Discus not eating frozen blood worms....whats a good food for these guys?

**Scuba Kid** · 03-19-2005, 02:52 PM

i just got 2 small discus today (about 3 inches). one's a pigeon blood and im not quite sure what the other one is. They're beautiful and doing great in my tank so far (they've only been in for a few hours, but it seems like they've settled in). They hang out together like they're a pair (i dont know the genders of them, but if theres a way to know, can someone fill me in?).

I tried feeding them frozen bloodworms a little while ago but they didnt even bother with it. What's a good food for these guys?

DJ · 03-19-2005, 02:55 PM

Feed with live foods such as mosquito larvae and tubifex worms. Use only the most expensive flakes or specially formulated pellets.

UgLy_eLf · 03-19-2005, 03:50 PM

They're probably still settling in, a couple of hours isnt a very long time, try feeding them later tonight, or tomorrow morning, I sure they'll get plenty hungry by then

Thunderkiss · 03-19-2005, 04:27 PM

No live tubifex for disus, nor freeze dried either for that matter. Both are incredibly fatty and not very good, and live are LOADED with stuff you don't want in a discus tank.

Remember, live tubifex are SEWER worms.

A better substitute wouldbe live brine or beefheart, altho live brine will soon be just a snack as they grow. As always when feeding meaty products, do a LOT of water changes to remove all the excess protien you will be introducing.

**Scuba Kid** · 03-19-2005, 04:28 PM

good news. My mom stopped at the LFS and picked up some live blackworms and brine shrimp. someone in AquaChat said they liked these. They didnt try the brineshrimp, but the black worms were a hit.
DJ and Ugly_Elf, have u ever kept discus?

DJ · 03-19-2005, 04:29 PM

oh, sry, just got that from a site.

**Scuba Kid** · 03-19-2005, 04:52 PM

cant believe everything you read, i suppose

DJ · 03-19-2005, 04:54 PM

guessing not.

next time I'll ask around first, before acting on it.

UgLy_eLf · 03-20-2005, 01:38 AM

Nah I havent, but I know most fish are shy when they're introduced into a new tank.

(RC) · 03-20-2005, 05:50 AM

Live Tubiflex worms are never a good idea for discus. I'd be very careful with Black worms also. I know of a few Breeders that have lose huge amount of fish to a parasite they picked up feeding live black worms. I'd stick with frozen Haraki Blood Worms, Mysis Shrimp and a very high quality sinking pellet food. Discus need much better water quality then most of "normal" aquarium fish.... Be ready to do 2 or 3 large water changes a week or even better daily smaller water changes. When I was raising Discus fry I did 3 95% water changes a day on the fry tanks, but that was because I was feeding very heavy to get the fry to sellable size in a few months. Good luck with your Discus. They are a great fish, but need special care.

RC

**Scuba Kid** · 03-20-2005, 06:16 AM

well id have to keep up with water changes anyways because they are in the same tank as my stingray. stingrays need high water quality too so I think they will make good tank mates.
speeking of tank mates: i have a tinfoil barb in there....is this going to be a problem?

Thunderkiss · 03-20-2005, 06:26 AM

Very frenetic for discus and a touch nippy. Discus like placid, which is the opposite of tinfoils. Just watch it for signs of stress.

**Scuba Kid** · 03-20-2005, 06:42 AM

my tinfoil barb is like mental....i dont think it even realizes that there are other fish in the tank. he keeps to himself and hasnt nipped at anyone for the couple of months that ive had him.
the discus dont seem stressed about him being there...at the pet store i got them from there were about 50 discus in it and a ton of small, fast paced fish, and a couple stingrays. i know the stingray will be okay but im just checking about the tinfoil

(RC) · 03-20-2005, 07:10 AM

Discus do much better in a tank by themselves. They seem to get sick from stuff that the other fish seem to shake off. What size tank are they in now ?

