cognizant

Love the video!

Do you breed them or keep them for aesthetic purposes?

Slug

Keep them for looks, trying to breed them. Thanks.

Jess

Nice video. They really look good.
Have you any pairs from previous fish?

Slug

I have one Blue Diamond x Cobalt pair formed, and it looks like i might get another BD x Cobalt pair as well. Still waiting to see from that. The other fish are just shy of breeding age so withen the next month or so i should be seeing more pairs.

I have the chance of picking up some really nice proven pairs right now, might get one. Or some smaller fish and pair them myself. Havn't decided yet.

Jess

That's so exciting!

If you don't mind my asking. . . how do they act toward each other when they pair up. (I have some that are aprox. 10 months old.) Are they cordial to each other? Does one drive others away from that one.

I still have a lot of bickering going on in our tank.

Slug

Well i moved my current BD x Cobalt pair back to the main tank. They were not showing any signs in the breeding tank. The INSTANT i put them back in the main tank they start dancing. I guess the other fish make them do it. I'll probably leave them in here for a while and see if i can get another spawn. At least to strengthen the pair.

From what i've noticed the female is the most pushy of the two. The females will actually fight each other while the males will just look tough. As for the pair themselves they should both shake at each other. I've noticed the male comes and swoops infront of the female and extends all of his fins and gives a few shakes. Discus will usually just twitch about 5 times, not fully vibrate like African cichlids. They will also follow each other around, nudge each other...almost like cuddling, and both should really display if the other one comes near.

If one of your fish is really shy, usually the female, the male will actually block her from view by getting in front of her when you come up to the tank.

I have a lot of bickering as well, mainly during feeding. Its just them sorting their problems out.

Jess

Well that's really cool. Now I know what to watch for. I don't think I've seen anything like displaying going on. But I can look for that now. Are the females smaller/larger than the males? Anything notable like that?

I noticed your tank is at aprox 7 for pH. I thought to get successful hatching you need very low PH. Just curious, possibly you've not updated your tank info since getting all the new guys.

Slug

Can't really tell. I've seen some BIG females, but for the most part, the males tend to be bigger....really not something good to go on though. Very unreliable.

I've known people that spawn discus in pH of 8. Its possible in all types of water. Now spawning wilds or F1s might be different, they need water close to the wild water. Of course i would assume that the lower the pH the more successful and more fry you might yield....but i'm not sure.

Jess

I've read that the egg casing actually toughens with higher PH. Have you heard that? They have a better chance of hatching with lower.
Anyway all very interesting.

Slug

Heres a few more updates for everyone! Fish are fat and happy! They are eating like crazy and coloring up nice. First up are the Penang Eruptions. They just got done eating when these pics were taken, still bulging hehe.











These WB Throwbacks have some of the reddest eyes i've ever seen in a discus.

Slug

Here are some of the WB Throwbacks. Mainly one. He's different then the rest, i like it. A lot cleaner without any striations.

ChrissyD

Wow... nice fish Matt

peacemaker92

They're all beautiful!!

Jess

Matt they really look great!
How big are they now?
I seem to remember a big growth spurt on my guys. I went away for the weekend and came back to 2 of the fish so much larger it was as if they were different fish. Weird how they all grow at different rates. Also right now the one that was the runt is now the tough guy and protecting one side of the tank. Not the biggest, but the most demanding at the moment.

Slug

Thanks. The Penangs are i guess around 3-3.5" and the WB's are probably about 4-4.5". Not much growth really, the main noticeable differences are their color has improved and they are filling out a little now.

Slug

How about these? They are growing nice, coloring up great. These were taken without flash. What you see is what you get. This is what i see in person.

Butterfly

Once again beautiful fish
Carol

Slug

Thanks!

Jess

The guys are looking great! How old are they now?

Slug

Thanks. A month in my care, before that i'm not sure i'd have to ask.

Coryd55

Wow! The WBs are stunning. The Penangs are as well but I like the WBs better.

Slug

Well i lost one. Lost a Penang eruption, kind of disappointed. Something internal is my guess and i didn't have the right meds on hand to save him. I came back from Drill this past weekend to find him a little bloated and dark, otherwise acting normally. Kept up the water changes but i guess he was to far gone. Don't you hate how these things happen during times you arn't home to prevent it?

Well, it happens. Live and learn, have a pharmacy on hand. As for why he got sick in the first place, bad luck? Not sure, every other fish is perfectly fine.

I guess this means i just need to get more to cope with the loss. LOL And yes i'm really not that emotional about losing a fish, discus or not.

You can tell the difference. These were taken yesterday when i first really noticed it. Sick fish and healthy fish.

Jess

Poor guy. I know how it feels to lose one of these beauties. Hope all the rest are doing well.

Slug

Just a couple of updates.

White Butterfly Throwbacks. Growing very very nice. I keep changing the lights on the tank, or keep changing their tanks around so thats why they might look a bit different in color from the other pictures. I try and keep the color close to what you would see if you were standing here.




This one is in my big boys tank. He was being a bully. I actually believe it to be a female. It has more of a snakeskin pattern unlike the others. These are all from White Butterfly x White Scorpion parents so some come out with the scorpion traits.


I'll get some more later, and some of the Penangs if i can.

Darlene

Beautiful pictures and fish! I would love to have some Discus.

Jess

If I were to pick favorites it would be the first picture, love the round body, eyes very bright.
But I also love the second picture, they look so white, white, but still with markings that makes them interesting to look at. I also like the yellow on the face.
Are you keeping them till you find some that pair up? Will you be sending some on their way to new homes?
What does a white scorpion look like?

Slug

Thanks.

Its cool, the more light over the tank the whiter they become, but you see how orange they turn if you put them in a lower light system (see last photo). I'd like to try and get a pair of WB Throwbacks and Penang Eruptions and then possibly sell some of the extras. Depends on my tankspace situation at the time.

These are Kenny's pictures. Color is a bit off but thats because Kenny is still trying to handle the camera. You can tell a difference in pattern though. Especially the striations around the face and in the fins.
White Scorpion(On left):



Compared to a regular White Butterfly which has an overall clean white body and the striations are larger.

Jess

Both are very good looking fish. I like the rounded line curving down their forehead to nose. Nice shaped fish. I see the WB is more solid white. See what you mean.

Slug

I thought it was about time i updated this. You can scroll back through and see how much they've changed. These WB Throwbacks are some of my favorites, by far the most personable discus i've owned. Very clean too, with great red eyes!

This is what the White Butterfly Throwbacks look like currently. The female is at the center of every photo, and has the best shape of the group. 2 have already attempted to breed but still to young to do anything.




Heres the other i got at the same time. He has more of a White Scorpion type to him, more snakeskin visable. He is in a seperate tank with others.

mrsmuffin

They are just absolutely georgeous!!