APRIL'S AQUARIUM

Christmas train Port Coquitlam bc Canada

2016-12-25T19:51:00.001-08:00

Holiday hours and new fish arriving

2016-12-24T13:36:00.002-08:00

https://www.facebook.com/RickyDiscus/posts/10209905109156902

Merry Christmas and hope everyone has a great holiday and season
Don't forget to stop in for fishy friends and what have you
Holiday hours are
Posted below
Closed 25th, 26th open Tuesday 27th open till 6
28th-31st 11-4
Anyone needing a later
Or earlier time or. Meet up message me
More fish arriving 27th evening
Red endler pairs
Yellow leopard
Endler pairs
Swordtails endler pairs
Orange fringe lampeyes
Black lyretail molly
Dwarf gourami pairs
Black phantom tetra
Cherry barbs
Green neons
Hara jerdoni Asian stone fish
Red tuxedo platy
Hifin assorted platy
Japonica shrimp I hope!
Red cap goldfish 10 cm
Black orandas 10 cm
Red/white orandas 10 cm
Long tail red white orandas

2016-12-09T17:19:00.001-08:00

Mfvkvfm1398
Incoming shipment December 15th 2016

15 gallon Flex tank

2016-12-04T10:01:00.001-08:00

Blue Pearl shrimp

2016-12-02T17:00:00.001-08:00

Fluval Flex tank

2016-11-29T13:45:00.001-08:00

TROPICA PLANTS

2016-11-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

Aprils Aquarium is selling Tropica plants and supply. Tropica substrate, fertilizers, lava rock etc
plant orders arrive on Tuesdays. for special requests I would need orders in the Monday preceeding.
The plants get shipped direct from Denmark via UPS right to my door.
We have the Tropica plants in a plant only tank . no snails , no algae.
There are also the cell culture plants in the 1 2 Grow pots.

New goldfish in stock

2015-03-31T19:27:00.001-07:00

Black ranchus, black orandas, large red cap oranda, large bubble eye goldfish , panda dolls, tricolor panda, pesrlscale ,
March 30th 2015

Western Aquatic Hobbyists forum

2014-09-25T15:40:00.002-07:00

A new aquatic hobbyist forum has been launched. if your a tropical fish hobbyist and want to participate have a look. its located in Vancouver Canada but avid hobbyists with great information welcome to be a member.
http://forums.aprilsaquarium.com

News article about Aprils Aquariums new shop

2014-07-08T13:25:00.000-07:00

http://www.burnabynow.com/business/new-aquarium-store-sets-up-shop-in-the-heights-1.875358

New Supplies arrived june 30 2014

2014-07-02T19:30:00.000-07:00

Baby Biorb 4 gallon
biorb 8 gallon
biorb decorations and plants
Tetra 10 gallon kits
Tetra 20 gallon led kits
aqueon 10 gallon kit
apple aquarium kit.
sera goldfish flakes
sera pond pellets
prazzi pro
aqueon hang on filters 10,20,50, 80
marineland hang on filter
tetra hang on and in tank filters
filter replacement filters
led bubble wands aqueon
elive aquaponic filters
aqueon betta kits
elive betta cubes and hang on wall betta bubbles
small betta ornaments
micro heaters and filters for nano tanks
nano filter sponges weighted
breeding caves
mesh moss platforms
seachem fluorite
seachem onyx sand
white sand
eco complete planting substrate black
Mr.Aqua tanks rimless
eclipse 6 gallon tanks marineland

New Supplies ARRIVED MAY 22 2014

2014-05-22T17:34:00.001-07:00

Elive Aquaponic hang on back filter
Elive LED track light with pods. more can be added
Elive Betta Bubble
turtle and tortoise food and mineral blocks, water conditioner
Aqueon fish foods. goldfish, tropical, bottom feeders,betta flake and pellet
Elive heaters for small fish tanks.
Seachem onyx sand and fluorite black
aquarium ornaments
Zoomed holiday feeders , betta dial a treat , betta log,

Discus in stock at Aprils Aquarium May 20 2014

2014-05-22T17:28:00.003-07:00

Discus have arrived at Aprils Aquarium. Hand selected quality discus from Penang.

