# 2013 wild festivum to 2015 wild discus biotope



## ccar2000 (Sep 3, 2011)

I like it. I bet those swords will take off. Why wouldn't a biotope have plants?


----------



## driftingchick101 (Oct 15, 2013)

I think it's a great start. I'm in the process of my first aquascaped tank. I've got tanks with live plants but not one "scaped." It's really neat to see baby plants that you've grown from the mama plant. Haha. The plants are just as pet like to me as the fish! The swords you have look very full already and will be awesome when they're full grown!


----------



## alipper (Nov 6, 2012)

FINALLY an Amazon biotype. I've been searching and searching on this forum with no real thread or pictures. I want to do the same thing.

Are you going to add any other fauna? What size tank?


----------



## MeatWithGravy (Oct 16, 2013)

jmf3460 said:


> Also, I know a true biotope shouldn't have plants...


This isn't necessarily so. It goes without saying that some kinds of water are more plant-friendly than others. It depends on which river, lake, etc. you're attempting to mimic in your aquarium. You're aiming for an Amazon biotope. But the Amazon is super vast, hosting a variety of aquatic environments, from clearwater, to whitewater, to blackwater. A Google for "aquatic plants of the amazon river" yields all kinds of stuff. So, the way I see it, you've got lots of leeway.


----------



## Jonnywhoop (May 30, 2012)

youre on a planted forum..

wouldn't hurt to toss in one, two... twenty different sp.


----------



## twkoch (Aug 29, 2013)

Looking great. Love the dim lighting.


----------



## ccar2000 (Sep 3, 2011)

alipper said:


> FINALLY an Amazon biotype. I've been searching and searching on this forum with no real thread or pictures. I want to do the same thing.
> 
> Are you going to add any other fauna? What size tank?


I set up a South American Clearwater Stream tank









++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
South American Clearwater Stream 
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 

Clear or blue water streams are transparent rivers that drain the Guyana highlands and the Brazil rocky highlands. 
These rivers are fast-flowing at times, but slow-moving at others. 
The Rio Xingu and Rio Tocantins are typical clear water rivers. 

ECOSYSTEMS: 
Para-Tocantins

WATER:
pH 6.9-7.3, 5-12 dH, 75-82 F (24-28 C) 

TANK:
The tank should have good filtration which keeps the water clear and creates a moderate current. 
The lighting should be bright and plant life should be rich. 
A substrate of fine gravel is suggested, as are a few pieces of wood. 
Aerate the tank well. 

PLANTS:
Sword plants, Ceratophyllum, Cabomba, Lemma, Limnobium, Vallisneria

FISH:
Loricarids, Corydoras, Uaru, Mesonauta, Hyphessobrycon. 
These waters are preyed by the Peacock Bass. 

Try this website

http://fish.mongabay.com/biotope_countries.htm


----------



## alipper (Nov 6, 2012)

Thank you. ^


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

UPDATE: I have added some anubias to the manzanita and some moss covered pieces along the bottom. You can still see the rubber bands because the plants are new. Swords haven't grown much, but I didn't want them to which is why I left them in shot glasses. I have added a small school of black neon tetras and one bamboo shrimp of which I never see unless its time to eat. The festivums are doing well, growing slowly but surely, no aggression so far. Still keeping the tank dark in terms of lighting, The fish seem happy. ITs a 75 gallon tank. with weekly large water changes of 50% or more most times, Indian almond leaves and sand substrate.


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

Time for an update or two. This tank is around a year old now, and it has become my second favorite tank. I like the footprint of this 75 gallon tank but the canopy makes it almost impossible to reach the substrate with my syphon. Never the less here are some picture updates. 5 festivum cichlids have grown to roughly 4" I have two that I think will become a pair. I feed them 3x/day a mixture of flake, cichlid wafers and FDBW. Their favorite ofcourse being FDBW. I have added a bamboo shrimp and a Gold Spot Sailfin pleco who is only around 4" at the current time. Moss on the wood did not catch but riccia in front left is doing better than I expected. Enjoy!

