This is a portion of the saga relating my attempts to breed a pair of Turquoise Discus Fish in my 55-gallon home aquarium.. I had been raising fish ever since I was a kid but never thought I would have any success with Discus Fish so I didn't try. In the end, it didn't really work out but the attempt came pretty close and the Discus Fish were certainly trying. Hopefully some of it will be useful to you when you try to breed them. Even if you don't raise Discus Fish, you may find the dialog amusing.

One of the most elegant things I have ever seen is the parental behavior of Discus fish. You'll find a description of it in the log but it's worth saying up-front that one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen is all the young Discus fish swimming closely by one parent. When it is time to trade parents, one will swim by the other Discus fish parent and then quickly swim away. The young will be surprised for a moment and will immediately swim to the closest parent. It's truly charming to watch and it's something I'll never forget.

Here's a little background on the cast of characters:

Janitor

This is me. In the early days, mainframe systems programmers were gods. I took this screen-name as I thought it would make me more accessible to people.

Bigfoot

He was the first of the baby Discus fish who reached an appreciable size.

Wilson and Aretha

They were the breeding pair of Turquoise Discus fish. We just thought it would be cute to name them after Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin.

Blues Brothers

This was the generation of baby Discus fish that did the best.

---

JANITOR     21:42:33 / 26 JUN 88

As the Discus world turns -

It's been lo these many days since Bigfoot was last sighted and it seems that, as has been recently suggested, he's moved on to the Great Aquarium the Sky. It had been reported in the literature that Discus Fish engage in funeral behavior which is almost as elaborate as that of birthing, but I have seen no evidence of such behavior. This means one of two things: Either Bigfoot is dead and there is no need for a funeral, or he has expired but the Discus Fish have risen above the need for such pagan rites.

One of the Discus Fish was heard humming the song, "Don't Bury your Dead", but it was not clear if it was empathizing with the lyrics or merely liked the song.

Don't bury your dead.

Just throw them by the road.

Put pennies on their eyes.

Da de dum de da de dum...

JANITOR     22:00:26 / 26 JUN 88

I mean to use this box to keep a log of Discus Fish behavior. I had been doing it by hand but lost track and the notes are now worthless to me. Since SUGGEST will automatically time-stamp my entries, this may prove to be a more effective way to do it. You are quite welcome to observe and make comments but I regularly flush the box to ensure the continuity of the log.

JANITOR     22:35:08 / 26 JUN 88

Spawn #10 -

The eggs were first noticed at 9:00 p.m., so the pair are still right on their regular schedule of spawning on alternate Sundays. As usual, there are over one hundred eggs and the parents are diligently guarding them. After Spawn #9, the male was removed to the other side of the tank divider as soon as spawning had completed. This turned out to be a colossal mistake since the female soon became more concerned with the absence of her mate than she was with the eggs and the entire spawn was lost.

Given the experience of previous spawns, we know that separating the male from the brood after the eggs hatch is also a mistake. The female gets flustered by the activity and will then eat all of the wigglers. It appears that the only time which is even marginally safe for removal of the male is right the wigglers become free-swimming.

So, that's the plan. Onward with Spawn #10...

Miscellaneous notes: Temperature is higher than 86 degrees; probably somewhere around 88/89. I have not tested the pH since it's usually stable at a mild acid level. Tap water with a dechlorinator is used to replenish the tank but water changes are rarely performed. I've never changed more than 20% of the water at any one time. The hardness of the water is not known but I have thought that it is not important. The fishes are fed frozen brine shrimp or bloodworms which have been rinsed with fresh water.

JANITOR     07:24:04 / 27 JUN 88

It looks like this is the last go-round for the Discus Fish experiment. The male has some type of fungus on him and it's extensive enough that it could be Hole-in-the-Head disease (infection by protozoan Spironucleus/Hexamita). There is a treatment, but I'm not sure how to obtain the appropriate medication (Metronidazole).

OBSERVER  07:31:31 / 27 JUN 88  

ok, i would never scream discrimination, but where is my suggest box for dog kelly ?????

JANITOR     09:38:23 / 27 JUN 88

Observer: As soon as your dog Kelly learns to write assembler code, he will be quite welcome to his own box!

ECTEACH     10:41:55 / 27 JUN 88

 Janitor: You mean your Discus Fish fish can code in assembler!  No wonder you have been trying to spawn them. Just think, a programming staff that works well when temperatures are in the upper 80's. They would fit in in well at CSB. They also work for Brine shrimp or bloodworms. At last a solution to the Software Crisis!

FISHTORY  15:04:26 / 27 JUN 88

What! Where is our afternoon report (early edition) for As the Discus Fish world turns......?

JANITOR     15:23:56 / 27 JUN 88

Fishtory: Hey, bud, this Hexamita business isn't real funny - I'm dead (uh oh, there's that word again) serious that this disease could easily kill everything in the tank. I'm going to try to get some of this magic antibiotic from a vet (? any better ideas??) after work. According to Wattley, the stuff should do the trick, although I suspect that it must be fairly well advanced in the male. As I understand this stuff, by the time it appears at the 'skin' level the disease has already done quite a bit of damage. At the risk of being overly graphic, the bugs work their havoc within the body and then chew their way to the surface.

The worst case situation is that I will lose three years of 'work'. Would I quit at that point?  Nope, no way...

I'd strip the tank, sterilize it, find me another half dozen baby ones and start over. The benefit to you is that it would be at least a year before you would hear any more fish stories.

JANITOR     21:15:41 / 27 JUN 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

The area on Wilson's head which appeared to be infected this morning now appears to be more of an abrasion. There is a raw area which looks as if he might have hit something and peeled off a section of scales. While it is a relief to see that it probably is not the dreaded Hole-in-the-Head disease, the chance of infection due to the exposed area is still a risk.

Meanwhile, there is a good sign in the number of eggs which have fallen victim to fungus - Less than half a dozen of them have been lost... Experience has been that the pace of infection increases as this phase wears on. If less than twenty percent are lost, it will be considered a victory.

Aretha has turned a deep purple color. I don't think she has ever reacted so strongly to the situation. She's turned dark before, but never like this. She's also quite defensive of the eggs. When she notices movement, she moves out to block the intruder while Wilson hangs by the eggs. The difference in behavior for both of them is remarkably changed since the spawning in which they were separated. Obviously, the pair-bonding runs considerably deeper than your basic Friday-night shuffle...

JANITOR     07:51:52 / 28 JUN 88

I must apologize for sounding the alarm regarding Wilson's health. It looks very much like he must have run into something and cut himself. As I've said before, Discus Fish are total wimps and sometimes the slightest motion around them will panic them. A Discus Fish in panic will go as fast as it possibly can in whatever direction it's currently pointing. Anyway, the abrasion on his head seems somewhat improved this morning - Doesn't look like much cause for alarm at all.