Blue Turquoise 4.5 inch

Red turquoise

Red scribble

Red pearl turquoise

Golden crystal

More to follow.

Currently eating freeze dried black worms and Cobalt Discus Hans flake

Pinterest page. Aprils Aquarium

2014-05-22T12:45:00.000-07:00

http://www.pinterest.com/Petboard/tropical-fish-keeping/

Visit my pinterest page for Aprils Aquarium. lots of great aquarium and fish species ideas.

new tropical fish and aquatic plants arrived. may 22nd 2014

2014-05-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

Madagascar rainbowfish large.
threadfin rainbows
congo tetras ml
assorted spadetail platies
angelfish. assorted. small
neon tetra
lemon tetra
penguin tetra
assorted cories pepper, albino, julii copper, agassissiz , metae, panda
keyhole cichlids

PLANTS
indian fern
valisneria
large anubias
ozelot sword
crypt wendtii
crypt balansae
undulates crispulata
alternanthea rosefolia
java fern
java moss
bacopa
cabomba
and more

Next week Aquaflora plant arrival!

Aprils Aquarium facebook page

2014-05-15T17:24:00.003-07:00

Please like my facebook page. www.facebook.com/aprilsfish
updates to incoming supply and stock is easily viewed and up to date on my page. Also a lot of like minded aquarists on there .

New Plant shipment arrived!

2014-05-15T17:20:00.001-07:00

May 15th 2014
plant shipment arrived for aquariums.
cryptocorynes
wendtii
balansae,
anubias species
alternanthera rosifolia
indian fern
green cabomba\
amazon sword
ambulia
red ambulia
java fern
java moss
sagitaria
red giant corkscrew
corkscrew valisneria
egeria densa
hygrophilia polysperma
come visit the new store at 4097 Hastings st Burnaby
604-336-FISH

My New Aquarium store and location

2014-02-07T15:57:00.000-08:00

Aprils Aquarium has moved to Burnaby BC
I have recently sold my pet grooming salon on Dunbar st. in Vancouver and moved to 4097 Hastings street. Burnaby BC. Burnaby Heights is a busy little local shopping area with a lot of great little stores and restaurants.
My Aprils Aquarium shop has tropical fish and goldfish. Also aquarium supplies and other pet supplies.
I will also be carrying flowers, potted plants, bedding plants and bouquets depending on the season.
Come on by and visit or just view .

Burnaby Heights business community

Aprils Aquarium has moved to Burnaby BC

I have recently sold my pet grooming salon on Dunbar st. in Vancouver and moved to 4097 Hastings street. Burnaby BC. Burnaby Heights is a busy little local shopping area with a lot of great little stores and restaurants.
My Aprils Aquarium shop has tropical fish and goldfish. Also aquarium supplies and other pet supplies.
I will also be carrying flowers, potted plants, bedding plants and bouquets depending on the season.
Come on by and visit or just view .

