Tank Setups • Setting up my 240 gallon, step by step

[jd lover]

you dont need to use alot of ro water tap will work fine for them. its all i use =p.

as to the picture i believe its a blue cobalt due to the eys. in a good quality blue diamond/blue diamond deep blue gene the eye will be solid red oppose to the broken orange that one has.

[Shahlvah]

WOW this is information you don't find any other place.....please continue...
What do I have to look into the discus to know that I am buying a good quality discus?
I guess that buying from Mr. Wattley all will be good, but is there something else I need to know?

[jd lover]

shape of the body is a good start. if your buying from jack wattly i wouldnt worry but if youre buying from a local dealer ask him to feed the fish in front of you. if the discus attacks the food like its been starving thats a good sign. make sure its not skinny. check its color. if its too colorful for its ags then its a dead give away that its not right. if its too dark then it could be sick or really stressed. discus colors up at different age but if a 2 inch discus has the color of a 6 inch discus its either stunt or been fedd hormones. see how active the fish are. if they come up to you when you approach the tank thats a good sign. if theres one shying away from the group and stays hidden or in a corner avoid it.

[Shahlvah]

This information is great, and for what you tell me I am able to see some trend in the local breeder:

- His blue diamond fish are dark grey or completely white, when I asked he said that it was the natural slime of the fish because the water was cold, 76ºF
- all his discus have color even the 2 inch ones (with the exception of some of the blue diamonds)
- I did not like that the tanks look filthy, lots of debris in the bottom, he keeps his fish in tanks with just a sponge filter and no substrate, but you can tell when the fish move around that the tank has not been cleaned in days, I really did not like that, I am to the extreme with keeping my tanks clean because that is the place where my little ones live and breathe and eat, so it is just fair for them and for what I know about discus I understood that discus are very particular about the quality (clean or dirty) of the water.
- He has lots of fish in each tank, I will said 20-25 in a 40 gallon breeder.
- He seems to be eager for me to buy his fish, last time he even try to push me to write a check and then pick up the fish when the tank was ready....for me this was a big red flag.....is not like he does not have enough fish...
In my book if I waited this long to have the perfect tank for the perfect discus, I can wait, one week, one month or what ever time it takes, but get exactly what I want,
I think to be in the safe side all the way around it is "cheaper" to pay the shipping fee on the Wattley discus than gambling some other place.

[jd lover]

well if you dont mind paying shipping cost thens wattly is a good place a few others are kenny and hans

kenny:

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthrea ... t-included)

hans:

http://discusfishstore.com/catalog/index.php

both are great guys to deal with and the quality fish they have are the best period.

[Shahlvah]

Thank you for the links, I will look into them, I appreciate all the help. I might come back with more questions if you don't mind?

[jd lover]

of course not this is the forum to help other if i mind helping i wouldnt have signed up =].

[moneygetter1]

+1 Have done quite a bit of research before purchase. My choice is Hans http://discusfishstore.com/ . We've spoken a couple of times & he has viewed my set up. I am confidant he is the right choice for me. Generally to end up w/ quality you gotta start out w/ quality. Yes quality cost a bit more but in the long run it will be worth it. My order of 8 or 9 will be on 03/30. Good luck with yours. "T"

[jd lover]

+1 quality of the fish will be remember long after the price is forgotten =]. I've spent over 200 for a single discus and didnt blink about it cause i know im getting the best of the best. infact i wouldnt hesitate buying a 800 discus if i had the chance.

[moneygetter1]

Not there yet but I wanna be like you when I 'grow up' !! lol lol "T"

[Shahlvah]

LOL...with all the money spent in this tank, it just wouldn't be right to buy low quality discus....I am aiming towards A+ !+ quality, what ever the price....now, just like moneygetter1 I am not there yet for an $800.00 discus...LOL

[jd lover]

lol well like most i got in it with cheap little ones and now im confident that i wont kill them lol.

[Shahlvah]

That is exactly my point, I want to see if they survive a year in my hands and then I can start thinking about those "others" with show quality....LOL
But I wouldn't like to get stock with a fish that is less than an acceptable quality fish just because.

[jd lover]

That is exactly my point, I want to see if they survive a year in my hands and then I can start thinking about those "others" with show quality....LOL
But I wouldn't like to get stock with a fish that is less than an acceptable quality fish just because.

kenny and hans both have good starter fish (cheap and great quality) and they both occssionally get in the show quality. (expensive and top of the line)

[Shahlvah]

I was looking at their sites, I already saved them in my favorites and I will make contact with them, I want to make my list of what I can afford and from there exactly what I want.

Going back to the PH, this morning when I did my parameter in the tank the PH is showing at 7.0, I have done no more than the peat granules and the drift wood, so I think this is good. On regards to the tetras, I have not have an lost either, from what I have the cardinals are the most delicate and they are like a canary in a mine in regards to the water parameters, so that is a good sign.
Now I just have to wait for next Friday to place my order...(PD)