OBSERVER  09:34:29 / 28 JUN 88

as my kelly barks.......

the other day kelly was scratching her ear constantly. i did not want to take her to the vet ($55.00 or so) so the little woman put some salve on it and it cleared up the scabs within one day. No more scratching.

i guarantee you would like kelly. she does not bark outside all day like some dogs i have heard about. she is very lovable. when you come home night from a long day's work, she jumps all over you like marmaduke.

to catlover/alex:

when are we going to hear some of your heart-warming stories??

JANITOR     07:48:06 / 29 JUN 88

The eggs are almost entirely gone. I don't have any explanation for their current behavior. They used to be pretty good at this stuff.

UMAN       08:29:29 / 29 JUN 88

Janitor:  Hold down the number of independent variables: the only thing different is the Discus Fish box.

(Just kidding...)

JANITOR     12:08:12 / 29 JUN 88

uMan:  Actually, I have tried to be as 'scientific' about this as possible and have tried to keep the changes in independent variables as tightly controlled as possible. It occurs to me that there's some reason to believe that the behavior of the fishes could reasonably be expected to change due to the fact of the experimentation...

JANITOR     05:54:52 / 30 JUN 88

By yesterday afternoon, all of the eggs had been eaten. It may just be a matter of leaving the fishes to get used to the environment again.

There is some good news this morning though... Yep, ol' Bigfoot was sighted again! I don't know how the little tyke has managed to hide himself so but reports of his death are clearly exaggerated.

OBSERVER  08:11:17 / 30 JUN 88  

i thought bigfoot was over there in tibet somewhere!! you mean he was sighted in our area too!!!!

as my kelly barks.........

her ear infection is better now. when we give her her medicine in her ear she demands (barks) for her whole slice of cheese. is this mutt spoiled or not ????

METHINKS  08:39:46 / 30 JUN 88

!      H    H    OOO     OOO    RRRR        A       Y   Y

!      H    H  O   O   O    O  R   R      A A       Y Y

!      HHHHH    O  O   O   O    RRRR      AAAAA       Y

!      H    H   O    O  O   O   R R     A     A      Y

!      H    H    OOO     OOO    R    R  A       A     Y

!

!FFFFF    OOO    RRRR

!F       O    O  R   R

!FFFF    O   O   RRRR

!F       O    O   R R

!F        OOO    R R

!

!BBBB    IIIII    GGGG   FFFFF     OOO     OOO    TTTTT     !!!

!B  B     I     G       F       O   O    O   O     T      !!!

!BBBB      I     G GG     FFFF    O   O   O    O     T      !!!

!B  B     I     G   G    F       O    O   O   O     T      !!!

!BBBB    IIIII    GGG    F        OOO     OOO      T     ***

!

!

!

JANITOR     11:10:48 / 30 JUN 88

Methinks:  Bigfoot says, "Thanks!"

JANITOR     04:46:38 / 01 JUL 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

I'd give you one of those whizbang Discus Fish reports, but, hey, it's too dark see what those puppies are doing. I guess we'll have to wait a little while.

Back to you, Jane.  How's the weather in Milwaukee this morning?

COBWEB     08:29:16 / 01 JUL 88

People who have the most birthdays live the longest

         Cobweb

COBWEB     08:30:17 / 01 JUL 88

 oops!!!! wrong box

JANITOR     10:31:30 / 01 JUL 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

I still can't see 'em, but that probably has something to do with the fact that the Moon Room is about twenty miles from here...

Anyway, to bring you up to date on Wilson's injury - I'm really amazed at the powers of recuperation this little guy is showing. In terms of relative injury, ripping off your forehead would be roughly equivalent. However, he looks almost as if there had been no damage at all. The speed of the recovery and the fact that no infection took hold allays my fears regarding the health of the tank.

I neglected to mention one variable in the previous spawn. There was a thought that some breeders use a nightlight in the Discus Fish area because of their crepuscular nature. The theory being that the Discus Fish would be happier with a little light rather than none at all. This variable will be eliminated as soon as Wilson & Aretha go for the gusto again.

JANITOR     10:32:42 / 01 JUL 88

Observer:  Wilson said he could whoop your wimpy dog any day of the week

OBSERVER  13:29:12 / 01 JUL 88

janitor:

probably could. kelly is all bark and no bite (er byte).

JANITOR     13:30:47 / 01 JUL 88

Observer:  So how well will that bark carry underwater anyway??

JANITOR    04:56:28 / 03 JUL 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

Spawn #11...  Eggs were noticed around 10:00 last night. This time around I will dispense with the night light and that should leave the environment as much as it was during more successful campaigns.

I don't know if the fish will do this indefinitely or what... I've seen no mention of such things in the minimal literature on the subject.

JANITOR     10:19:51 / 05 JUL 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

Spawn #11 is proceeding nominally (it's OK to use Cape Canaveral talk again now that the shuttle is back on the launchpad). The eggs hatched some time during the night and the mother is doing her maternal best with them. Perhaps something so simple as a night light does in fact have a bearing on her behavior. We'll know in a couple of days...

Bigfoot didn't make it. I couldn't get him to eat and yesterday he gave up the ghost. He's, by far, the longest-living survivor...  Assuming success with the current spawn, I have two weeks (or so) to figure out some way to feed the little critters once they're separated from Aretha.

NOREPORT  09:38:01 / 06 JUL 88  

 report:

       ??????????????????????????????????

JANITOR     10:36:02 / 06 JUL 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

The wigglers should become swimmers either this evening or late tonight. The key issue remains one of when to remove the male.  It appears that the correct moment is right around the time that the juniors take 'fin'... I will be keeping a close watch on them this evening so that the male can be migrated as soon as possible after that time.  We have proven conclusively that moving him prior to that moment will just induce the female to abandon them.

There is one variable which concerns me. When this all started, the air conditioning in the house was broken and the room often hit 90+ degrees. I don't like A.C. and try to use it as little as possible, but there was nothing else for it yesterday. If there is a sudden change in behavior, it will be a pretty solid indication that the fish don't like the lower temperature in the tank. The heaters will keep the water at about 88/89, but there's nothing to cool the tank down when the room temperature rises above that value.