FTS:









FTS angle shot:









Very fat Festivum:









Gold Spot eating cucumber:


----------



## xmas_one (Feb 5, 2010)

Very nice!


----------



## night9eyes (Jan 12, 2011)

Looks great! I like Biotopes. I did lots of research before starting one. And I second that Mongabay.com is a great resource for all types of biotopes. Mine was a blackwater Amazonian. It housed angels and tetras. I would add blackwater extract but the plants thrived. Once I grew tired of the dark look of the tank, I changed it out about 2 years later. But here's an idea of what it looked like when it was set up.


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

Quick update here: new pic as of feb 2014...the black neons are multiplying. I only had 10 to start now there are 13 or 14 I cant count them correctly consistently. The two big festivum are shaping up to become a pair but have not spawned yet. Every morning when I turn the lights on I watch as he shakes and shimmys in front of her every move trying to get her in the mood. She does it back at him and I can see her cleaning spots but its like she hasn't decided whether she prefers the anubias leaves or the manzanita wood to lay her eggs. after about 20 minutes the male gets frusterated and gives up then begins to chase her as her punishment for not giving in. ha its amusing.


----------



## tomfromstlouis (Apr 2, 2012)

I don't know about festivums, but many of those blackwater cichlids spawn after a big rain. Try mimicking that with a water change that lowers the temperature a couple degrees or so.

Nice looking tank. Love everything about it.


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

tomfromstlouis said:


> I don't know about festivums, but many of those blackwater cichlids spawn after a big rain. Try mimicking that with a water change that lowers the temperature a couple degrees or so.
> 
> Nice looking tank. Love everything about it.


thanks tom! you are right they are especially active after a water change, which for me comes straight from the garden hose so its definitely colder. So far no eggs but im still hoping. I have a spare 20 ready to raise up some festivum if they do.


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

update: got a new camera which takes much better pics, added a single angelfish to this group of festivum, she gets along with everyone great for now, the sailfin pleco is getting big but is still non aggressive. Right now I want to add a small school 6 or 7 of a german blue ram or bolivian rams or even krib or apistos to this tank to fill the lower portion. the festivum stay at the top, the neons at the upper center, and the corydoras at the bottom, the bottom center is empty. leaning towards rams


----------



## ccar2000 (Sep 3, 2011)

Your tank is looking nice! I have some Bolivian Rams in my set up. It is a school of five and they are very animated, following whomever walks by the tank, playing with each other and they have their fins "on display" most of the time. They were a little aggressive once I put them in but have settled in nicely.


----------



## Bananableps (Nov 6, 2013)

You have a very lovely aquarium there!

It might look a bit more natural if you repeated more plant species. Try having the same plant species in the same types of places throughout the tank. It gives the effect of a real ecosystem: the low well lit areas will all have the same types of plants, the shaded areas in the back (which is perhaps the "shore") will be populated by the same sorts of things. If there are three places in your tank which, by virtue of your lighting and hardscape, all look similar, they should have about the same species of plants growing.


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

picture updates: 3/26/2014 as well as fish update
I have 6 laetacara dorsigera cichlids coming this Friday to add to this tank. I cannot wait, this will fill the void in the lower half of the tank between the festivum/neons and the corydoras. Getting them from WetSpotTropicals.com, was thinking bolivian rams/apistos but wanted something a little bigger and a little more rare. Am going to do some changes tonight adding a little more substrate and adding some sideways flower pots for the l. dorsigera to hang out in if needed. will update with new pictures of tank and close up of fish once fish have settled in on sunday or Monday. 

I also have about 25 amano shrimp in a grow out tank in my basement to add to this tank, I think once they get 1"+ they might can make it without being eaten by the adult festivum and l. dorsigera. Am also considering adding a big mass of fern to one of the pieces of wood in the front left of the tank. we'll see


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

well I did some changing around of this tank last night, I changed the substrate and added some terracotta pots as caves. this is in anticipation of my group of 6 laetecara dorsigera that will be arriving tomorrow. the water was still a little cloudy this morning when I took some pictures but overall I like the darker colored substrate as well as all the scattered stones. my fish seem very happy even in the cloudy water. will take some shots this evening when the water clears up and post them








left side








center








right side








festivum happy and awaiting their new friends tomorrow









well the water has cleared some so here are some updated pictures.


