To do or not to do? 11/09/08
My 53 gallon tank 3 feet long by 15 inches wide by 20 inches high, has a layer of river sand, an overturned clay pot and some plastic plants, in our basement and I figured on researching fish to put into it, during the long MN winter which is coming, then in spring I was going to cycle it after I fill it and get the filter and heater running. I was wondering if a lone blood parrot cichlid better or a lone pair of discus.
<I can't bear Blood Parrot cichlids, in part because they're deformed animals prone to swim bladder and other complications. I'd encourage you to cast your net a bit wider: Mother Nature has had 50+ million years to come up with a couple thousand wonderful cichlids, many of which are far nicer than these deliberately deformed, garishly colour man-made freaks. Red-neck Severums (Heros sp. "rotkeil") for example are similar in size and temperament, but much more subtly coloured combining bright colours with interesting patterns. Then there's the wonderful Cichlasoma salvini, a much under-appreciated predatory cichlid from Central America. Good quality stock a canary yellow with red and black markings: unbelievably handsome! And then there are the Jewel cichlids such as the amazing Hemichromis lifalili: bright red, covered with brilliant blue spots. Then there's Para tilapia polleni... Etroplus canarensis... Pelvicachromis subocellatus... the list goes on. Hmm... personal bias slipping out there I suspect, but my point is why confine your choices to a uniformly coloured, disease-prone hybrid when there are so many better alternatives? Sure, you might need to spend some time tracking them down, but since you're not in a rush, get your dealer to order them in (something any decent store can do).>
Do discus do well as pairs, and how big will they get in a 53?
<Discus are best in groups of 6+; in small groups there's no guarantee you'll get compatible fish, and much bullying can occur. Unquestionably the magic number is "six".>
I know the Blood parrot might get 10, How big would the discus get, would they spawn? How often do you have to change water with discus/or blood parrots?
<This is all pretty basic stuff. I suggest you do some reading. If you're even halfway interested in Symphysodon sp., then you MUST do some research.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/discusfish.htm
Discus aren't "easy" by any definition, hence their mystique. If you're asking me questions about water changes, then you're not (yet, at least) prepared to keep them. For what it's worth, experienced Discus keepers tend to go down the "little but often" road to water changes, in part to avoid pH instability because of the low hardness (particularly carbonate hardness) required for Discus. Doing 10-20% water changes DAILY is not out of line where wild-caught Discus are concerned. Less can work with captive-bred stock, but we're still talking generous water changes using low-nitrate, low-hardness water (likely from an RO filter).>
I know discus don't like light much and it is in a basement.
<They aren't all that fussed provided the tank is shaded with floating plants. An authentic habitat would be no plants, lots of bogwood, dark substrate, and peaty water. But realistically, tank-bred fish are just fine in shady planted aquaria.>
I have heard carbon is bad for discus, is it bad for blood parrots also?
<The relationship between Carbon and Hole-in-the-Head is very likely rubbish, with the protozoan Hexamita and/or vitamin deficiencies likely the keys to the problem. Carbon serves very specific roles in freshwater tanks, and by default, I recommend against using it simply because it's a waste of money and a waste of space in the filter.>
what filter would you recommend for the parrot, if I go that route or if I go discus. most power filters, (I used tetra,) have carbon in them
<Canister filters are what you need with cichlids: forget those crummy
hang-on-the-back filters because they just don't have the "punch" to keep cichlid tanks silt-free and the water quality high. For example, the inlet and outlet pipes are close together, limiting circulation. They are designed to use filter "modules" created, I guess, to make them easy to service but also limiting your options in terms of filter media.>
Are discus easy to keep or would a blood parrot be better, more hardy?
<Both species need very specific (and different) water conditions. If you provide those conditions, tank-bred Discus are not difficult to maintain if you're an experienced aquarist who's already kept and bred semi-delicate cichlids, such as Tanganyikans or South American dwarfs. Blood Parrots are essentially hard water fish than need a basic pH; in soft water they are prone to disease.>
I'm kinda new to cichlids and I don't want to replay the Oscar experience, over again ( too many fish, started with 3 in a 55, big mistake but back then I didn't know how monstrous Oscar can get, they outgrow tank, resulting in the end one surviving giant 15+ inch fish later, who died of HITH in a 125 gallon a few years ago. ( the other surviving Oscar lived awhile in the old 55 before dying as well from HITH/ the fish downstairs lived longer / the smaller weaker fish I left alone in the tank, while moving the larger fish to the 125, Anyway that was the past, I want to start fresh
Do discus get HITH as easily as Oscars do?/What about blood parrots?
<All cichlids, REPEAT, all cichlids are prone to Hole-in-the-Head when kept in poor conditions and fed the wrong diet. Nitrate is almost certainly the most common triggering factor, and if your nitrate is above 20 mg/l, it doesn't matter whether you're keeping Discus or Kribensis, Hole-in-the-Head is on the cards! Diet is another issue, with the majority of cichlids being herbivores to some degree, even Oscars, and without plants in their diet vitamin deficiency is possible and that reduced immune system effectiveness. Since Hole-in-the-Head is very likely caused by Hexamita, which most (all?) cichlids carry in their guts, your job is to ensure the
immune system isn't stressed by poor water quality or the wrong diet.>
Also how can you log on and become a member, I see people writing and getting feedback on your site, but I've looked around and cannot see how to do the same.
<Are you talking about the Forum?
http://bb.wetwebmedia.com/
Instructions are given on the Register page.>
Thank you so much. Alex
<Good luck, Neale.>

Re: To do or not to do? (Symphysodon; Blood Parrots; maintenance, selection) 11/09/08
What about one green terror- will one of those do okay in the tank I have mentioned? Green Terrors look beautiful IMO.
<Aequidens rivulatus, the Green Terror. Lovely fish. The "Gold Saum" variety is especially nice. Very territorial and aggressive, so choose tankmates (if any) with care. Many aquarists have bought this fish by accident, thinking it a Blue Acara (Aequidens pulcher), only to watch it hammer the other fish in the tank. Do try and track down any one of the many good cichlid books out there before spending any money. Cichlid maintenance is an art form, and the more you've read beforehand, the easier things will be. WWM authors have suggested some of their favorite books here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bookswwmsugg.htm
Cheers, Neale.>

Re: To do or not to do? (Symphysodon; Blood Parrots; maintenance, selection) 11/09/08
Would it outgrow the tank? - Tank is 3 feet long 15 inches wide and 20 inches high.
<Is this about Aequidens rivulatus? It's a big fish. Anything much below 200 litres will be inadequate, and as soon as you start adding additional specimens/species to the equation, space becomes even more important.
Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Aequidens rivulatus (was: To do or not to do?) 11/09/08
How many gallons, is 200 litres?
<I'm sure you can get the litre/gallon conversion on Google! You don't need
WWM for this! Cheers, Neale.>