UMAN       11:30:26 / 06 JUL 88

Janitor:  I won't say I've joined your ranks, but my older daughter had been keeping a frog hidden in her room for several days this past week before we found out about it. She had gotten it from a friend at camp who has a brook behind her house, and my daughter had been keeping it in a large plastic cup with another one partially on top to keep "Grasshopper" from jumping out (which he had, apparently, several times, hence his name).  She had been feeding it goldfish food. Well, Grasshopper is now ensconsed in our old goldfish bowl, with a pebble and shell "reef," and  some yummy guppies to eat (or gummy yuppies...). This is the kids' first experience with pets which eat live food while-u-wait, so it should be interesting. Now, when I complain that I live in a zoo... (Frog/guppies, dog, 2 cats, wife and 2 kids (I know it's only 2 kids, but it seems more...))

JANITOR     12:12:33 / 06 JUL 88

uMan:  Hmmm... Family pets over the years...

Guinea pigs, hamsters, various snakes, parrots, squirrel monkey, cats, tropical fish, newts, etc., etc., etc. There six kids in the crew and we brought home *ALL* kinds of things! All in all, I'd say the pet which was the most fun had to be the squirrel monkey. It's pretty tough to keep them healthy though..

JANITOR     07:27:04 / 07 JUL 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

I had expected the wigglers to be up and around this morning, but they're still huddled tightly together and Mom is hanging right by them. Dad has a keen appetite for brine shrimp and will no longer accept flake food at all This is a fairly clear indication of the immediacy of the need for his removal after the juniors start swimming.

OBSERVER  08:29:54 / 07 JUL 88

to janitor the fisherder:

 i would say that you have serious problem on your hand. better call in the republicans for proper planning and expertise!!!!

JANITOR     17:28:33 / 07 JUL 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

The plan was to remove the male as soon as the wigglers started swimming on their own. The plan has been, er, executed and everything looks pretty good. There are far too many juniors to count and there are yet more who have not yet started swimming. I had worried that the female might go berserk if I removed the male during this sensitive period, but she seems relatively calm. Might be the real thing this time...

Irony doesn't go half far enough, but I've finally got my brine shrimp hatching technique down pretty well. If I could only have pulled it off a few days earlier, I probably could have saved Bigfoot.  Oh well, his loss is the next generation's gain and, with any luck at all, another Bigfoot will take his place.

JANITOR     07:31:42 / 08 JUL 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

The female has nailed every single one of the juniors.

KNITTER     08:25:00 / 08 JUL 88

Janitor:  I'm sorry to hear that you lost this last batch. That female seems a little flaky.

COBWEB     08:38:54 / 08 JUL 88

My condolences

              .

METHINKS  15:57:06 / 08 JUL 88

 Janitor:  So sorry about your latest Discus Fish spawn!!!  I was hoping for a successor to "Bigfoot."  Do you think that the male could have hurt himself so much that he in effect suffered major (for a fish) brain damage. Thereby upsetting the female so much as to set her off to do what she did? Get my drift?

           While I'm writing to you, Thanks for the "BOMBSQUAD" disk.

           It'll be checked out this weekend! Thanks again!!!

JANITOR     22:01:05 / 08 JUL 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

Yep, it's another Discus Fish fiasco... I've moved the male back with the female so we can do it again. For those who have been keeping score, this operation has been going on for better than twenty-two weeks.

As we've seen, the key to this business is the timing of the removal of the male. The distress they seem to feel at their separation is charming in a way, but it does tend to inhibit high-volume Discus Fish farming. (At this point, high-volume is defined as the survival of a single junior)  I've tried separating them immediately after the eggs have been fertilized, immediately after the eggs have hatched and immediately after the wigglers start swimming. All with the same effect... The only time at which there has been any slightest modicum of success was several days after the wigglers started swimming. The trouble with this approach is that the male has ample time to consume as many as he likes in those several days.

So it goes...

NOREPORT  13:45:22 / 11 JUL 88

???-??-????         did every fish die or what ??????????

JANITOR     14:04:39 / 11 JUL 88

Noreport:  Wilson said he wasn't going to do it again. He asked me how I would like it if every time I had sex, a big net came out of ceiling, chased me around the bedroom, caught me and then lifted me into the bathroom. Yes, all the juniors were munched last week.  If you'll check Discus Fish Log Star Date Friday, you'll see the record of their demise. Mebbe it was Thursday - In any case, they're munched...

OBSERVER  07:41:20 / 12 JUL 88

will you stop fooling around with wilson's sex life and let that poor fish be free to do what ever he wants to !!!!!

JANITOR     07:43:03 / 12 JUL 88

Wilson wants to make babies and then he wants to eat them... It's tough to program for this mindset...

UMAN       10:36:34 / 12 JUL 88

Janitor:  Heinlein, through his character Lazarus Long, said "A cat who eats her kittens exhibits contra-survival behavior, no matter how long the mother cat lives."

JANITOR     14:00:13 / 13 JUL 88

And I bet you were sitting there wondering, "How the hell are the Janitor's Discus Fish doing..."

Well, I'll tell you how they're doing. Yep, it's Spawn #12... I guess the eggs were laid last night - Haven't had much time for messing around with such things and didn't notice until a few minutes ago.

So, I've tried separating the male at various critical stages in the process and we've met with the same result every time. It seems clear that there is nothing else for it but to delay removing him until well after the juniors are free-swimming. This will cost some of the little fellers their lives, but the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

Here we go again...

OBSERVER  14:36:13 / 13 JUL 88

yes, you were right. i have checked this box 35 times today, and was up every time.

 i just got a call from the s.p.c.a. again and they want to know who is killing all these baby Discus Fish over here. (or Discus Fishes or disci, right ??)

it is a whole lot easier to raise puppies.   by the way, that cat of yours, is it still alive ?????

JANITOR    15:27:56 / 13 JUL 88

The cat is still hanging in there...puking on things and bumping into walls. She still doesn't seem to be in any physical pain, so I'll wait until the time is right.

The plural of "Discus Fish" is "Discus Fish" - Clever, huh?

OBSERVER  15:46:00 / 15 JUL 88

to fish herder:

did they die?????

 did i miss their funeral ?????

JANITOR     15:50:23 / 15 JUL 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

We've been down this road before and there aren't any new twists in it so far. The wigglers are cheerfully wiggling and Mom is standing dutifully by. Dad is still pretty bummed about having been moved around so he runs whenever I go anywhere near the tank.

So far, so good...

JANITOR     08:03:47 / 18 JUL 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

There are a whole mess of wigglers who are just about to start swimming. After this evening, they'll probably be up and around. In previous experiment, the male was removed at this point. The act of removing him rattled the female and she then ate all the juniors.  This time, the objective is to leave the male to hang around for a while before removing him. There must be some sort of bonding which takes place between the female and the juniors and the fish just can't be disturbed prior to that point.

OBSERVER  10:16:32 / 18 JUL 88

good luck with this experiment. i always say,  "do it right"!!!!!!