Discus Guidelines

2014-02-07T15:48:00.000-08:00

Discus Guidelines

How many discus and what size tank The best number to start with is 6 to 8 discus. All the same size from the same source. For a new discus owner , I would suggest starting with about 3 to 3.5 inches. There are some breeder suppliers who sell 2 inch discus..but these guys are quite small, and there is always some that just don't thrive. They get stressed more easily, and then end up not eating…or passing white poo. Also gill flukes and other parasites can take hold of a fish who is already compromised.
As a guideline, one discus per 10 gallons is suggested as adults. Young discus can be started in a bit smaller tank to feel more secure. Very small fish like to school, and they feel lost in a very big tank. If there is places for them to hide they will if they feel insecure. Best way to win their confidence is to have them in a group of 6 to 8 in their own tank.
A bare bottom tank to grow them out, giving them frequent small meals when they come up to the top. It won't be long till they all come swimming up to greet you each time they see you. With lots of frequent meals with a variety of foods their growth will be good. With all the feeding discus need to have daily water changes and the bottom siphoned to keep the water clean. Discus come from the Amazon where the water flows and is very clean. Most people hear that discus are hard to keep and challenging. If you can stick to a few simple guidelines and start with quality healthy stock most people can succeed. Discus don't need any fancy equipment. Most discus keepers or breeders have bare minimum in equipment. An air driven sponge filter a heater that can heat up to 90 degrees bare bottom tank, and a cover . Once you learn to keep and grow discus well, then you can graduate to a planted tank, .breeding, etc.
Most people run into problems when they try to add plants, gravel, other species, collecting different discus from different sources or not prepared for the maintenance of daily water changes.
Very small discus have a window of opportunity for their growth. A lot of the confusion comes when you are new at discus and you don't “see” the proper shape etc. it takes awhile to have an “eye” for discus. If you see a little 2 inch discus that is brightly coloured it could be far older than its actual size. Some discus with an improper start can become stunted. As a rule .most barred strains do not acquire their adult colouring until they are between 8 to 10 months of age. If you find a 2 or 3 inch discus which is brightly coloured its either A: older than its size..and stunted..or:..B. it has been hormoned or colourfed to bring out its adult colours for sales purposes. The consumer is drawn to brightly coloured fish .so as a result local fish stores want brightly coloured fish and supply and demand makes it possible. Also, some strains as in leopard snakeskins or spotted varieties..the breeders cannot see which ones will become spotted discus without hormoning or colour feeding to bring out their adult colours. Usually in a batch of spotted fish about 15 to 30 percent at most become fully spotted fish. The rest become red turquoises. If they are brightly coloured they are quite often sold as super red turqs. The problem with this, is hormones damage the fishes livers and when stress hits..they break down. Or, they start breeding at a very young age and don't live long lives.
Barless or pigeon strains start out a very light colour. As an example .a red cover discus would start out a light yellow or orange. Selecting ones who will remain “clean” is best done on fish of at least 2.5 inches. If they are showing pepper on the nose or fins they will get more as they grow. Pepper or black spots are pigeons stress markings instead of bars. Pigeons remain cleaner looking if you keep a light background and bottom on your tank. Dark gravel or backgrounds will make them show more pepper. Discus need and like frequent water changes, stable parameters, and stored or dechlorinated water. In nature..discus are kept in very soft water . Discus have been successfully raised in harder water as long as you keep your parameters even. Water is best added that has been stored overnight with aeration . Our water in Vancouver is very soft but also ph slides very easily and its lacking minerals for good growth. If your filters are taxed our ph can begin to slide and crash. Daily water changes and rinsing your sponge filter keeps this in check. I also add crushed coral , oyster shells or aragonite to buffer in a net or in an aquaclear filter. It's also helpful to have some added to your water storage container so water being added to your tank is similar or close ph to your tank. A few excellent articles and links are available on http://forum.simplydiscus.com/index.php
There is an excellent example of selecting discus by their eye to body ratio in an article in discus university. http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=49201 it shows how to assess the growth by the size of the eye according to the body size ratio. There is a reason for this beyond aesthetics. Quoted by Tony in the article.” Eye size is one of the main factors in assessing the previous care and future growth potential of a discus.” When a discus’ growth has been slowed, the eye still continues to grow.
Another great article by Walter Wu shows some ill discus and what not to buy. http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=46982

Other Selection Tips

Do the discus come to the front of the tank to greet you or do they hang in the back toward the bottom of the tank? A happy relaxed discus spends time in the middle corridor of the tank in a loose group. Are they huddling together? Are they showing their bars very dark? Is the whole discus dark? Are their gills moving at the same rate? Are they at the top gasping for oxygen? Are they skitterish? Are their fins erect or folded down? Do they have any holes in their head region or white pimples? Are their eyes cloudy? Are their fins raggedy? This could be caused by ammonia burns or ph crash. Also raggedy fins is a deficiency. Is their skin clean and clear or showing slime coat? Is the water temperature warm to the touch? It should be in the 80’s Fahrenheit.
No matter which discus you select, always quarantine a new group away from existing fish or discus. Different discus from different suppliers carry different immunities and or pathogens. Some who have already had an illness can carry, and not get sick while your ones at home could not be immune and they would get sick. I always start a new tank for a new group. Separate hoses , nets, and wash hands in between handling other tanks. A lot of people add one of their existing stock in with the new ones after several weeks. If no illness occurs, then it's safe to mix your stock.
This is why it's best to buy all your fish from one source at one time when starting out. Saves a lot of problems.

