# Wild Tefe Discus



## Luke78

Hello everyone , just got a new camera again and iam trying to load up some pics here.The pictures are of my wild tefe discus.I aint no professional so bare with me. Hope this works !


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## pisces

looking very nice! look like under river,great work ...


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## 2wheelsx2

That's a great looking setup for them.


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## bigfry

Nice fish & setup. Very sharp pictures.


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## Ursus sapien

your habitat looks great, so do the shots. thanks for posting.


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## Luke78

Here's a couple more photos. This setup was started in late May 2010.It took more than 6 weeks to cycle the entire aquarium and the discus didnt go until late July if iam correct.This bunch came from Charles when he brought them in.I tried my best to create an exact biotype , but i added a few things of my own and it turned out alright so far.These guys were a pain in the but during the first few weeks ( picky eaters) so i was concerned early on, but after some help/tips from a few members here (Thank you Charles/April  things are turning around.

Heres the specs on the aquarium:

Hagen 66.5 Gallon ( 48.25"X16.25"x20.5")
Hagen T5 Glo 48" single bulb / Coralife 6700K 
Eheim 2026 Canister / Hagen Fluval 204
Eheim Jager heater 300 watts

Fauna: 6 Wild tefe discus/12 rummynose tetras/9 cardinal tetras/1 oto/1 L46 
1 BNP / 5 sterbai cory / 9 melini cory / 1 swordtail (rescue)
One huge cleaning crew as the bottom is taken care of

Flora: 1 Amazon sword / 1 Java fern 

Lots of Manzanita driftwood ( stumps ) , rocks , almond leaves , CaribSea sand 1-1.5 inch base.

Water changes are done 4 times a week (25-50%).Once a week i also vacuum the sand.Feedings are 2-3 times a day , skipping one day a week.Flakes , blackworms,bloodworms,brineshrimp, pellets(NLS) are given.Temperature is at 29.5C-30C.

Any comments , questions , feedback please do! I will try to get a whole tank shot , but i havent had any luck yet with the ones i took !


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## Luke78

Thanks for the great comments everyone , i was nervous posting this seeing that all the other photos by other members here were way nice and richer than mine.I will try to update this when i can.Thanks again !


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## kevin22

very nice setup, close to biotope


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## Chappy

You've got a very nice set-up. In fact, that's my new dream tank - full of nothing but tefe's. They're my favorite and as your six show, they are all so different. And I really like how you've landscaped the tank.

Yeah, they can be picky at first but once they start eating, there's no stopping them! Good luck and keep posting.

Shelley


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## 2wheelsx2

Is that Caribsea sand the aragonite sand, or is it inert?


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## target

Very nice looking set up. Those wilds look great.


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## planter

Beautiful fish and beautiful setup. I'm sure they are going to be very happy once they get settled in


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## Luke78

2wheelsx2 said:


> Is that Caribsea sand the aragonite sand, or is it inert?


Gary,

The sand is from Caribsea's Super Natural line , and the one i chose was called 'crystal river'.This one is inert and not the aragonite one.PH in my discus setup with this stuff sits now at about 6.6.My cories love this stuff and have moved it all around leaving some patches bare , so i go back in there and move it all around again I think this is the one i mentioned to you about a while back to check out for your new setup you got going on.


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## 2wheelsx2

Ah...ok, thanks. Where did you get it from? I'm not too concerned about bare patches, as I expect those problems with plecos. Even with gravel in my 125, the L114 has dug right down to the light diffuser I'm using at the base to support the rocks.


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## Luke78

2wheelsx2 said:


> Ah...ok, thanks. Where did you get it from? I'm not too concerned about bare patches, as I expect those problems with plecos. Even with gravel in my 125, the L114 has dug right down to the light diffuser I'm using at the base to support the rocks.


April's was where i got it from.I was in Aquariums West the other day, and saw it there as well.It took three bags for my setup , and i got a 1-almost 2 inch base. The amazon sword in the middle of aquarium, has taken to it well and the roots are all in tact.Nothing poping out , but i did add a bit more to where i planted it.