JANITOR     16:05:55 / 18 JUL 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

We talkin' many, many juniors this time... I'd say somewhere between fifty and a hundred. Dunno how many will survive until morning if I leave ol' Dad swimming around with 'em though...

MELLOW     16:58:30 / 18 JUL 88

JANITOR: Sorry to hear that Bigfoot got munched. But glad to hear Aretha hasn't gotten discouraged. Sounds like the current spawn is the largest yet. That ought to increase the odds of at least one of them making it, huh? Is there such a thing as a muzzle for a papa Discus Fish?

JANITOR     21:38:41 / 18 JUL 88

Mellow:  Yep, Bigfoot was only with us for a few short days and yet became a symbol of the ever-increasing pace with which we're plunging into an age of technological chaos and moral disintegration. You might say that he was just a fish; yes, but what a fish.  Bigfoot did not ask how just one fish was to combat the injustice in the world. Bigfoot did not even ask why he was the chosen one.  No, Bigfoot knew his mission and stood steadfastly by it until he met his final reward.

JANITOR     06:59:52 / 19 JUL 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

I'm getting more than a little tired of this CATCH-22 business - If I leave the male with the juniors, he eats 'em. If I remove him, it rattles the female and she eats 'em. During the night, the male ate an enormous number of juniors and it's difficult to determine the number which remain. If there are more than a dozen, I'd be surprised.

The male has again been removed. Perhaps the female will take care of the juniors; perhaps she will eat them...  I'm getting to the point of losing any interest in whatever she decides to do with them.

There were at least a hundred of them last night...

OBSERVER  07:22:35 / 19 JUL 88

when the good lord created the Discus Fish fish, maybe he forgot to do something

JANITOR     08:36:11 / 19 JUL 88

Observer:  I can only speculate as to the means by which these fishes survive in the wild. After observing their behavior in the tank, it amazes me that they didn't meet with extinction long ago

DEE        09:30:02 / 19 JUL 88

janitor:       i have been watching and wandering if your lab findings      are because of a small flaw in your procedure.(you may      have already tried to do this) try putting some floating     greens in the top of the tank to give the juniors      someplace to hide from their parents. the greens may give      them a chance to live. the greens would enable the junior      keep out of sight 'til their parents work things out.

JANITOR     09:42:53 / 19 JUL 88

Dee:  Thanks for the tip, but it won't work.  Discus Fish have a highly involved reproductive ritual and any slightest disturbance upsets the whole apple cart.

QUESTION  12:56:16 / 19 JUL 88

Pardon my naivete, but why can't you just remove the juniors to another tank?

JANITOR     16:52:49 / 19 JUL 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

This is a happy Janitor reporting to you that many more of the juniors survived than I had originally thought. They must have had enough sense to scatter when the male started munching them and there may be as many as fifty of them still alive!

Yep, you only thought you were bored with Discus Fish stories - Looks like the saga is only just beginning!!!

JANITOR     07:06:15 / 20 JUL 88

Dee:  Here's the Janitorial overview of Discus Fish processing -

      1) After three years of trying, I finally found myself a breeding pair and the tank conditions which would induce them to go for it.

      2) The Discus Fish mate by laying eggs which adhere to the surface on which they've been placed.

      3) After fertilization, both parents stand guard over the eggs and direct a constant flow of water over them.

      4) Three days later, the eggs hatch and the babies enter the 'wiggler' phase. The babies cannot move anything but their tails and are kept in a tight cluster by the parents. It is not uncommon for the mother to move the cluster around the tank for greater security.

      5) Three days after that, the babies become free-swimming juniors. They will stay within a few centimeters of the mother at all times since they feed from a secretion on her 'skin'.

The critical point here is that the juniors can live on food substances other than that which is provided by the mother, but it is *EXTREMELY* difficult to 'synthesize' the stuff. Unless I became a full-time Discus Fish farmer, it will be impossible to support them in this way.

(Apologies of the 'manual' style of this entry. I think I'm developing severe case of documentation-itis... On the human side, the interplay and maternalism of these 'dumb animals' is wonderful to behold and I really don't want to interrupt it even if it does provide for a greater 'yield' of juniors. It's difficult to describe, but the elegance of the mother as she cruises around the tank with anywhere up to a hundred miniscule juniors swimming around her is really quite something)

DEE        08:09:02 / 20 JUL 88

janitor:

              thanx for the information !

 how have the juniors been doing, are they still hanging in there or have the parents ate them up?

              with the information you have provided for me, i'll try to look up some hints on how to help the juniors survive. some rare fish book has to have something on odd breeding habits!

           good luck!!!!

JANITOR     08:26:22 / 20 JUL 88

Dee:  Believe me, I've read everything I could find on Discus Fish husbandry. The big problem is that the wife doesn't understand why it's necessary for me to convert the garage into a gigantic aquarium area. I know it's unreasonable of her and I hope to swing her to my way of thinking one of these days. I mean, like why even have a garage if you can't fill t full of fish tanks???

The juniors seem to be doing quite nicely. The trouble with morning observations is that the juniors scatter all over the tank during night and it's difficult to estimate their numbers. There were at least forty of 'em still hanging in there though. This is definitely the best performance so far. (Yep, even better than the Bigfoot Generation)

P.S. If you haven't heard about the Bigfoot Generation, you're lucky. It was a black day when Bigfoot bit the dust...

OBSERVER  08:39:39 / 20 JUL 88

to janitor:

  what!!! you can't build that big aquarium in your garage. where are you

   going to put your new car???  when the democrats get in in november they are going to put a chicken in every pot and a new car in every garage

  haven't you heard this ???

JANITOR     17:54:34 / 20 JUL 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

This campaign is really looking like it's going for the gusto. It's still difficult to tell for sure, but there appear to be up to fifty juniors still hanging in there.

Facts to be logged -

The pH of the water is heavily acid - Roughly 6.2 to 6.3. The tank temperature is approximately 80 and has been much more stable than during previous spawns. The only conclusion I can draw from this is that the Discus Fish don't care half as much about water conditions as had been reported.  The other alternative is that this pair has an inordinate degree of interest in procreation...

The male is not showing any signs of recovering from the fright of the recent moves. After any movement in the room, he will immediately hide in the corner of the tank. The female is also quite reclusive.

JANITOR     04:55:06 / 21 JUL 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

Do you think we ought to wake 'em up to see what they're doing?  I mean, they have no mission in life other than amusing me, right?

Nah...better not...

JANITOR     06:53:26 / 22 JUL 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

There are still too many juniors to count. I'd estimate thirty to fifty but the number is meaningless. In a few days, I'll be starting up my brine shrimp farms in some old two-liter Pepsi bottles and that ought to just about wind this show up. Once I've got 'em feeding on something a little less weird than secretions from the mother's 'skin', then it's a cake-walk...