Written by April Ross. January 26th 2007

Discus Shipping Made Easy [By April Ross]

Receiving your first shipment of fish is very exciting but also a bit worrisome. I felt like a new mother and of course never slept the whole night knowing they would be at the airport in the morning.
The shipper: He starts planning a few days ahead to organize the shipping. He starts by making sure not to feed them a day or so ahead, depending on how long of a trip. This makes sure there's little waste in the bag and less ammonia. He arranges the shipping plans with the airline or other service and finds the most direct route to your house.
The fish are usually double or triple bags depending on how large they are. They get about 1/3 water and 2/3 oxygen. They are all put into a styrofoam container with heat packs if needed depending on the time of year. And then into a cardboard box. Usually the shipper will call or email you with the tracking number and time of arrival.
What I've always done is I check with my end and make sure the cargo hours correlate with the arrival time. Some airline cargo offices are open all night whereas some close at 6:00pm.
Your end: You should have a clean cycled tank ready to go . Your fish should always have their own tank and quarantine rules should be followed. Most breeders specify at what parameters the fish were kept at and also what they were fed. If not, it is suggested that you ask them. I would also ask the breeder how he suggests acclimating the fish.
The method I have always used is to open the bag, catch the fish in my hand and straight into the new water.
If your tank ph is close to the bag pH then introducing them to their new home is easy. However normally during long transit, the pH can get very low in the bag due to the fish waste and Co2 produced. So in most cases, the pH in your tank will be higher. If it is a lot higher, then you will need to gradually raise the pH in the bag.
Reason being, when the fish are in a low pH the ammonia in the bag is non-toxic. But once oxygen is added by the action of opening the bag or adding them into a higher pH environment, the ammonia can burn their gills and fins. So I've found the best way is to place them directly into the tank. But again, check with your breeder for his acclimation suggestions.
I usually add one tablespoon salt to each 10 gallons of water to my tank before they arrive. And also keep the temperature at about 90 degrees for the first few days, then gradually lowering it.
It may take a day or so for your new fish to start eating. On most shipping occasions, the fishes I received were swimming around and waiting for their first meal once in the tank. This of course depends on what size group you've received, stressed, etc... Normally, if you received a smaller group, they could be shy for a few days. Its best if you can get at least 6 of similar size together. 8 is even better as they don't feel so lost in a big new tank. Rule of thumb is one discus per 10 gallons as adults. Juveniles can be started in a smaller tank as long as you keep up on your water changes and keep the water quality good.
Feed them small meals and be sure no extra food sits on the bottom of the tank. Eventually as they become more relaxed you will find them swimming higher up and then finally meeting you at the top waiting for their meals. Watch your ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates at first as your filter could be playing catch-up. Try to feed clean foods at first to make sure your filter is keeping up with the new demands. Hikari bloodworms is a good first food next morning to feed. Beefheart is messy and can tax your filter at first. If you do feed these..try to feed in the morning when they are hungriest and then vacuum the bottom and do your wc afterwards. Small pinches of flake food is also good. I use only flake or discus new life spectrum in small amounts.
Out of all the fish I have ordered I have maybe lost one or two fish. If one does arrive D.0.A. then you need to let the breeder know .
Usually the breeder will call or email to make sure all went well. Or you can call or email the breeder and let him know that the fishes arrived and are safely in your tank.
On the whole I feel its been a rewarding experience and feel I have gotten some very nice fish which could not have been obtainable otherwise locally . I recommend it if you have never received your fish via shipping. Its quite easy and you will find yourself to be a proud new owner of some great looking fishes.
For most major cities I can ship via Westjet or Coastal Airlines. For island deliveries I'm open to meeting at the ferry.