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## 2wheelsx2

Darn, I was just at April's getting a bunch of Manzanita last week.


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## hp10BII

Very nice fish and setup!


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## O.C.D Fishies

I love the last pic in the first post. Beautiful fish and I love your aquascape.


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## Chappy

2wheelsx2 said:


> Darn, I was just at April's getting a bunch of Manzanita last week.


Ah shucks, Gary....looks like you're just going to have to go back  Bet she still has a kazillion plants. It took us FOREVER to empty those two huge boxes of plants and did they ever look great in the tanks.
Shelley


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## Luke78

target said:


> Very nice looking set up. Those wilds look great.


Thank you for the kind words , looking forward to seeing your new project up and going.More discus i take it ?


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## Luke78

O.C.D Fishies said:


> I love the last pic in the first post. Beautiful fish and I love your aquascape.


Thanks , that photo is one my favorites so far too.The one that has the most green/blue/spots is the fellow below all of them , and hes the king sort of speak.Tried measuring/eye balling him and he's pushing over 5 inches (fins included).


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## target

Luke78 said:


> Thank you for the kind words , looking forward to seeing your new project up and going.More discus i take it ?


Maybe a couple more.  I need some room for the pleco collection I have going, (thanks Gary) and I want a school of rummies and sterbai.


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## MELLO

nice setup beautiful discus


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## Nat

the fish looks great!


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## Luke78

Nat said:


> the fish looks great!


Nat ,

Thanks man , a work in progress still.Hows the new additions(plecos) ?


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## April

looking good..keep fattening them up..they could still get beefier..but now they are eating better after deworming..they should put weight on. 
i dont have the caribsea sand right now..but i can order..its meant to be pre-cycled. it comes wet like the eco complete. 
glad you finally got it going . thanks for sharing.


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## Luke78

aprils aquarium said:


> looking good..keep fattening them up..they could still get beefier..but now they are eating better after deworming..they should put weight on.
> i dont have the caribsea sand right now..but i can order..its meant to be pre-cycled. it comes wet like the eco complete.
> glad you finally got it going . thanks for sharing.


Thanks April , the goal is to get them fatter and bigger.Results are slowly showing.


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## seanyuki

Hi Luke....great looking set up and nice healthy discus too.....you did a excellent job and thanks for posting your beauties


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## Luke78

seanyuki said:


> Hi Luke....great looking set up and nice healthy discus too.....you did a excellent job and thanks for posting your beauties


Thank you Francis , still a work in progress as i need a few more bits to add to it.


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## Luke78

Well, as promised i managed to get a few shots of the entire setup.This was just after a water change so it looks somewhat clear.Just wanted to thank everyone for the pleasant comments,i enjoy sharing it with all of you and maybe turned a few people over to the discus cult  Still wanna add a few branches and a few floating plants and its done !


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## bonsai dave

great looking set up. Your fish are looking great. Good Job.I was wondering How many almonds leaves are you using in the tank. I have not read the first post but how big is your tank and what are you using for filtration thanks


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## Luke78

bonsai dave said:


> great looking set up. Your fish are looking great. Good Job.I was wondering How many almonds leaves are you using in the tank. I have not read the first post but how big is your tank and what are you using for filtration thanks


Bonsai dave,

I use between 4-5 leaves.They are pretty large and do cover a bit of space.They also release tannins just like my manzanita wood , so that extra effect creates a similar biotype.My plecos,cories,and other fish love the cover and it does provide some shade coming off the lights.The first page has the stats on the setup.


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## Luke78

Hey everyone likes pictures so here's a few more of my L46 Zebra (love this pleco) and the king of his home.Enjoy !


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## Peterchow

Beautiful set up and very nice pictures !!!!!

Thanks for sharing.


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## bonsai dave

Luke78 said:


> Hey everyone likes pictures so here's a few more of my L46 Zebra (love this pleco) and the king of his home.Enjoy !


what type of substrate are you using ?


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## Luke78

Peter ,

Thank you for the kind words, its been a while how have you been? Noticed you picked u a few nice discus yourself they look great.



Peterchow said:


> Beautiful set up and very nice pictures !!!!!
> 
> Thanks for sharing.