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

MY NEW FISH ARE HERE!! They are in a box on my desk right now waiting to go home and meet their new friends. They all arrived in beautiful condition from WetSpotTropicals.com. I am leaving them alone in the box with the lid on it so to not stress them out more than necessary. 6 laetecara dorsigera and a trio of bolivian rams.


----------



## NCSteve (Dec 17, 2012)

How are the new arrivals doing? Can't wait to see pics of them in their new home.


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

Steve, did you see the thread of my new arrivals in this tank??


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

Couple new pics with the laetacara dorsigera in there, I love these little cichlids, they are so friendly and personable. Their presence has already given the normally shy festivum more confidence.

FTS









NEW FISH Love the front left corner of the tank, 









one more


----------



## Aurie (Jun 3, 2013)

Do you mean http://www.wetspottropicalfish.com/ ??

I live about 30 minutes from them (other side of town) and I've been in their fish room. Imagine 2 stores side by side. One is all cichlids and the other is various fresh water fish. Every fish I've ever asked for, they've had. (Granted I'm not picky) and they often get wild fish.

I recommend them to anyone.


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

yes that is where I got the new fish. they were so well packaged and honestly did not look very stressed at all. its been one week and I can see their bellies fattening up and they are growing so well. I wish I lived somewhere close to a fish store like that.


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

Bit of a nonchalant update here. Things are going well, the scape changes with every other water change as I pull out all the wood and vacuum underneath it and place it back in there kind of haphazardly. I really love this tank. The festivum have grown well and are now adult sized I would say, they haven't grown much over the past couple months. I have one runt but he does well to get food than falls below the bigger festivum. The laetacara dorsigera have grown a lot and are now approaching 3" They are an active cichlid and are really stunning when the lights come on in the morning. Two of the festivum have paird and do a regular dance but I have yet to see eggs. The angel is huge and does just fine as a loner. Am looking to get rid of the sailfin pleco though, he just creates too much poop. One thing is that I have started dosing EI for the plants and half doses of excel. They seem to like it, although they did fine without it. Also I have a huge school of amano's growing out for this tank to keep the algae off the anubias leaves. I think once they get real big the festivum might not eat them all but who knows.
Some pics form 5/2.































this one is of the lights just on in the morning, only one marineland single bright


----------



## gangstamama (Mar 22, 2014)

Looks soo good! Love anubias on the wood)


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

couple shots of the laetacara dorsigera and bolivian rams I added to this tank. I have two l. dorsigera that are already dancing and flashing at eachother. their coloring is getting really vivid and beautiful.


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

and a couple new shots of the tank after a water change. every water change sparks a new scape. am having thoughts of removing the sailfin pleco, although hes realtively small at about 8" but he is the main culprit of all the poo


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

gangstamama said:


> Looks soo good! Love anubias on the wood)


thank you for the comment gangstamama, I love reading peoples thoughts on this tank.


----------



## xmas_one (Feb 5, 2010)

Looking good, Bolivians have to be one of my favorite fish! Gonna have to copy you and get some sand going in my 90 to brighten things up!


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

i agree xmas one bolivians are quite friendly and curious little fish. the l. dorsigera are just as friendly and inquisitive, becoming my favorite over rams actually. go for it with the sand, I just use the type they sell at petco. nothing fancy, but I sprinkle lots of various sized gravel over it to break up the uniformity.


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

i just found a picture of this tank when I first added the festivum. The picture on the left was October 18, 2013 and the one on the right was 5/12/2014 so 7 months of growth basically. 
















sometimes I forget how small they once were. Id say they've gone from 1.5" to 4"+ in 7 months.