JANITOR     21:36:41 / 23 JUL 88

For the record - Added live baby brine shrimp to the tank today. Aretha brought the little tykes out of their corner, but they didn't seem particularly interested in leaving Mom. I suppose this is effectively the same as weaning and it may take a bit of patience before they go for it. There were plenty of shrimp, so finding them wasn't the problem.

The juniors are already much bigger than they were when they first started swimming. There are up to thirty of them hanging in there and none of them seem to be getting significantly bigger than any of the others. Their bodies are starting to change form, but they are still not in any way recognizable as Discus Fish.

JANITOR     10:53:03 / 24 JUL 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

Some new behavior... Wilson hangs around looking forlorn most of the time. He definitely doesn't like being isolated and spends most of his time trying to stare the divider out of his way. Last night, the juniors flocked to the area of the divider immediately opposite Wilson. Not just one or two...every single one of 'em. I thought to myself, "Hey, it looks like we're starting to use chemical weapons in there..."

I did a 10% water change and the juniors have been with Aretha ever since. None of them are showing any interest in Wilson at all. Since some creatures can detect pheromones in 'concentrations' of one or two parts per billion, I really don't see how a 10% change could have such a strong effect, but the facts speak for themselves...

The lights have been on in the tank until three or four in the morning most nights. I figure that when I'm working long hours, the fish can stay up too. It certainly hasn't done them any harm. There are still too many of the babies to count and they're growing like bunnies in a carrot patch...

JANITOR     08:39:38 / 26 JUL 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

I've been somewhat remiss in my Discus Fish reporting. I'm sure that many of you skipped lunch in the off chance that I might entertain you with more of their exploits, but, like a thoroughly irresponsible lout, I failed to make an appearance.

I'm happy to report that Brine Shrimp Hatchery #2 is now on-line and there has not as yet been any complaint from the E.P.A. or local environmental group. The hatcheries are state of the art and are based on the classic two-liter Pepsi bottle design. Aeration is provided through a high-technology two dollar air pump.

Aretha, Wilson and the Juniors are all doing fine. There are about thirty of the little whippers and they're growing like weeds.  Yep, it really looks like we're going for the gusto this time.

GUSTO      13:41:36 / 27 JUL 88

going for the gusto, eh? i will have one of those beers, too!

JANITOR     10:05:20 / 28 JUL 88

For the record -

The lights have been burning continuously for three days so that the juniors never have to stop feeding. All of them are growing quickly and are about one centimeter in length. There have been few losses - There are still twenty to thirty juniors in the crew and none of them are getting noticeably larger than any of the others.

OBSERVER  13:29:04 / 28 JUL 88

   you failed to mention their names!! how many female and male ???

JANITOR     17:52:57 / 28 JUL 88

Observer:  The count is holding steady at about thirty. It is extremely difficult to tell Discus Fish apart when they're adults. As juniors, it is just plain impossible.

JANITOR     13:20:26 / 29 JUL 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

While the juniors yesterday had no particular Discus Fish shape, they have certainly got it now.  It's really quite amazing that they could change so much in single night.

JUSTME     13:28:08 / 29 JUL 88

JANITOR:  SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH ALL THESE DISCII WHEN THEY START TO BULGE OUT OF THE TANK?  FISH FRY?  YARD SALE? CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR THE IN-LAWS?

JANITOR     13:43:56 / 29 JUL 88

Justme:  The wife is starting to sound like she wants to keep 'em - I'm not going to fight that since the only way to do it is to get another tank. That's all I really wanted anyway, so I'm sure we can come to some sort of accomodation on this particular matter! There is a market for 'em though. I wasn't quoted a price, but the House of Tropicals will take 'em once I get 'em up to the size of a dime. Don't know that I wouldn't mind keeping 'em though. They are very beautiful and a tank full of 'em is really quite extraordinary. At some point, I'll have to divest myself of at least a few of them or I'll have to fill the house with tanks to support them. (If thirty juniors survive, I would need at least half a dozen more tanks in order to support them as adults)

JUSTME     14:15:45 / 29 JUL 88

JANITOR:  IS "HOUSE OF TROPICALS" THE PLACE IN DELHI BEHIND THE NEW THRIFTWAY?  IF SO, AND YOU SELL SOME TO THEM, LET ME KNOW AND I'LL GO OVER AND TAKE A PEEK AT THEM. AFTER ALL THESE Discus Fish REPORTS, I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE.

JANITOR     14:32:33 / 29 JUL 88

Justme: That's the place - I'll let you know if I unload 'em there. They usually have a pretty fair collection of Discus Fish, so you could probably see some just about any time. There's a fellow in Western Hills who runs a store called "Fishy Business" and he's pretty good with Discus Fish.

Mebbe the fish store down on Colerain...

Somebody asked me if I was just making up all this stuff about Discus Fish. I know it sounds like a kid trying to earn a new bike with his paper route, but that's basically what's going on here. I could go out and buy another tank, but then it would be just like a toy...  It'll be something to me if the proceeds from the sale of baby Discus Fish pays for it. Some people bowl; I raise tropical fish... It's kind of a swishy hobby, but I like it.

JUSTME     15:16:43 / 29 JUL 88

JANITOR:  I FIND MYSELF IN DELHI AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK SO MAYBE ONE OF THESE TIMES, THE KIDDIES AND I WILL STOP IN THERE AND CHECK OUT WHAT THESE THINGS ARE SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE.  THEY LIKE TO GO TO PET STORES AND PRESS THEIR NOSES AGAINST THE FISH TANKS. THE OWNERS ARE USUALLY GLAD WHEN WE LEAVE.

JANITOR     15:43:00 / 29 JUL 88

Justme:  If pet store owners can't handle kids with their noses up against glass, they should find another business!  I'm always a little nervous about it, but kids seem to get a kick out of seeing the juniors ("Oh no, Dad. Do we have to go over to Uncle Alan's place?  He will make us look at his stupid fish again.")

JANITOR     21:22:49 / 30 JUL 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

The juniors have finally been observed eating the baby brine shrimp!  I've been putting fresh shrimp in there for several days, but had never actually seen the juniors actively seeking them out and munching them. The shrimp would disappear, but I had no way of knowing if it was simply due to them croaking because of the fresh water. No mystery now...those little guys are chowing down on 'em in a serious way!