RC

**Scuba Kid** · 03-20-2005, 07:34 AM

they're very small so its a 30

(RC) · 03-20-2005, 07:48 AM

A 30 will work for just the discus once they grow if you do a lot of Water Changes. I kept my Breeding pairs in 29G with daily water changes.

RC

**Scuba Kid** · 03-20-2005, 11:17 AM

okay, thanks.

**Scuba Kid** · 03-20-2005, 11:18 AM

btw RC, thats a really cool icon. lol

buddah101 · 03-20-2005, 12:31 PM

Next time you have trouble getting your discus to eat tyr dipping thier food in minced garlic, It is a disease preventative and for some reason discus cant resist it. HTH

**Scuba Kid** · 03-20-2005, 12:35 PM

wow thats interesting. how do u mean mince it, like what exactly should i do?

03-19-2005, 02:52 PM	#1
Scuba Kid Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: RI Age: 18 Posts: 4,221	Discus not eating frozen blood worms....whats a good food for these guys? i just got 2 small discus today (about 3 inches). one's a pigeon blood and im not quite sure what the other one is. They're beautiful and doing great in my tank so far (they've only been in for a few hours, but it seems like they've settled in). They hang out together like they're a pair (i dont know the genders of them, but if theres a way to know, can someone fill me in?). I tried feeding them frozen bloodworms a little while ago but they didnt even bother with it. What's a good food for these guys? __________________ Current setups: 1800 gallon koi pond, 10 gallon planted, 150 gallon reef, other FOWLR tanks

03-19-2005, 03:50 PM	#3
UgLy_eLf Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 124	Re: Discus not eating frozen blood worms....whats a good food for these guys? They're probably still settling in, a couple of hours isnt a very long time, try feeding them later tonight, or tomorrow morning, I sure they'll get plenty hungry by then

03-19-2005, 04:27 PM	#4
Thunderkiss Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 376	Re: Discus not eating frozen blood worms....whats a good food for these guys? No live tubifex for disus, nor freeze dried either for that matter. Both are incredibly fatty and not very good, and live are LOADED with stuff you don't want in a discus tank. Remember, live tubifex are SEWER worms. A better substitute wouldbe live brine or beefheart, altho live brine will soon be just a snack as they grow. As always when feeding meaty products, do a LOT of water changes to remove all the excess protien you will be introducing.

03-19-2005, 04:28 PM	#5
Scuba Kid Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: RI Age: 18 Posts: 4,221	good news. My mom stopped at the LFS and picked up some live blackworms and brine shrimp. someone in AquaChat said they liked these. They didnt try the brineshrimp, but the black worms were a hit. DJ and Ugly_Elf, have u ever kept discus? __________________ Current setups: 1800 gallon koi pond, 10 gallon planted, 150 gallon reef, other FOWLR tanks

03-19-2005, 04:52 PM	#7
Scuba Kid Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: RI Age: 18 Posts: 4,221	cant believe everything you read, i suppose __________________ Current setups: 1800 gallon koi pond, 10 gallon planted, 150 gallon reef, other FOWLR tanks

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03-19-2005, 02:55 PM	#2
DJ Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Seymour , IN Posts: 232	Feed with live foods such as mosquito larvae and tubifex worms. Use only the most expensive flakes or specially formulated pellets.

03-19-2005, 04:29 PM	#6
DJ Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Seymour , IN Posts: 232	oh, sry, just got that from a site.

03-19-2005, 04:54 PM	#8
DJ Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Seymour , IN Posts: 232	guessing not. next time I'll ask around first, before acting on it.

03-20-2005, 01:38 AM	#9
UgLy_eLf Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 124	Re: Discus not eating frozen blood worms....whats a good food for these guys? Nah I havent, but I know most fish are shy when they're introduced into a new tank.