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

June Update: The festivum are huge, the laetacara dorsigera are big, the bolivian rams are even big. The gold spot pleco is too big and im looking to rehome him mainly because I just think he would be better suited in a 125 gallon or larger. This tank requires the most maintenance because I do biweekly 50% water changes to vacuum up poo. I can always tell the fish really enjoy fresh water because the morning after their coloring is brighter and their eyes are more red. The little runt festivum is finally starting to grow. 

On to the pictures, just two for today. Pardon the partially cloudy water it was directly after a water change.


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

few shots from this morning. ive rearranged the wood a bit, the festivum are all swimming for breakfast in the second one. l. dorsigera doing great!! 3" at least now.


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

Here are some updated shots of this tank. Festivum have reached full maturity at this point, I have one runt of the bunch. Laetacara are pushing 3"-4". Everybody eats every freaking thing that hits the water. James, the sailfin pleco, is done growing I think, topped out at around 9"-10" I would say. Have removed some anubias off the wood to another tank.


----------



## ccar2000 (Sep 3, 2011)

Nice! I am not able to see your Pleco in the pics, do you have a cameo shot?


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

just a couple pics of the festivum lots of blue/green/gold shimmer today!
















Bump:


ccar2000 said:


> Nice! I am not able to see your Pleco in the pics, do you have a cameo shot?


as requested, a cameo of James, the sailfin (gold spot I am told)


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

couple changes here: sadly the angelfish died, I have no idea why, it seemed perfectly healthy and happy then one morning, bam dead, I did a brief visual autopsy and everything looked normal. my guess is he was stressed/bullied to death as he was the only fish of his species amongst the slight aggression of the festivum, I thought he handled himself quite well though when he was alive, didn't take no crap from them but maybe one night they decided to gang up. also the sailfin had to go, found him one morning munching down on a laetacara dorsigera, which died two days later. He had eaten all the way to the bone near the head...how cruel. I replaced him with three ancistrus juveniles, ancistrus super red, ancistrus calico and ancistrus rio Tocantins


----------



## philipraposo1982 (Mar 6, 2014)

Your tank is looking great, really loving the festivums.

Nice scape too


----------



## ccar2000 (Sep 3, 2011)

jmf3460 said:


> as requested, a cameo of James, the sailfin (gold spot I am told)



He's a beaut' he is!


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

UPDATE: Since getting rid of the large sailfin pleco I have added some smaller ancistrus species to this tank. Ancistrus sp super red (juvie), ancistrus sp calico (juvie) and ancistrus rio Tocantins (male sub adult, he is beautiful) here are some pics of the new plecos as well as a couple new FTS.
calico








super red















rio Tocantins who loves the heater for some reason, tank is at 80 so he should be warm.







I will try to get better shots of him bc he is really stunning.
fts


----------



## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

How often were you supplementing your large pleco's diet with other veggies or wafers? If you expected it to mostly live off tank algae or left over food from the others, it was probably starving hence it eating the slime coat (great protein source I've been told) and then a bit more of the head of one of your fish. 
What did you do with the sailfin? You say "got rid of it", but did it got to a lfs, another aquarium keeper, in a local water way, or sold it to the local fish market for butchery?


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

AquaAurora said:


> How often were you supplementing your large pleco's diet with other veggies or wafers? If you expected it to mostly live off tank algae or left over food from the others, it was probably starving hence it eating the slime coat (great protein source I've been told) and then a bit more of the head of one of your fish.
> What did you do with the sailfin? You say "got rid of it", but did it got to a lfs, another aquarium keeper,


James the sailfin got daily algae wafers at night, and biweekly cucumber/zucchini halves, other than that it ate blood worms/and cichlid pellets like a champ, he was not hungry. I noticed him becoming aggressive months ago but no one else in the tank seemed to be getting hurt in any way so I let it be. then I started noticing him picking one fish in particular, a beta female laetacara dorsigera and one morning he was eating her so he had to go. I gave him to my best friend who is an aquatic biologist for Carolina Biological in Burlington NC. She put him into their huge show tank that is overrun with guppies in hopes that he will help with population control. We kind of trade fish back and forth sometimes, they may even resell it to another aquarist down the road as they sell fish in bulk. 



