Long time, no post

When I set this up, I never really intended it to be an active blog… you know, the kind where I’m contributing every day. Though the fact that this web site is technically run on a Wordpress blog engine allow this site to show the chronological progression of my tank. That’s a good thing I suppose.

Anyway, I haven’t posted in months and months. Have been busy professionally, cutting into hobby time. And have also been sidelined with a little aquarium DIY project. Plus my PC went belly up, and then my little home file server (that I keep my pics on) went belly up. Getting all that rebuilt took time. And now here it is, a good 6+ months since my last post.  So, here’s what’s been going on in my tanks:

• New red discus
• New white discus
• Aggressive thread algae
• Algae eaters

I previously posted pics of my 3R2’s, a type of red discus. These were the first juvenile discus I’ve ever had. In the past I’ve always gotten adults or sub adults. The conventional wisdom is that juveniles are hard pressed to get sufficient nutrition in a planted tank. Well I’m here to tell you that is true. Long story short, I eventually gave away a few of them, and one of them was badly stunted from months in my tank - at a crucial time in it’s development - not getting enough food.

So I got a second batch of red fish. This time they were 3R’s, a precursor to the 3R2 strain. Very red. And I got these as juveniles too, certain proof that I’m a slow learner. They worked out better than the 3R2’s, and went into my tank after a few months in quarantine.

All of this was to provide a little contrast in the tank. The blues of my other fish kind of blended in with the green plants, not enough color contrast. And so in a final attempt at more contrast I got some white discus too.

These are called Show Whites. They aren’t albino, just white. The problem though, is that they eventually begin to get tinted with pigments from their food. I feed my fish frozen blood worms and Tetra Colorbits. Only one of the Snow Whites has developed a taste for the tetra color bits, and that’s good because it’s slowly turning into a Snow Yellow. More amber really. And these were juveniles too, which probably proves that maybe I’m not really a slow learner, just very stubborn.

The Snow White have only been in my display tank - the Son of Kahuna - for a few weeks. But they’ve been mercilessly harassed by the juvenile 3R’s, and they haven’t been getting much food at all. Hiding in the weeds most of the time. They do come out at night, and when the overhead lights are off. But they are coward in the full light, and the harrassment by the red juveniles does not help.

So last night I scooped ouy my most aggressive 3R’s and put them in my quarantine tank. I figure I’ll let them chill out in there with no other discus for a month or so to let the Snow Whites get comfortable, and establish their own place in the pecking order. The 3R’s are feisty enough that I’m sure they’ll integrate back into the pack, but maybe not as the bullies they are now.

And for all the problems with the various red and white juvies beating each other up, my adults are doing great. I’ve got just shy of non-stop breeding going on. Here’s a pair of my hi-bodied leopards, doing what they seem to always be doing… guarding eggs or wigglers.

Next I need to catch you up on my algae woes.