Beefheart

[Disco]

Something makes me feel like I feed pellets and flakes to often. I feed pellets once a day and the same with flakes. Is this to often even though I soak them in vitamins? Should I be feeding beefheart and brine shrimp a lot more often? ??? I know I should trust my answers but second oppinions are always better

 

[discusaquarium]

personally, i would switch the two meals of pellets and flakes to a meal of beefheart and a meal of bloodworms. they both will give your discus alot more nutrients that the flakes and pellets ever will. its not bad to feed flakes and pellets every once and a while, just something i wouldnt feel the need to feed twice a day with. i would go with beefheart and bloodworms, they'll grow much quicker! brine shrimp isnt really a meal to discus over 3" so i would take that into consideration also. brine shrimp are just like candies to an adult discus. discus need a pretty varied diet, so i would add a few flakes in with your beefheart mixture - that way they get the flakes AND the beefheart ;D

 

[Disco]

I was thinking of a meal of my Jack wattley beefheart in the morning soaked with vitamins, and then bloodworms with vitamins in the afternoon, and then my own beefheart mixture in the evening with vitamins, flakes and pellets mixed in, and spinach and carrots grinded in- does this diet sound nutritious? Correct me on anything I'm doing wrong.

 

[discusaquarium]

sounds pretty good to me. ;D every once and a while i'd feed some hikari mega tropical - it has 2 kinds of worms and plenty of vitamins in it. i usually switch one of my beefheart meals for it. your discus will be getting more than enough nutrients from your beefheart and jack wattley's. i use the same schedule myself, and it hasnt proven me wrong yet. (knock on wood)  ;D

 

[Disco]

Thanks. I just started the diet today, they seem to like everything but they still ned to adjust to all these foods. Thanks for all of your hep with my questions 8)

 

[Disco]

Oh yeah, everyone- next week when I get my plants (I ordered them off the net), I'll be sure to post a picutre ;D > 8) ??? : :-[ :-X :-/ :-* :'(. Just felt like doing that  

 

[discusaquarium]

where'd you order them from? i was thinking of ordering some online, and re doing my 55 planted.

 

[dork187]

well
i just got my second discus last week and it seems to be doing very well
except i feel really sorry for it because the first discus, which is about double its size continually picks on him and chases him around the tank. they have started to shill out lately. but when its feeding time the bigger discus seems more interested in chasing the little guy around the tank then in eating the food.
also
they dont seem to big ont he flakes i give them once a day, they will take a bite and spit it out
also...
bloodworms... i know my fishies love them but they are such little bastards if they dont get eaten. my roomate wont even feed them becuase when he did and they would clean the gravel there would be tons of bloodworms taking over. is there a way to prevent this?
i have tried feeding them in a glass bowl so the worms cant escape but the bigger one has out grown the bowl. when i feed them in a cone only about half get eaten, the rest go to the bottom nad escape into the gravel...
any suggesstions?
also...
what type of vitimins are you using and how much do they cost? where did you get them?
i am trying to treat my discus like the kings of the tank they are and i would love to get some the little extra things they want/need like vitamins.

tnx

 

[Disco]

I'm using Kent Zoe and Kent Zoecon- they should be used together. Together, it costed be about 15 bucks from my LFS. When mixed with food, you get really good health, growth, and colors. There are lots of other vitamins out there but make sure they can be added to food, its a lot better for the fish.

 

[discusaquarium]

you are feeding live bloodworms? if you are having the problem of them all over, feed a frozen cube of them. they all get eaten in my tank, and dont make any messes. the discus come up and start picking at the cube right when it hits the water.

 

[dork187]

ok
kent zoe and ken zoecon

sounds like a brother and sister duo that battle evil from a fantasy universe

anywayz...

i will look for that but my lfs guys dont seem to be too keen on vitamins, which kinda worries me, one store said that "they get enough from the flakes" which im not sure i entirely agree with

and aiight joe... no more live bloodworms
i will go buy some of the frozen cubes today
do you use the "san francisco bay brand"
i have used some their brine shrimp in the past and am now trying out the "chichlid chow" cubes
the ingredients look pretty good if you read the back...
i like the single bubble pack portions
but my discus arent too keen on it
i think they are addicted to my beefheart mix
thanx fer yure help  disco+discusaq
;D

 

[Disco]

Your LFS store guys are half right. Most pellets and flakes are allready laoded with vitamins so there is no need to add any more. But frozen foods have very little, so its best to add them. About the bloodworms, I feed mine fish gum drops by sanfrancisco bay brand, they really like it. Plus, the box comes with three varieties, a vegetable drop, a bloodworm drop, and a brine shrimp drop. Mine even eat the vegetables whci hsi kind of wierd since they used to rarely accept them. Any more questions, just ask. 8)

 

[discusaquarium]

if your fish accept flakes, they will be getting enough vitamins. if they arent, thats quite easy to fix. feed flakes EVERY time you feed them their other meals, then they'll get the point that they are food. the reason they are spitting them out is because the havent aquired the taste for them. if you mix in their regular food, they will take to it in about a week. you can get them all the vitamins you need to. i use hikari, they are "bio pure" you can really tell the difference in them when you are feeding them. most of the other brands are all water, hikari is 95% worms. i've never tried the sfbb bloodworms, but i have tried the brine shrimp, so either way you go its pretty good to say that you'll be getting your discus some good food. any more questions, just post.

 

[dork187]

wow
you guys are so damn helpful it makes me glad i found this place

i appreciate it a lot

</end heartfelt sentiment>
;D