AquaAurora said:


> or sold it to the local fish market for butchery?


 I would never do anything like this.



AquaAurora said:


> in a local water way?


come on, really?


----------



## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

jmf3460 said:


> James the sailfin got daily algae wafers at night, and biweekly cucumber/zucchini halves, other than that it ate blood worms/and cichlid pellets like a champ, he was not hungry. I noticed him becoming aggressive months ago but no one else in the tank seemed to be getting hurt in any way so I let it be. then I started noticing him picking one fish in particular, a beta female laetacara dorsigera and one morning he was eating her so he had to go. I gave him to my best friend who is an aquatic biologist for Carolina Biological in Burlington NC. She put him into their huge show tank that is overrun with guppies in hopes that he will help with population control. We kind of trade fish back and forth sometimes, they may even resell it to another aquarist down the road as they sell fish in bulk.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Considering how overrun some places are with pleocs.. not saying everyone is an idiot and will let them loose in the wild buuut... some do.
As for the butchery question, I've heard mention of people eating pleco meat before, it tastes just like regular catfish (probably tastier from tank raised since they'd be fed better).
Glad yours went to a good place though! 
I'm currently trying to rehome mine (leopard sailfin pleco) as I cannot afford his next tank upgrade and he's growing like a damn weed (went from 10" to 13.5" in 3 months x.x). I've been trying to get a hold of semi local (east coast) tourist aquariums to see if they'd take him but have not heard back yet.


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

in my defense the pleco I got was a juvie and therefore not as detectable, I was under the impression that it was a gold spot pleco and was hoping it would remain in the 8" range but I think it turned out to be a regular leopard spot sailfin and once it got over 10" it just started being more of a bully than an enjoyable fish to watch. good luck finding a home for yours, I have found my favorite pleco species to be the ancistrus species, even for a big tank. and the hypancistrus, and the clown pleco.


----------



## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

I'm not 100% sure yours was a _leopard _sailfin pleco (Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps) though it does look like a member of the sailfin family, but it may be the quality of the photo (darker tank) making its markings look different. The last photo of you have, its light markings seem much thinner, it doesn't have the look of spots, it looks like small light dots or dashes. This is how a leopard sailfin looks when its not doing its camo thing 
(pardon the reflection)


When camo-ing they get large darker blotches over their body and the dark markings in between the remaining light areas get even lighter)


I had originally planned to build a monster fish tank for this monster fish but he grew faster than I expected, and due to other circumstances I cannot do a thousand+$ tank build, so he needs a new home soon.


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

I agree AquaAurora, he was sold to me as a "Columbian spotted pleco" which was my LFS's way of saying "we have no idea wtf this is" haha so I bought him, he was in a tank full of African cichlids and was torn to bits so I bought him on a pity buy. Through my friends on another forum we decided he was a gold spot sailfin pleco and I was quite pleased to learn he might only get to 8" and be a perfect fit for my tank but then it did not turn out that way. your fish is beautiful!!


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

better shots of some of the new ancistrus species, they are finally coming out to play during the daytime...and are loving zucchini.
rio Tocantins on the zucchini/log super red in back ground








super red


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

just a picture update with some close ups of the inhabitants of this tank. haven't seen the bamboo shrimp in weeks, I think he died. 9-5-14
hunting bloodworms at morning feeding








alpha male, prettiest festivum by far








super red ancistrus juvie and nerite snail on log








more blood worm hunting








laetacara dorsigera who has never missed a single meal and head shot of bolivian female








otto up front, laetacara with spawning colors in background (suspected female, notice the extreme red belly/chest)


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

Couple picture updates of the festivum swimming in a row. They like to do this as they beg for food. This is with only the first set of lights on, I keep it that way in the mornings.


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

just thought I would post this picture of the festivum begging for food. I thought it was a really good picture, except for my silly reflection. big alpha in the front as usual.


----------



## ccar2000 (Sep 3, 2011)

Those guys look very happy and your plants are filling in nicely too. Thank you for the continuing updates.