2014-02-07T15:46:00.001-08:00

My Water Parameters

Our water in Vancouver B.C. is quite soft. My discus are kept in 6.8 ph. Our water hardness is below one for gh and kh.
Changing your fish to higher parameters is not a problem as long as not too large of a jump at one time. Going up to 7.5 for instance is not a problem.
When I get fish shipped in for resale they are held for two weeks before resale. They need time to settle after their jet lag and get eating well and put on some growth and weight. Fish that have been shipped have been fasted for a few days to prevent ammonia in the bags . So they need some time to fill out again .

Selecting Discus fish by April

2014-02-07T15:43:00.000-08:00

selecting discus by April Ross

heres a great link to nada..it shows different strains of discus. written by a good friend of mine..carol roberts who was the original president of nada .
http://www.discusnada.org/discus/classification.html

nada stands for north american discus association.
note: these pics were given to nada and have rights to them. not to be copied.
also heres a link to the nada show a couple of weeks ago with some excellent fish .http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...t=80397&page=4 high quality. great eye to body ratio. there should be 7 eye heights between the top of their head and the chin..otherwise runted. small pointy head ..big eyes..you wont get growth. some of these pics of the show fish are good examples of quality healthy fish. should have full stomachs..not concave. clean fins..no raggey edges..no white on fins..and bright eyes. dark eyes..ragged fins..means illness. internal issues.
another great post on selecting and "seeing"discus.

http://www.aquariumhobbyist.com/disc...ner/index.html he has great illustrations of ill or poor quality discus for educating people.
alot of people (beginners) cant see past the colours. also very small young discus 2 inches should not have full colour . if small and fully coloured..then hormoned. hormoned discus end up with liver damage..stress and bang..they crash. one giveaway is colour in the tails.
article by beta of india below.
The King of Aquarium fishes is an easy fish to keep in the home aquarium if some simple tips are followed and proper selection is the first step to success with discus.

Below are some general tips on how to select good discus:
1. The first step is to observe the discus in your dealer’s tank, make sure that they are active, curious and are not hiding in the corners. Discus which are stressed or sick turn dark.(With the exception of Pigeonbloods, Ghosts, Snow Whites and Goldens)
2. Check for sick or dying fishes in the tank, if so then avoid picking fishes from the tank.
3. Presence of medication in the tank might mean the discus are sick, recovering from a disease outbreak or in quarantine.
4. Check for wounds and lesions on the body.
5. Make sure that the gill plates are not short or deformed, they should cover the gills completely. Lookout for heavy breathing too.
7. Avoid fishes with deformities of the spine.
8. The discus should swim in an upright position fishes which struggle to do so could be suffering from swim bladder problems or other such ailments.
9. Give a thorough check to see if there any external parasites attached to the body of the discus.
10. Ask the dealer to feed the discus and observe if they are having a healthy appetite. Make sure that the discus were not raised on Tubifex worms as food.
11. Observe the feces of the discus. It should not be stringy or white in colour.
12. Avoid discus with bellies which look thin or sunken, if so this is could be due to long periods of starvations or presence of internal parasites. The same criteria applies to foreheads, a healthy discus would have a broad forehead.
13. Avoid picking from tanks in which discus have peeling slime coat or the slime coat is absent.
14. Ensure that the eye is not too big in proportion to the body. Large eyes could mean that the discus is stunted.
15. The discus should have a round shape and should not be triangular or elongated.
16. Lookout for hormone treated fish which have adult coloration in the juvenile stage. Juveniles with coloration on their caudal fins and on the tip of their noses are signs of hormone treatment.
17. Avoid discus which keep their fins clamped or are whitish and frayed.

Some tips which are strain specific:
Blue Diamonds: They shouldn’t show any stress bars on the body or along the eye.
Pigeon Bloods: Avoid Pigeon Bloods with a lot of black specks on the body (peppering) they can be pretty unsightly.
Turquoise: They are generally late colouring. 2 inch juveniles with adult patterns usually mean that they are stunted.