Ever since yesterday afternoon, the juniors have shown much less reluctant to leave Mom's side.  It looks like it's almost time to cut the apron strings. Pro' breeders would have separated them a long time ago, but I don't want to risk the chance of the juniors turning to a life of crime because I interrupted their 'breast-feeding'. (It would be tough to prove, but I wonder if the mother adds something slightly nasty to the chow after the tenth or eleventh day so that the juniors get the hint that it's time to move on?)

OBSERVER  08:43:26 / 01 AUG 88

to janitor:

hey, congratulations on the baby discii. i think they are going to make it. boy the money should start rolling in now !!!! what kind of a new car are you going to buy ????

JANITOR     11:05:26 / 01 AUG 88

Observer:  Hey now, I don't need to sell Discus Fish to get a new car, I can    use the proceeds from this fat raise I got.

JANITOR     11:19:47 / 01 AUG 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

Now that the juniors accept brine shrimp, it's just a matter of fattening them up and sending 'em off to market. There's really not much more to be said in this story. Hope you all had as much fun as I did...

(P.S. I mentioned an article I had written on this subject which I was going to ship off to an aquarium magazine. I have not followed up on this matter because Mr. Clean ate the article and I did not have a backup copy of it. I will re-write it, but that will be the next time I get a few clear hours and the inclination to do it...)

JANITOR     12:29:46 / 01 AUG 88

Yet another disclaimer!

The reason for selling the Discus Fish is NOT because I can't afford a tank. It's because it would mean NOTHING if I just went out and bought one. If I can work off the financing of the tank through sweat-of-the-brow Discus Fish farming, I'll feel like I earned it.

You've all seen the effort which has gone into producing this crop of juniors. Do you think I've earned my tank or what?

P.S. A question to the architects in the crowd.  I've got a typical bi-level crackerbox house and I've got the current tank sitting against a wall. I'm wondering if I can put another tank next to it without overly straining the floor. The tanks are 55 gallons, so the water weight alone is over 500 pounds. The whole kit would probably be about 600 - 650.

TRAVELOR  13:18:39 / 01 AUG 88

Janitor:  This may show how boring work is, but I've actually LOOKED FORWARD to seeing what happens each day, whether the fish survive, etc And, I've actually LEARNED something in the process (about Discus Fish) I know that's hard to believe on SUGGEST!

Congratulations on your babies!!     Yes, I feel you have truly earned your fish tank!  Float with it! (I'm sorry that was a weak attempt, I was going to say Run with it!) Thanks for sharing it with us!

JANITOR     13:30:57 / 01 AUG 88

Travelor:  Thanks!

I'm going to re-write the article which Mr. Clean ate and I'll put it out here before shipping it out. That way, if it's really stinko, I can get shot down here without going through the formality of an official rejection slip.

REPORT     09:51:08 / 03 AUG 88

did they die ???? or are you out buying your new car this morning?

JANITOR     11:15:32 / 03 AUG 88

Even under the ideal circumstance where I raise these puppies up to the size of about a silver dollar, I will be lucky to get five dollars a head for them. The ol' Janitor ain't going to be retiring to Denver after this operation.

JANITOR     10:07:41 / 09 AUG 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

The juniors are now almost big enough to sell. Many of them are about an inch in length and have been showing their stripes for quite a while. Some of them are even developing colors, but the full coloration won't come in until they reach about six months. The only thing I would change in the method of raising them would be to separate the bigger ones earlier. As time goes by, the size advantage gets more pronounced and the smaller ones don't have a chance.

If anyone is silly enough to want to try a similar experiment, keep in mind that the secret is in the brine shrimp. I use three two-liter Pepsi bottles for brine shrimp farms and I rotate them on a daily cycle. Since it takes a couple of days for the shrimp to hatch, I always have a fresh supply for the current day. The trouble with raising the shrimp is that the water will spoil at the drop of a hat, so there's nothing to be done except throw the batch away after the third day.

I don't really want to sell the juniors, but there's no alternative at the moment. If I install a second tank, there's a fair to reasonable chance that the floor will cave-in. Looks like a construction project will be coming up in my garage...

JUSTME     11:04:40 / 09 AUG 88

JANITOR:  SO IS IT SAFE YET TO TAKE A PICTURE OF THE BROOD BEFORE YOU CART ALL THE JUNIORS OFF TO MARKET?  I'M STILL NOT CONVINCED THAT THIS WHOLE 'Discus Fish' THING IS NOT JUST ANOTHER SUGGEST SCAM. I'D LIKE TO SEE REAL, LIVE PHOTOS!

JANITOR     11:24:23 / 09 AUG 88

Justme:  Well, the problem is this - I've got a camera, but I've only got one lens for it and I need to be about five or six feet away from any subject to snap it. Crackerbox houses being what they are, there is almost no place in 'em where you can get five or six feet away from anything... My brother may be up to the job - I'm still trying to drag him out there to give it a whirl. (I still haven't convinced you that this is not a scam, have I!)

SHOOTER     16:05:13 / 09 AUG 88

Janitor:  I've got a 35mm with a 35-70mm macro zoom lens which should do the trick, if you need help...

JANITOR     20:11:44 / 09 AUG 88

Shooter:  I see that Justme doesn't believe it, but there really are fish swimming around in a tank behind me... I'd say that there is about five feet of open floor in front of the tank. The fish are about five inches in height and not much more in length. The juniors are about an inch in height/length. Light is also a problem because of the glare on the glass. I think I have a filter to handle that, but it's going to cut down the light even more. One final obstacle - These are extremely skittish critters and will spook at the drop of a hat. Sometimes it is necessary to remain motionless for a time before they'll come out. My brother claims he can do it, but I haven't been able to reach him yet. If it doesn't work out pretty soon and you wouldn't mind doing it, it'd be great if you could take a crack at it.

OBSERVER  08:00:13 / 10 AUG 88

i have just notified channel 9 about this possible scam. pat minarcin

   will be out tonight after the 5:30 news to verify your "fish" story.

JANITOR     08:03:18 / 10 AUG 88

Observer:  Pat Minarcin is a fish...

SHOOTER   08:14:14 / 10 AUG 88

Janitor:  Great!  I just got the camera this summer (a birthday, Father's Day etc., combined gift) and am looking for reasons to play with it. If your brother comes through, don't worry--I'll find other thing       do with it (Say, young lady...)

JANITOR     08:17:42 / 10 AUG 88

Shooter:  "But, sir, you've taken about fifty pictures without changing film. How many shots does a roll of film hold?" "Just shut up and take the rest of your clothes off."

FMLSTWDS  08:20:54 / 10 AUG 88

"Don't worry, the commercial processors NEVER look at the stuff they're printing..."