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

thanks ccar2000, this is my favored tank in the house right now. im just hoping they are done growing and I don't have to get them a bigger tank.


----------



## trailsnale (Dec 2, 2009)

i like your restraint in planting. 'less is more' certainly applies to your tank.

haven't had festivums in years, but i recall them being great fish!

thanks,


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

trailsnale said:


> i like your restraint in planting. 'less is more' certainly applies to your tank.
> 
> haven't had festivums in years, but i recall them being great fish!
> 
> thanks,


THANKS, I have other tanks that are overly planted, and some that are lightly planted, this tank is barely planted I would say, I like the variety in my tanks...plus not having so many plants makes maintenance so much easier, I just move the pots and vacuum poo underneath them.


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

had some spawning behavior last night and this morning between two of the l. dorsigeras. was able to capture some shots of them with their full coloration, and in a mid shimmy. two festivum above their slate piece were watching every move they made. these two l. dorsigeras have spawned once before but ate the eggs after about 12 hours.
suspected pair. 








suspected male








suspected pair in mid shimmy near their slate piece








mid tank shot


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

no eggs. when I got home from work they had already eaten all the eggs. I could see where they had laid them but then ate them. BOO


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

last night I got a surprise, was looking and waiting on an l. dorsigera pair to spawn and found a huge clutch of festivum eggs on an anubias leaf. things were really bad, the pair were guarding their eggs to an extreme and had everyone else in the tank backed into the far corner. I took out the eggs to avoid the aggression. im not in a place to raise these right now plus I needed to alleviate the aggression. Here is a shot of the eggs out of the tank, I just cut the leaf, they looked viable though so in the future I might have to give festivum fry a shot.


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

new picture: no wrigglers yet, lots of spawning in this tank, festivum and l. dorsigera are spawning on a regular basis.


----------



## ccar2000 (Sep 3, 2011)

Looking forward to seeing some baby pictures. Good luck


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

been a while since an update, i still do not have any babies, would love for the laetacara dorsigera to spawn again so i can pull the eggs and try to raise them but im ok with the festivum not spawning anymore. I have added a new piece of wood, it still looks a little unplaced as it hasnt sunk completely yet. I will adjust its positioning at the next water change...sorry for the cloudiness, had just finished huge water change.
































group shot








l. dorsigera male








ancistrus super red


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

I have not updated in almost 2 months. The festivum population is down to 4. As adults they are quite aggressive and I think a big fight was to blame for my most recent loss of the runt of the group. Also I lost one of the 5 l. dorsigera's to an unknown sickness, it looked like HITH but no one else suffered so I do not know for sure. Other than that this tank continues to do fine. I am considering rehoming the festivum as they are simply outgrowing this tank, that or get a bigger tank (which would be more desirable!)

Some updated pictures....first the whole tank

















no to the inhibitants...
festivum female close up and personal...cutie female








bolivian unknown sex, close up








ottocinclus resting on manzanita








laetacara dorsigera shots...






















ancistrus super red


----------



## hypsophrys (Nov 16, 2003)

If you've got a known pair of Festivum (assumed because you mentioned spawning, and it would explain the aggression), why not remove the others?

I'd also suggest some taller plants that will fill in and break up the line of sight. If you weren't focused on a biotope I would suggest something like Crypt balansae... I have seen Cabomba mentioned as being native to the region...

It's definitely to be expected that they would bully the Angel to death.

HTH


----------



## HybridHerp (May 24, 2012)

I vote bigger tank haha


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

I have very exciting news regarding this tank. I was able to sell the festivum and therefore have changed the tank some in preparation for my 6 wild discus that will be arriving Thursday. I was able to purchase 6 wild green tefe discus from John at FreshWaterTropicals, and I could not be more excited. Here is a pic of the tank as I have changed it a little in preparation for the discus. The 4 laetacara dorsigera, 3 bolivians, corydoras and tetras still remain in the tank, but can and will be moved if they show any aggression towards the discus. I took out some wood and the plants to make more swimming room for the discus.








here is a shot of the discus that John has waiting to ship


----------



## ccar2000 (Sep 3, 2011)

Sweet, I bet they will be very happy!

