codheadjohn's tank log

[Lee_k]

Which type of discus are you going for? and then which strain(s) of said discus?

[codheadjohn]

It'll depend on availability. But it looks like Stendker because there's a good dealer fairly close and it makes water condition a little more flexible.

Strains will be what I can find, but blue diamond and cobalt, Marlboro, pigeon, some of the checkerboard. I'd love something like yellow diamond, but they don't really have yellows. Quite like the snow white. I think it's you that has a really dark one? I love that but never seen anything like it

[Lee_k]

Yeah so i've got

Blue Diamond
Brilliant turq (i think from memory...a turq one anyway)
German Wonder
Albino Snow Leopard
Marlborough
Pigeon blood blue
Santarem - This guys as close you'll get to a wild from stendker


Bear in mind that anything with pigeon blood so in my case the pigeon blood blue and marlborough can end up with some peppering as they try to blend in with substrate/plants/background etc - Any strains without that gene wont/cant

[codheadjohn]

Yeah so i've got

Blue Diamond
Brilliant turq (i think from memory...a turq one anyway)
German Wonder
Albino Snow Leopard
Marlborough
Pigeon blood blue
Santarem - This guys as close you'll get to a wild from stendker


Bear in mind that anything with pigeon blood so in my case the pigeon blood blue and marlborough can end up with some peppering as they try to blend in with substrate/plants/background etc - Any strains without that gene wont/cant

So is the blue diamond the really dark one? Or am I thinking of somebody else's? Don't think it was BigBen.

Peppering is an interesting subject. Some breeders say if you get a good specimen, then they won't pepper regardless. And a bad specimen will even in a light background. Others say what you have... Confusing.

You have a black background, so mine is definitely lighter than that.

As for the nitrite, it was the same at 7pm as it was in the morning, so fairly sure it's 5ppm and not going to be done for Friday when I can get out.

[Lee_k]

Blue diamond is blue all over - you can see all the strains here at different stages of growth

https://diskuszucht-stendker.de/en_en/D ... bschlaege/#

Peppering will always happen on discus with pigeon blood gene, its a natural instinct for them. Interestingly when i rescaped my tank not long back my discus were just in a white bucket for 4 hours or so with an airstone, heater and plant - when I took them out, all the peppering had gone! - But within a few hours back in the tank it was back again

The blue diamond, german wonder, blue turq and albino snow have no peppering at all. You could always drop stendker a email direct about which strains have the pigeon blood gene in regards to peppering

Lee

[codheadjohn]

Your blue diamond is gorgeous. Such a deep blue, they're normally a powder blue. I'd love one of both.

Your peppering is tiny compared to some. Genetics is definitely a large part

[Lee_k]

Yeah possibly, I know my stendkers came directly from stendker not bred between, they claim to only release high quality fish so it may help.

I think my blue diamond is still a bit young yet, looking at the photos on stendker seems to suggest that size wise he may not grow much more but his colour will develop so he could go more turquoise yet.

If you look at my photos as juveniles you'll see they change so much as they grow!

[codheadjohn]

Blue Diamonds used to be a deep blue, but they've washed out over time as strains have diluted and not been selectively bred as much due to demand. I think you've got a very nice specimen in that one and some others.

If you go on the devotedlydiscus forum, there's lots of talk about the genetics from breeders and some of the stuff they say is a bit contradictory to what you read on general forums. They're very snobby on there, but it's interesting reading. I don't know what is right.

I don't know where to get Dicrossus Maculatus from either. One of my favourite fish, but difficult to find. The lyretail is about everywhere, but I prefer the colours of the spadetailed males.

[codheadjohn]

Got a lead on a local fish shop that's supposed to be good and said he'll do me 50 Cardinals for £80. £2.50 each seems to be the standard around here, so quite a saving. Got the same question to JayDee aquatics, but they aren't replying.

Hopefully Friday will be the day for Cardinals and maybe some Rams if they have nice ones. Put some Stability in today, so fingers crossed for the cycle to be done in time. Nitrite is still being stubborn.

[codheadjohn]

Seachem Stability is miracle juice. Before adding, my nitrite was reading 2ppm with a 25 to 1 ratio of tap to tank water. So about 50ppm. From the amount of ammonia I'd added, it basically hadn't budged. 48 hours later dosing according to the bottle and nitrites were at 0.25ppm.

Cardinals are now in and I will keep up with Stability for a couple of days, but don't think there will be any issues. I also got some Rili Shrimp in the hope that they'll make a decent colony for cleaning before other fish arrive. Not sure how well they'll survive, the moss I bought was terrible quality and brown when it arrived. It hasn't really recovered.

The Vallis has all melted and the Swords look ok, but not spectacular. Hopefully the plants all improve, but I have a feeling they weren't great stock.

Blooming wood still won't stay down without a brick on it.