03-20-2005, 05:50 AM	#10
(RC) nobody Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: upstate NY Age: 46 Posts: 793	Live Tubiflex worms are never a good idea for discus. I'd be very careful with Black worms also. I know of a few Breeders that have lose huge amount of fish to a parasite they picked up feeding live black worms. I'd stick with frozen Haraki Blood Worms, Mysis Shrimp and a very high quality sinking pellet food. Discus need much better water quality then most of "normal" aquarium fish.... Be ready to do 2 or 3 large water changes a week or even better daily smaller water changes. When I was raising Discus fry I did 3 95% water changes a day on the fry tanks, but that was because I was feeding very heavy to get the fry to sellable size in a few months. Good luck with your Discus. They are a great fish, but need special care. RC __________________ "Lead by Example, Follow by Choice" http://www.ibcbettas.org/ http://www.cnybc.org/

03-20-2005, 06:16 AM	#11
Scuba Kid Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: RI Age: 18 Posts: 4,221	well id have to keep up with water changes anyways because they are in the same tank as my stingray. stingrays need high water quality too so I think they will make good tank mates. speeking of tank mates: i have a tinfoil barb in there....is this going to be a problem? __________________ Current setups: 1800 gallon koi pond, 10 gallon planted, 150 gallon reef, other FOWLR tanks

03-20-2005, 06:26 AM	#12
Thunderkiss Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 376	Re: Discus not eating frozen blood worms....whats a good food for these guys? Very frenetic for discus and a touch nippy. Discus like placid, which is the opposite of tinfoils. Just watch it for signs of stress.

03-20-2005, 06:42 AM	#13
Scuba Kid Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: RI Age: 18 Posts: 4,221	my tinfoil barb is like mental....i dont think it even realizes that there are other fish in the tank. he keeps to himself and hasnt nipped at anyone for the couple of months that ive had him. the discus dont seem stressed about him being there...at the pet store i got them from there were about 50 discus in it and a ton of small, fast paced fish, and a couple stingrays. i know the stingray will be okay but im just checking about the tinfoil __________________ Current setups: 1800 gallon koi pond, 10 gallon planted, 150 gallon reef, other FOWLR tanks

03-20-2005, 07:10 AM	#14
(RC) nobody Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: upstate NY Age: 46 Posts: 793	Discus do much better in a tank by themselves. They seem to get sick from stuff that the other fish seem to shake off. What size tank are they in now ? RC __________________ "Lead by Example, Follow by Choice" http://www.ibcbettas.org/ http://www.cnybc.org/

03-20-2005, 07:34 AM	#15
Scuba Kid Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: RI Age: 18 Posts: 4,221	they're very small so its a 30 __________________ Current setups: 1800 gallon koi pond, 10 gallon planted, 150 gallon reef, other FOWLR tanks

03-20-2005, 07:48 AM	#16
(RC) nobody Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: upstate NY Age: 46 Posts: 793	A 30 will work for just the discus once they grow if you do a lot of Water Changes. I kept my Breeding pairs in 29G with daily water changes. RC __________________ "Lead by Example, Follow by Choice" http://www.ibcbettas.org/ http://www.cnybc.org/

03-20-2005, 11:17 AM	#17
Scuba Kid Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: RI Age: 18 Posts: 4,221	okay, thanks. __________________ Current setups: 1800 gallon koi pond, 10 gallon planted, 150 gallon reef, other FOWLR tanks

03-20-2005, 11:18 AM	#18
Scuba Kid Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: RI Age: 18 Posts: 4,221	btw RC, thats a really cool icon. lol __________________ Current setups: 1800 gallon koi pond, 10 gallon planted, 150 gallon reef, other FOWLR tanks

03-20-2005, 12:31 PM	#19
buddah101 Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 96	Next time you have trouble getting your discus to eat tyr dipping thier food in minced garlic, It is a disease preventative and for some reason discus cant resist it. HTH __________________ ]sharon&pike

03-20-2005, 12:35 PM	#20
Scuba Kid Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: RI Age: 18 Posts: 4,221	wow thats interesting. how do u mean mince it, like what exactly should i do? __________________ Current setups: 1800 gallon koi pond, 10 gallon planted, 150 gallon reef, other FOWLR tanks

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