Some more tips after you bring your discus home

Always quarantine your new discus.
Avoid Mixing discus which were bought from different sources to avoid disease transfer.
Do not feed Tubifex worms!
Young discus need to be fed several times a day to maintain good growth.
Regular water changes help in keeping your discus healthy.
Avoid shotgun treatment for medicating your discus.

a picture of a round discus. good eye to body ratio.

There are lower priced discus but basically..a 20.00 discus will be a bad investment in the long run. you start with low grade and poor quality..you have a bad experience..then the old saying comes into play once again.."discus are hard to keep". they arent hard to keep if you start with healthy stock and look after your water quality. starting with a pointy triangle shaped big eyed discus , hollow stomach, dark eyes, etc..you will fail..as the fish is already complimised.

Using Aquarium Cabinets - The Basics of Aquarium Cabinets » Aquarium Care

2012-11-19T21:33:00.001-08:00

Aquarium cabinets are meant for protecting aquariums from damage, stains, and dirt. They also serve to accentuate an aquarium to make it more attractive. Most cabinets are free-standing and include smaller drawers or cabinets for fish food and other supplies.

The kinds of aquarium cabinets you can choose from include bow front, standard, and corner cabinet models. Bow front cabinets curve outward at the front part, often bought with aquariums shaped similarly to ensure that they will fit. Standard cabinets, on the other hand, are flat and rectangular on all sides and will fit regular aquariums. Thus, it’s possible to buy standard cabinets separate from the aquarium. As for corner cabinets, they have perpendicular backs that are angled to fit into wall corners, designed to take less space. which makes them ideal for smaller rooms.

Choosing the right aquarium cabinet for you

Look for hardwoods like cherry, oak, maple, and pine when it comes to aquarium cabinets.

Related Coverage

Freshwater Aquarium Plant Cuttings

Did you know that plant cuttings, the un-rooted tops of plants often turn out to be very versatile in the aquarium. In the aquarium they can be used two ways, as backdrop plants that create a wide variety of color & leaf shapes or foreground vegetation. Salt Water Aquarium Supplies That You Need to Keep

Saltwater aquarium supplies do not only pertain to the equipment like lighting system, heater, filter and other essential aquarium supplies. If you are setting up a saltwater aquarium, consider some other supplies that are also beneficial in your tank such as live rock. Refacing Kitchen Cabinets and Doors For a New Look

It is amazing what refacing your cabinets can do for your kitchen. Learn some important cabinet refacing tips before you proceed. Freshwater Aquarium Fish – The Discus Fish

If you are looking for great fish to take care of and become your pets, the Discus fish can be a great choice. The Discus is one of the beautiful and colorful freshwater aquarium fish making it a popular choice for those who are fish lovers and those who love to keep an aquarium.If you have a big aquarium, check to ensure that your cabinet has thicker wood panels so you’re guaranteed that the cabinet can carry the weight of the aquarium. Keep in mind that big aquariums are already quite heavy. Add water and you easily double or triple their weight. On the other hand, if you have a small aquarium, medium density fiberboards will work just fine for you. Not only will you ensure that your aquarium is secured but that you also have a lot of design and color options to choose from. To organize and store your aquarium supplies, storage drawers are a must for you. However, different designs feature differently sized cabinets so opt for one that will fit all the things you need.

Important information

Complete information on recommended aquarium cabinets is available PickyGuide, the authority in free consumer advice.