What are your typical water parameters, please?


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

ccar2000 I have soft well water, PH is normally around 7.0-7.4 after aging, so not too acidic...its well so I don't have to worry with chloramines but it does shoot out of my spigot extremely carbonated and that brings the ph down around 6.0 fresh out of the spigot but once aerated back up to the 7s. once aged, GH and KH are low around 50ppm. the tank's gh is higher bc of the sand and the piece of slate but the manzanita helps too...these fish adjust well to changing ph and hardness due to the dry and wet seasons they experience in the wild.

Bump: THE FISH ARE HERE!! Currently sitting in a box on my desk at work. I took one guy out to peek and holy cow it was a beat! The box is still warm and I leave in 50 minutes to take them home!!! I will try and document everything.


----------



## HybridHerp (May 24, 2012)

oh man this is exciting
you going to plant it or keep the scape as is?


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

this is what has been happening the last hour...
the unboxing with my assistant taking a whiff...















the unbagging...















the drip acclimation ...
















currently they are all upright in the bucket except one which I am worried about...he is still on his side but breathing...will update later lights out for a while once tanked

Bump:


HybridHerp said:


> oh man this is exciting
> you going to plant it or keep the scape as is?


keep the scape as is ybridHerp, I have other planted tanks, many many others...this one no plants.


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

after an hour and a half on the drip, and now 6 hours in the tank without lights on, I finally turned them on and the fish are doing great! some updated pics, still a little scared but they are stunning, I am so happy they are mine.


----------



## ccar2000 (Sep 3, 2011)

Wow, they are handsome fish. Once you get them acclimated and on a regular feeding schedule they will really light up. I am looking forward to a full length view of the set up. I am interested to see their proportional size and to see them schooling about.


----------



## du3ce (Jan 26, 2013)

They look great Def getting some discus again after I get my tax refund


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

ccar and du3ce, thank you for the kind words, they are definitely a good looking bunch. worth the money for sure. here are some morning shots at lights on I am quite happy with how quickly they seem to be acclimating.


----------



## Solid (Jul 19, 2009)

These guys look great! They are making me wish I had gotten wilds!


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

Solid said:


> These guys look great! They are making me wish I had gotten wilds!


thanks solid, I have kept domestics and I prefer the wilds with dim lighting much better. something about those red eyes and barring


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

wilds are gaining their confidence. a couple shots after a water change and a morning feeding of bloodworms...its all I can get them to eat right now


----------



## lamiskool (Jul 1, 2011)

Man those are some amazing looking discus....im definitely getting wild ones when I do keep em..


----------



## philipraposo1982 (Mar 6, 2014)

Absolutely love those fish. Gorgeous. The tank looks great too. Gj


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

lamiskool said:


> Man those are some amazing looking discus....im definitely getting wild ones when I do keep em..


thank you so much lamiskool....go with John at FreshWaterTropicals when you do and you won't regret it.

Bump:


philipraposo1982 said:


> Absolutely love those fish. Gorgeous. The tank looks great too. Gj


thank you philipraposo, tank will go through some changes soon, im changing to a solid black background and a bit lighter colored white sand, to create a bigger contrast I hope...


----------



## trailsnale (Dec 2, 2009)

how are the discus doing?

never really been attracted to them until your postings, for some reason. love the 'natural' look of them.


----------



## ccar2000 (Sep 3, 2011)

They look really nice! The size of the school looks really natural to my eye. I hope your planned tank upgrades will give you what you are looking for. You have a great eye for your hobby


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

thanks everyone for the wonderful comments. I agree, ccar, that the school size looks natural. and the 6 of them are doing really well in the 75gal. a couple updated pictures of the group of discus, as well as the room in which their tank inhibits...

sunday afternoon groupshot...sorry for the glare of the opposite tank









Monday morning group shot, they are always in this corner huddled when I first turn the lights on, I think they sleep in a huddle in this corner.









shot of the discus tank, ive recently started adding tannins, I am trying to figure out just how much, I think I want to go slightly darker than this with a better light fixture, am currently speaking with www.buildmyled.com for a new light









and this is the room with the discus and my 46gal planted tank, bet you cant guess where I spend my evenings...catbird seat right in the middle.