JANITOR     22:22:44 / 11 AUG 88

Pitfall:  Here are the three rules of Discus Fish farming -

1. Keep 'em hot (Experts say 86 degrees - I say 88 degrees)
2. ;*NO* live food -*NEVER*  That's all there is to it.
3. The more you baby them, the faster you will kill them.

OK, that's easy for me to say, but what does it mean?  The temperature is the extremely critical variable and it must be a minimum of 86 degrees although I keep mine a few degrees higher. If it falls below this point, the fish will probably die.

Never feed them live food. With every batch, you introduce a vast array of microorganisms into the tank and increase the risk of infection to your fish. Frozen brine shrimp and frozen bloodworms work just fine. Feed them twice a day and try to remove any excess with a siphon. Over-feeding is *MUCH* worse for a Discus Fish than under-feeding.

Do not monkey around incessantly with pH, water hardness, etc. Shoot for pH of about 6.2/6.4 and then leave it alone. Hardness is probably not a factor and I've never seen anything in the literature to justify wasting any time on it.

There should be no fish in the tank other than Discus Fish and catfish. Small fish will just bother them and the small ones will probably have a tough time at that high temperature anyway. The temperature will not affect the catfish though. If you try to mix Angelfish and Discus Fish, you may lose them all. Angels are carriers of a disease which is lethal to Discus Fish.

Discus Fish are extremely private fish. If frightened, they can do harm to themselves, so it's best to provide a great deal of cover to allow them to hide. Plastic plants are fine and have the added advantage in that snails do not hitch-hike into your tank on them.

Here's the scenario I'd follow for a start-up tank:

  1)  Acquire the hardware, etc.

        55 gallon tank (minimum)

        Magnum 200 filter (200 gallons per hour)

        Cover, light, stand, etc.

  2)  Set it up someplace with a *STRONG* floor

  3)  Wait for at least three or four days before doing anything more.  There are all kinds of nasty things in the drinking water and it will kill a fish right now if you put one in it. Wait a couple of days to give some time for the chemicals to air out.

  4)  If you know someone with a *CLEAN* tank, get a handful of gravel from it and dump it in. A host of benign bacteria will be introduced and this will start the micro-system.

  5)  Acquire some catfish. Don't get fancy ones - These guys are janitors and you're hiring them to protect your soon-to-be-prized Discus Fish.

Again, have patience and wait. Keep in mind that catfish are MUCH tougher than Discus Fish and their survival means relatively little. The objective at this point is to stabilize the pH and temperature of the water and to allow time for a biological microsystem to develop.

At this point, you've probably already started haunting the various tropical fish stores and you have the good guys located. You will be tempted to get a pair of full-grown fish - They're beautiful and they'd look wonderful in your tank, but you probably won't get anywhere with them and there's a fair to reasonable chance that they will die. If you really want to make the Discus Fish feel at home, you need to acquire half a dozen small ones and raise them yourself. Somewhere along the line, a couple of them may pair off and then, hey presto, you're in the Discus Fish farming business. (It is not impossible to start with adult Discus Fish, but I would not bet very much on the chance of them pairing off)

You probably won't listen to me, so expand the size of the tank to 100 gallons. I would *UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES* put full-grown mature Discus Fish in a small tank. They may put up with it, but they won't like it. If you follow my advice and acquire young ones, then it isn't a problem since the fish will only grow to the size of the tank.

PITFALL     16:55:28 / 12 AUG 88

janitor:

i ran a print out of the entire box so dad could see every thing you went through. thanks again and i'll pass along any questions

JANITOR     18:30:41 / 12 AUG 88

Pitfall: Keep me posted on the outcome, OK?

PITFALL     20:00:27 / 12 AUG 88

janitor:

have you ever had a clown loach before? they're a beautiful orange and black striped fish. sort fo looks like a bengal tiger. They say that they're a community tank fish, but we have mixed emotions about that one. our louch (denis the menis) doesn't quite live up to the tails. it really doesn't hurt the other fish, just has a good time harrasing them. so far he's been the only match for my oscar. he's faster and more agile than the oscar. if fact hae really kind of reminds one of a porpose when watching him swim. it's all just a big game. god help him it wont be a game if by chance the oscar ever does catch him. i wouldn't suggest put him in with your Discus Fish either he would hurt them, just aggrevate them to no end. if it were at all possible, i would try breeding and raising them, but from everthing i've heard and read it has never been done successfully before. next time you're at the pet store check them out.

JANITOR     21:33:57 / 12 AUG 88

Pitfall: Clown loaches get along with Discus Fish - They pretty much avoid each other and don't run into problems. It's one of the few fishes that can be kept in a Discus Fish tank. If you're raising the Discus Fish to breed, I wouldn't put anything in with them other than catfish. Sooner or later, the Oscar is going to nail that Loach. Them are some *NASTY* sumbitches... My brother had a couple of them which were about a foot long. They had livid red streaks all over their bodies, but he thought they were great. He fed 'em goldfish and they'd rip 'em to shreds. Pretty disgusting stuff...

A Clown Loach can grow to around a foot, but it probably depends a lot on the size of the tank. I've checked some texts and neither of them is encouraging on the chances of breeding them. The first didn't even mention breeding habits and the second said only that they probably do not become sexually mature until they are several years old. This would be a pretty swell set up - A 100 gallon tank with a couple of Heckel Discus Fish (*VERY* beautiful), a pair (?) of Clown Loaches and some catfish. There won't be much going on in the tank but it'll be elegant. Just remembered one more flash on Discus Fish - If at all possible, keep the light down. They're highly skittish and high light levels just aggravate the situation. Even if it's going to be a display tank, keep the light as low as possible. If the light level outside the tank is even lower, then they won't be able to see anything moving in the room.

PITFALL     21:53:42 / 12 AUG 88

janitor:

i've seen Discus Fish in a pet shop not too long ago and the are beautiful. so i can see what you and the old man see in them, but my tank is already set up with an oscar and some angel fish. that there from what i already know and what you said about angels takes me out of the running. dad on the other hand might want to steal my 55 gl after what you instructed him to do. oh and by the way i did my home work on my tank and the loach(louch oops i failed spelling) should be fine.but on the out side chance the oscar does get to aggesive. i have another tank to move one of them to. i got the oscar before the loach and now i'm sorry because i prefer the loaches. hey! it's miller time. i'll talk to ya monday.

JANITOR     22:28:29 / 12 AUG 88

Pitfall:  Have a good week-end!

OBSERVER  08:54:57 / 15 AUG 88

well, you can tell us now, what kind of a new car did you get with your Discus Fish profits and your big fat raise???