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## Luke78

Dave,

The substrate iam using is from CaribSea, its a sand called 'crystal river' from their super natural line.Got it from aprils store.Nice product i must say with the instant cycle stuff added to it , along with a water conditioner.



bonsai dave said:


> what type of substrate are you using ?


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## Peterchow

Luke78 said:


> Peter ,
> 
> Thank you for the kind words, its been a while how have you been? Noticed you picked u a few nice discus yourself they look great.


Hi Lukas,

I know you had planned for a few months to set up this beautiful tank. When your discus bulk up to 8", they will look super nice. I like BIG BIG discus with all fins + tail fully extended.

Your ongoing sharing of pictures in your posting may trigger me one day to start a wild discus tank. Need to find a space to add another tank.


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## Luke78

Well its been a while since i last updated, my Tefe Discus setup has had a few additions/changes to it. I littered the sand with some very small pebbles which i managed to get my hands on.I think it gives it a bit of a "river" feel to it.Added a few more manzanita branches as well(love& hate relationship here , discus bump into them all the time if spooked).The java fern i had on a piece of manz decided to commit suicide, so i added some nana petite anubia i had kicking around.So far so good and even flowering for me.A few pleco caves as well , i know not natural but my cories and plecos in there like them.One is somewhat hidden,the other in the open.

The sword is still there growing like a weed and the sister plant is growing ton the surface i have some water sprite and amazon frog bit. I litter the whole setup with almomd leaves which has in fact dropped my PH , and turned the water into one giant serving of "tea soup" dont mind one bit and the fish love it.Noticed some breeding behaviour from my tetras and cories.My PH as of today sits at 6.0 , used to be around 6.4-6.6.All other water permeters are normal.

Less talk and more photos , enjoy ! any questions,comments,ideas,or dislikes feel free to add !


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## Luke78

I did lose one of my tefe's which was disappointing , but added a few zebra otos and a pair of panduro apistogrammas to the mix.Everyone else is still there.


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## Peterchow

Great pictures, Lukas !!!!

Your discus look happy & healthy. They sure have fatten up since you first got them. What are you feeding them with ????


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## Luke78

Peter,

Thank you , they are feed a few items.Bloodworms,Blackworms,Brineshrimp,and a food hamper i got from Plymouth discus (a store in the UK/online) which has earthworm/beefheart/garlic/shrimp flakes and sinking granules.They end up eating way better than i do Size from the smallest-largest is 4.4.5" to 5.25" still wanna bulk them up a bit.



Peterchow said:


> Great pictures, Lukas !!!!
> 
> Your discus look happy & healthy. They sure have fatten up since you first got them. What are you feeding them with ????


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## shelltoes

That set up looks sharp! I want a discus tank now..


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## Luke78

Thanks Shelltoes , you ever need any help with setting one up theres quite a few of us that can lend a thought or idea 



shelltoes said:


> That set up looks sharp! I want a discus tank now..


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## Sapphire

Man.. that's a nice setup. I need to come over and take a look in person.


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## seanyuki

Excellent setup Luke......plus great photography too


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## Luke78

Francis,

Thank you , photography is ok still trying to get some decent shots with my point and shoot.Hows your discus project going ? Would love to see some photos of your domestics.



seanyuki said:


> Excellent setup Luke......plus great photography too


Brian,

Thanks , yeah iam pretty happy with it.Doubt any more changes will occur other than going bigger than 66G.Wanna get my hands on some other species , prefer the Heckels.I should have you come over soon , but the holidays are busy around my place.Hows your discus doing ? eating lots ?



Sapphire said:


> Man.. that's a nice setup. I need to come over and take a look in person.


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## seanyuki

Hi Luke.....no more domestic discus at home lol....only 8 very small wilds in a 20 gallons tank.


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## Sapphire

Luke78 said:


> Brian,
> 
> Thanks , yeah iam pretty happy with it.Doubt any more changes will occur other than going bigger than 66G.Wanna get my hands on some other species , prefer the Heckels.I should have you come over soon , but the holidays are busy around my place.Hows your discus doing ? eating lots ?


