foods or medications might build up in an aquarium raised fish.

Back to the topic of eating discus in the wild - all I can think is bones, bones, and more bones. Bluegill are already so boney that I'd only eat them after filleting. I'd suspect discus due to their bone shape would make an even thinner fillet.
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: SKISWETPETS on April 09, 2012, 12:39:15 PM
I tried to get my brother, a very avid fisherman/hunter to eat the Oscar that i had a while back. He contemplated it for a bit... And then passed. Im thinkin maybe would not have been a good idea anyway...
I'd question what kinds of chemicals from foods or medications might build up in an aquarium raised fish.

Back to the topic of eating discus in the wild - all I can think is bones, bones, and more bones. Bluegill are already so boney that I'd only eat them after filleting. I'd suspect discus due to their bone shape would make an even thinner fillet.
Yeah, I wasn't really gonna let him eat it, i just wanted to see how much intrest he would show in it.. 8)
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: Regalblue on April 09, 2012, 02:04:40 PM
A neighbor of mine goes to FL for the winter.
I guess he catches&eats Oscars all the time
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: JeffroM on April 09, 2012, 09:54:35 PM
My dang Discus will not eat any flake or pellet food.  They devourer froozen blood worms like they are going out of style though.
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: buznoz on April 18, 2012, 03:55:33 AM
Hey Jeff, started mine on live blackworms, dumped into the tank from a small plastic cup. They came to recoginize the cup as bringing food and rushed to the top. Started mixing in some pellets and cutting back on the worms. Now I just soak the pellets in the cup and dump them in. Took about a couple weeks, but now they eat anything poured out of the cup.
Title: Re: Discus
Post by: JeffroM on April 19, 2012, 01:07:59 PM
Hey Jeff, started mine on live blackworms, dumped into the tank from a small plastic cup. They came to recoginize the cup as bringing food and rushed to the top. Started mixing in some pellets and cutting back on the worms. Now I just soak the pellets in the cup and dump them in. Took about a couple weeks, but now they eat anything poured out of the cup.
Thanks.  I'll try this.