Freshwater Aquarium Plant Cuttings » Aquarium Care

2012-11-19T21:32:00.001-08:00

Freshwater Aquarium Plant Cuttings » Aquarium Care

koi care

2012-11-19T21:29:00.000-08:00

Koi are members of the carp family and can live to a ripe old age and can grow quite large.
Their pond should be about 1.5 meters deep for a year round pond.
Water should be kept between 15-25 Celsius.
Koi ponds need at least 50 percent shade and lots of oxygen. Plants help to oxygenate the water and reduce nitrates. Also koi do like to est plant material.
Koi need to be protected from predators. Raccoons, herons, Hawks, otters, eagles. Nets over the pond, electric fence, a covered area the can hide under, etc. your pond center can advice you.
Kois metsbolism slows down in the winter and they stop eating. You need to keep an eye on the water temperature. Spring and fall koi est more wheat germ food with less protein . Summer time they can have a higher protein food for optimum growth. Ponds need to have a breathing hole in the winter if the pond ices over. The nitrogen needs to escape from the water.
Koi eat bugs, koi food, peas, watermelon, apple, lettuce, earthworms etc. I. The summer they should be fed small amounts about 4 times a day. Just what they will eat within 5 minutes. They will learn to recognize their owner or feeder and come up to greet you.
There are many companies that supply koi food. Most packages have charts with temperature guides on the back.

Discus care

2012-11-19T17:06:00.001-08:00

How many discus and what size tank The best number to start with is 6 to 8 discus. All the same size from the same source. For a new discus owner , I would suggest starting with about 3 to 3.5 inches. There are some breeder suppliers who sell 2 inch discus..but these guys are quite small, and there is always some that just don't thrive. They get stressed more easily, and then end up not eating…or passing white poo. Also gill flukes and other parasites can take hold of a fish who is already compromised.

As a guideline, one discus per 10 gallons is suggested as adults. Young discus can be started in a bit smaller tank to feel more secure. Very small fish like to school, and they feel lost in a very big tank. If there is places for them to hide they will if they feel insecure. Best way to win their confidence is to have them in a group of 6 to 8 in their own tank.

A bare bottom tank to grow them out. Is best, giving them frequent small meals when they come up to the top. It won't be long till they all come swimming up to greet you each time they see you. With lots of frequent meals with a variety of foods their growth will be good. With all the feeding discus need to have daily water changes and the bottom siphoned to keep the water clean. Discus come from the Amazon where the water flows and is very clean. Most people hear that discus are hard to keep and challenging. If you can stick to a few simple guidelines and start with quality healthy stock, most people can succeed. Discus don't need any fancy equipment. Most discus keepers or breeders have bare minimum in equipment. An air driven sponge filter a heater that can heat up to 90 degrees ,bare bottom tank, and a cover . Once you learn to keep and grow discus well, then you can graduate to a planted tank, .breeding, etc.

Most people run into problems when they try to add plants, gravel, other species, collecting different discus from different sources or not prepared for the maintenance of daily water changes. Once they have some good growth ,water changes can be less frequent.

Very small discus have a window of opportunity for their growth. A lot of the confusion comes when you are new at discus and you don't “see” the proper shape etc. it takes awhile to have an “eye” for discus. If you see a little 2 inch discus that is brightly coloured it could be far older than its actual size. Some discus with an improper start can become stunted. As a rule .most barred strains do not acquire their adult colouring until they are between 8 to 10 months of age. If you find a 2 or 3 inch discus which is brightly coloured its either A: older than its size..and stunted..or:..B. it has been hormoned or colourfed to bring out its adult colours for sales purposes. The consumer is drawn to brightly coloured fish .so as a result local fish stores want brightly coloured fish and supply and demand makes it possible. Also, some strains as in leopard snakeskins or spotted varieties..the breeders cannot see which ones will become spotted discus without color feeding to bring out their adult colours. Usually in a batch of spotted fish about 15 to 30 percent at most become fully spotted fish. The rest become red turquoises. If they are brightly coloured they are quite often sold as red turquoise.

Barless or pigeon strains start out a very light colour. As an example .a red cover discus would start out a light yellow or orange. Selecting ones who will remain “clean” is best done on fish of at least 2.5 inches. If they are showing pepper on the nose or fins they will get more as they grow. Pepper or black spots are pigeons stress markings instead of bars. Pigeons remain cleaner looking if you keep a light background and bottom on your tank. Dark gravel or backgrounds will make them show more pepper.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:5620 Dunbar st. Vancouver bc