My discus are doing good. Now I just need to buy some flakes to feed them. I am happy I got lots of suggestions from my other threads. What dry food are you feeding your wild tefe?


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## crazy72

I don't know how I managed to miss this thread so far... 

Your setup looks stunning. Even your plants look healthy! (despite the 30 degree temp?! ). Beautiful discus. And beautiful pics.

Did you get your Panduros from Charles? How many do you have? Both males and females?


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## Luke78

Crazy72,

Thanks alot , iam very proud of it and worked hard to get as similar to where they are from, give or take a few human ideas in the mix Plant wise the sword is growing huge with three-four shoots coming out a week and the anubias is even flowering.Everyone seems to get along pretty well in the giant "tea soup" i now call it.

The panduros are from Charles, i got two males and one female who is a #@##$#$#$ believe it or not (No offense to any females of the human kind here) She even flares and stands up against the discus , lots of personality in these guys.I got a soft spot for apisto's!

Luke



crazy72 said:


> I don't know how I managed to miss this thread so far...
> 
> Your setup looks stunning. Even your plants look healthy! (despite the 30 degree temp?! ). Beautiful discus. And beautiful pics.
> 
> Did you get your Panduros from Charles? How many do you have? Both males and females?


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## bonsai dave

Hey Luke the tank is looking great. I also have got a trio of Panduros in the wife's tank.I got mine from the auction in the fall. But in the discus tank I got a pair of apistogramma hongsloi they are best looking apistos to get if you can find them. I also feed mine flake foods from the uk .I find it a lot better than some of the crap you get out there. Keep up the good work


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## Luke78

Dave,

Thank you , yeah the panduros are interesting little characters.Lots of colour too once they establish themselves in your setup.Apisto hongsloi i havent had yet , and i just saw some pics from a book i got on dwarf cichlids.Must say, they may be the next to keep if i can find them.



Discus Dave said:


> Hey Luke the tank is looking great. I also have got a trio of Panduros in the wife's tank.I got mine from the auction in the fall. But in the discus tank I got a pair of apistogramma hongsloi they are best looking apistos to get if you can find them. I also feed mine flake foods from the uk .I find it a lot better than some of the crap you get out there. Keep up the good work


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## Luke78

Everyone likes photos , plus these guys seemed to pose today for a few of them so here we go again Sorry i was bored, and i borrowed that "magic marker" thats being used by my fellow "wild discus keepers" to spruce things up a bit !


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## jobber

nice looking tank. loving the amazon theme. guess your rummies are from the same school eh.


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## Luke78

Thanks jobber604, yeah half the rummies are from aprils a few yrs back and the others are from Pat.Looking to add a few more , cause the cardinal school is now down to 6.Dont know if the discus are snacking on them(not suprised if thats the case) or dying off from old age.



jobber604 said:


> nice looking tank. loving the amazon theme. guess your rummies are from the same school eh.


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## Gordo

Absolutely stunning!!! Amazing set up,fish,and pictures!!!
g-


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## Chappy

Don't know how I missed the updated pictures, but sure glad to see them this morning  Your tefes are just gorgeous - they look very healthy and very happy; just look at those eyes. 
You have some wicked skills with that magic marker of yours 
More pics, please 
Shelley


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## Luke78

Shelley,

Havent seen you around lately , thanks for the nice comments.Yeah i lost one a while back which didnt go well with me.The rest are showing come nice colour right now, and putting on some weight and size.It true what a few of you told me, it does take some time for wilds to really settle in , but when they do they look great.Hows your group doing ? post a few pictures when you get the chance , as i will too soon.



-N/A- said:


> Don't know how I missed the updated pictures, but sure glad to see them this morning  Your tefes are just gorgeous - they look very healthy and very happy; just look at those eyes.
> You have some wicked skills with that magic marker of yours
> More pics, please
> Shelley


Gordo,

Thanks for the nice comments.



Gordo said:


> Absolutely stunning!!! Amazing set up,fish,and pictures!!!
> g-


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## fan4guppy

Great Photos of your Discus! 

What type of Camera are you using?