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

It has been quite some time since I have updated this thread. discus doing great as well as laetacara dorsigera, bolivians are feuding right now as I think they are both male. now on to the pictures as well as a video. I am staining the water quite a bit with rooibos tea in the aging barrel. water change regimen is 30% every other day and filter cleaning twice a month. fish eat FDBW and bloodworms only, still trying desparately to get them to accept flake and pellet. I did get a new lighting system on this tank. The AquatifLife Edge LED system. Its awesome, has three different channel settings that are fully automated, as well as a sunrise/sunset setting that works for all 3 channels. 






































ROOMSHOT









and a video, click the link below
http://vid1312.photobucket.com/albums/t526/jmf3460/20150407_065906_zpsiop3qzkk.mp4


----------



## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

amazing looking discus! great tank!


----------



## discuspaul (Jul 27, 2010)

Very well done, Jacklyn - congratulations !


----------



## ccar2000 (Sep 3, 2011)

Looking great! Are you having second thoughts regarding adding plants to this tank? Maybe just a couple of large swords?


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

ccar2000 said:


> Looking great! Are you having second thoughts regarding adding plants to this tank? Maybe just a couple of large swords?


thanks for the compliment ccar, im not really looking to change this tank much. if anything im getting the urge to tie plants to the wood maybe some anubias or java fern. I do have a bunch of anubias nana petite I could tie to the smaller pieces.


----------



## igorstshirts (Apr 8, 2015)

Those guys look great!


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

thanks discuspaul, thanks andrewss and thanks igorstshirts. they are such a pleasure to own.


----------



## rick dale (Feb 26, 2014)

*tank*

Cool tank man. I really like it. Great job. Im still fascinated by discus pauls tanks. Cleanest tanks Ive ever seen.


----------



## discuspaul (Jul 27, 2010)

Thanks Rick - keeping a tank squeaky clean does take a little extra work to achieve & maintain.


----------



## The Dude (Feb 8, 2011)

The tank looks amazing. After seeing your pics I think I prefer wilds as well. I'm still deciding whether to buy juveniles and raise them in a bare bottom tank or buy adult wilds and use the other 4 ft tank for Angels and Apisto's. After looking at your wilds I have made up my mind. I also think some light Anubias tied to some of the wood would look great, but keep it predominantly wooded like it is. It's s stunning display


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

The Dude said:


> The tank looks amazing. After seeing your pics I think I prefer wilds as well. I'm still deciding whether to buy juveniles and raise them in a bare bottom tank or buy adult wilds and use the other 4 ft tank for Angels and Apisto's. After looking at your wilds I have made up my mind. I also think some light Anubias tied to some of the wood would look great, but keep it predominantly wooded like it is. It's s stunning display


my advice to you, spend the money and get adults. its worth the headache of raising young. plus its instant gratification. I got my wilds from John at Freshwatertropicals.com I had domestic strains 2 years ago, ended up selling them all, wilds is the way to go.


----------



## DavidZ (Nov 17, 2009)

Great job, tanks look great !!!


----------



## dindin (Mar 4, 2009)

Wow. If hubby saw those he'd say quit trying to sell that tank, I have an idea.... 

I have superglued java fern and anubias both before, you might try that. I had a pleco get tangled in some thread so don't go that route any longer.


----------



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

a small update, I was able to score some awesome java fern and have attached it to the wooden stumps. trying to keep it off the sand because I do lots of weekly syphons of food and poo on this tank and having things on the substrate just get in the way. Here are some shots of the tank directly after adding the java fern and some more close ups of the 3 most camera friendly fish. the moonlights were coming on so the blues in the fish are really coming through on these first two


----------