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## Luke78

Thank you , iam using a Sony Cybershot DSC-W310 point and shoot.Iam still trying to figure the camera settings for a better photo , so bare with me.

So today i had the first spawn in this setup which was quite exciting while it lasted.I ntoiced my sterbai cories acting really strange early this morning and into the afternoon.Now i believe fish keepers when they say breeding takes place mostly early morning right before sun rise.Two females actually shattered eggs everywhere , and watched as the two pairs did their thing.Most eggs became lunch for the tetras and the discus , so i doubt i will see any offspring.



fan4guppy said:


> Great Photos of your Discus!
> 
> What type of Camera are you using?


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## Luke78

First the sterbai cories were breeding , now i have my apistogrammas(panduros) going it but still no babies and i doubt iam gonna see anything with everyone else hovering all over the aquarium.Never seen such bright and deep colours come outta these fish, they look great ! I will try to post some pics for eveyone to see.


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## crazy72

Luke78 said:


> First the sterbai cories were breeding , now i have my apistogrammas(panduros) going it but still no babies and i doubt iam gonna see anything with everyone else hovering all over the aquarium.Never seen such bright and deep colours come outta these fish, they look great ! I will try to post some pics for eveyone to see.


Yes, pics please!


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## adanac50

Great setup Luke...dreaming of a Discus tank now..thanks a lot!


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## Luke78

Adanac50,

Thanks , yeah thats what the idea was all about ! Actually some other member on this forum sent a pic of a similar layout to me a while back, and from that came this.So its my turn pass it on to all here



adanac50 said:


> Great setup Luke...dreaming of a Discus tank now..thanks a lot!


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## Luke78

Crazy72,

As requested i took some photos last night, flash got in the way but a few came out ok i guess , you be the judgeEnjoy , they have been flaring all day today and trying to setup in one of the pleco caves!



crazy72 said:


> Yes, pics please!


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## rickwaines

super beautiful fish luke
and the tank is a real looker as they say.
again, fantastic to meet you.


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## Luke78

Rick,

Thanks , yeah ive grown attached to the discus quite alot.

As for updates to this setup, my school of cardinals has down sized to three.Looks like the truth of discus snacking on them has come true.My rummynose school is alright so far.Ive also passed on one of my apistogramma panduro to rick.He was giving my other male a hard time and driving the cories crazy.The two plecos are alright as well , eating lots.



rickwaines said:


> super beautiful fish luke
> and the tank is a real looker as they say.
> again, fantastic to meet you.


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## Luke78

Well i thought it would be time to update this thread with some news and photos.The majority of the stock is still there but ive added a few new fish,catfish,and pleco.Ive encountered several losses , and done an equipment change.

New stock:

-40 odd Bloodfin tetras
-2 zebra otos
-1 L201 pleco

My school of cardinals is now down to 3,the largest of the group are the surviors.Didnt believe the others here when they told me sooner or later they will become a meal for them(Discus), i guess they were right and i cant beat mother nature either.Rummynose school is now sitting at 10,iam guessing the above mentioned also applied here as well:My female apistogramma panduro passed on a few weeks ago leaving her male partner behind.Unknown condition,water perimeters are where they should be.10 cory melini and 5 sterbai cory are doing well.Sterbai are breeding the last few weeks straight,but nothing comes of it!Ive seen the eggs being eaten by all.Last but not least, my wild Tefe Discus are growing and putting on weight so iam happy about that.Now with some pics, will try to take more but these guys dont sit still or like to pose


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## Luke78

Heres a few more i took , enjoy


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## josephl

Looking good Luke. Thanks for the pics and congrats on the zebras


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## crazy72

Nice pics, and gorgeous tank. Sorry to hear about your female Panduro. I don't think that Apistos are known to have the longest life time, unfortunately. Are you going to look for another female for Mr Panduro?


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## Luke78

Thanks crazy72, yeah poor guy is just swimming back and forth.Yeah most apistogramma lifespans sit around 2-3yrs which aint long and is the only negative to keeping these guys.Theres a few out there that live longer,but are rarely seen around here unless brought in.Oh for sure would love to get another female,just surprised she went that quickly.



crazy72 said:


> Nice pics, and gorgeous tank. Sorry to hear about your female Panduro. I don't think that Apistos are known to have the longest life time, unfortunately. Are you going to look for another female for Mr Panduro?


Thanks Josephl , your welcome.Yeah the zebras are an awsome addition.



josephl said:


> Looking good Luke. Thanks for the pics and congrats on the zebras


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## Luke78

Well its been a few months,so i decided to update this thread.Just a few new pleco additions,more bloodfins tetras, and to my surprise several sterbai cory whom survived birth and are thriving in this setup.Didnt expect to see any surviors but it happened and all of them are growing.I dont know if i will be adding any more updates after these,cause a new setup is in the works and everyone will most likely be transfered over.Enjoy the last pics Sorry some are not great photos!


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## 2wheelsx2

Your Tefes look fantastic Luke. Looks like some of your plecos are picking on your swordplants though.


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## Luke78

Thanks Gary, yeah i stopped adding ferts and excel plus these guys slowly shredded tp pieces so i gave up.


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## 2wheelsx2

That's cool. Plants are secondary in discus setups anyway. Mine get chewed up pretty bad too and I have some BBA on some. I tried 2 different types of crypts and the plecos and BBA destroyed them all. Now that I have the light raised, I hope to lick the BBA problem, but I can't stop the decimation from my plecos though. Gotta get them more leafy veggies I guess (Hypans and Peckotia, no BNP or panaque).


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## Luke78

I agree plants take a back seat compared to the rest of the stock.Sorry to hear about the BBA problem,just when you think you find some sort of balance you get hit with something like this.Hope everything gets worked out.I tell you i dont miss the whole planted route,dont get me wrong i enjoyed my own and others whom posted/have here but something always needed tweeking.Ive caught everyone taking a shot at the sword.Otos,cories,BNP and the rest of the pleco crew.Most of my guys are Hypans and Peckotia and the whole veggie thing has been tough going.They eat everything else i put in,but not a touch of the veggies.Gonna keep trying and see if they bite soon



2wheelsx2 said:


> That's cool. Plants are secondary in discus setups anyway. Mine get chewed up pretty bad too and I have some BBA on some. I tried 2 different types of crypts and the plecos and BBA destroyed them all. Now that I have the light raised, I hope to lick the BBA problem, but I can't stop the decimation from my plecos though. Gotta get them more leafy veggies I guess (Hypans and Peckotia, no BNP or panaque).


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## 2wheelsx2

Luke78 said:


> Most of my guys are Hypans and Peckotia and the whole veggie thing has been tough going.They eat everything else i put in,but not a touch of the veggies.Gonna keep trying and see if they bite soon


Have you tried zucchini? I don't have single pleco that won't eat that. The other thing is thawed shelled frozen peas. Everything including my cichlids eat that that. I've even caught a Tefe mouthing it.


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## Luke78

Yeah i actually tried zucchini the first time, and just few nibbles were taken as i noticed the surface on the veggie was uneven.Iam not giving up and will actually try it tonight along with some cucumber.Tefe having a meal too eh? wow what a surprise!



2wheelsx2 said:


> Have you tried zucchini? I don't have single pleco that won't eat that. The other thing is thawed shelled frozen peas. Everything including my cichlids eat that that. I've even caught a Tefe mouthing it.


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## seanyuki

Nice job Luke.....your discus are looking good plus yr tank deco is awesome.


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## Luke78

Thanks Francis, they have put on some weight and size.Pretty happy they have taken to the flakes i give them as well.



seanyuki said:


> Nice job Luke.....your discus are looking good plus yr tank deco is awesome.


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## jobber

Great inspiring tank with lots of pictures. Thanks again.

Sent from my mobile phone


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## Luke78

Wow, opened up the vault here I forgot about this post completely.Yeah was a decent setup, glad it inspired you to start yours.Hope everyone in there is settling in for you.Maybe down the road i might jump back into wilds again no doubt,but nothing on this scale for the near future.Funds are being taken up by another hobby i got going.


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