JANITOR     09:43:05 / 15 AUG 88

Observer:  I haven't sold 'em yet. I find myself getting more and more amused   about it. Went into a fish store yesterday to stock up and I asked   them if they had any chow for baby fish.  Of course they asked what   kind and I dutifully respond, "Discus Fish!" Suitably taken aback, they   ask, "Turquoise?"  To which I respond, "Is there any other kind?"   Even more impressed, they ask, "You have a breeding pair of   Turquoise Discus Fish?"  I nod... They continue, "Do you know what   they're worth?"  I just smile, gather my goodies and leave.

OBSERVER  10:07:21 / 15 AUG 88

janitor:

 i can see it now. you will be on channel 48 someday as the only Discus Fish breeder east of the mississippi that can claim any success at all

you should be able to retire in what?? 3 years ???

JANITOR     10:31:27 / 15 AUG 88

Observer:  You don't really think I'm in this for the money, do you? No way! I   want to play the Pro-from-Dover when the fish folks get together.   I'd get into some serious Discus Fish farming except for the problem of   shipping them across the country.  As far as I can tell, the usual   plan is usually to send fifty in the hope that ten survive. I   don't want to get into a business like that...

JANITOR     12:09:37 / 15 AUG 88

I'm told that Swallen's is offering 55-gallon tanks for $79 complete with cover.

MELLOW     14:34:07 / 15 AUG 88

JANITOR:

       Just remember, unless some breeder somewhere had been willing to get into 'that kind of business' you might not be having the enjoyment you're now experiencing. How does one ship fish, anyway?

JANITOR     15:31:53 / 15 AUG 88

Mellow:  No kidding, it's a brutal business... I don't know if it's still going on, but it used to be the same with parrots. They'd catch as many of 'em as they could, stuff 'em in a box, and hope they made it to Miami. Quite often the animals (birds, fish, etc.) are also dyed different colors and then drugged for the trip.

The breeder is faced with the problem of delivering a package which must be treated with utmost care, remain at a constant temperature of eighty eight degrees and must arrive the same day. A professional breeder should be able to pull it off, but a rookie will, in all probability, kill far more than he sells. Sure, a professional has to start somewhere, but I don't see it as a viable career path at the present time...

The solution to this problem is offered by the lowly killifish. Some varieties of the fish inhabit african lakes which dry up in the summer. The killifish lays its eggs in the mud which in turn provides protection for the egg during the dry season. As soon as the rains come, the egg is released and it hatches. This phenomenon allows owners to trade by sending eggs through the mail. I'm told that it's necessary only to pack the eggs securely in peat moss and they're ready to go.

(I went to the Franchise Show at the Convention Center last week and I've got a hot line on some chinchillas. They're such nasty >animals that no-one cares if they make coats out of 'em. Yep, more Discus Fish for me)

RETIRED?  07:56:52 / 19 AUG 88

well, have you retired already from your Discus Fish farming??

DISCFAN     15:35:47 / 19 AUG 88

yea????  have you retired?  we enjoyed your fish stories!!  are they sold yet????  have mama and papa spawned again recently???? come on, fill us in!

JANITOR     05:39:37 / 20 AUG 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

Please cancel any advice I have given on the appropriate water temperature for Discus Fish. I have just purchased a second set of thermometers and there is a ten degree disparity between one pair and the other.  When buying thermometers, compare all the ones on the rack to get an average and then I buy the two that are closest to it.

My next move is to acquire some laboratory-grade thermometers. If I am to report the progress of this mission to someone else, then the temperature I'm quoting must be absolutely reliable. An inaccuracy of ten degrees is totally unacceptable when a change of two or three degrees is significant.

JANITOR     05:49:41 / 20 AUG 88

Oh, how are the kids doing?

Pretty good!  There have been some losses, but we're still holding fairly stable at ten. Some of them are significantly larger than the others and are developing some interesting colors. The surprise to me is that they're a bit more red than I would have expected.

I think the losses may have been due to under-feeding. Due to many, many warnings on over-feeding, I was probably too conservative on the brine shrimp ritual.  The brine shrimp farm currently consists of three two-liter Pepsi bottles and each bottle contains enough shrimp for one day. For the next crop, it would probably be better to double it.

The juniors take readily to live brine shrimp, but they've been fairly slow to move to frozen food (it's so damn hard to chew, right?). Some of the larger juniors have moved nicely into the typical Discus Fish behavior pattern of browsing the gravel on the bottom for choice munchies, but others have not.

It is time to begin Phase II - Wilson's Homecoming. The juniors will be going to his current place of exile and he will be moved back with Aretha. Since the tank is divided in halves, this will be an interesting trick to implement.

JANITOR     05:52:00 / 20 AUG 88

Discus Fish questions from yesterday: I wasn't ignoring you - I was just busy doing other things.

JANITOR     12:58:02 / 22 AUG 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

The juniors have been moved to the half of the tank which had previously been occupied by Wilson who has now rejoined Aretha. The change in his behavior since being re-united is really quite striking.  Previously, he would have stayed at the back of the tank and would frighten very easily. He's so bold now that it's tough to believe he's the same fellow.

I wish I could say that the juniors are in perfect health, but they're not. To be sure, there are some of them who are thriving, but there's about half of them who look like they're at death's door.  I've applied an "ICH" treatment since it's pretty much of a generic prophylactic for tank problems but I don't expect a miracle cure. I suspect that the problem is dietary and it will take some experimentation to find the optimum feeding program.

The tank is now ten degrees warmer than it was. I had previously been using the liquid crystal type of thermometer which is affixed to the outside glass of the tank. I had wondered at their reliability at the time of purchase, but the store-owner was using them on all of his tanks and seemed satisfied.  I have acquired some traditional mercury thermometers and found that the pair of them were reading well below the liquid crystal type. The consequences of the situation are as follows:

       1) Temperature really has no bearing on Discus Fish farming.

       2) The adults are much less sensitive to temperature changes than the offspring.

       3) Raising chinchillas is still not a surefire path to fame and fortune.

OBSERVER  13:16:30 / 22 AUG 88

i think you had better sell them (all of them) before they croak or lose any more of their value.  get busy, bub. ................ yeah, i know you are not doing this for the pesos, verdad??????

JANITOR     13:22:40 / 22 AUG 88

Observer:  I don't want to sell them - I'm too curious about how they'll turn   out. One of them is bright red... Unless the postal Discus Fish   been around, I have no explanation for the source of that color.

JUSTME     14:55:23 / 22 AUG 88

JANITOR:  I still want to see some pictures!

JANITOR     20:50:20 / 23 AUG 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

Spawn #13 was observed a few moments ago. I've only just walked in from work so I have no idea of the timing. I assume they followed their pattern and went for it in the early evening. It should be noted that the male has been back with her for two or three days.

There is a fabled time span in Discus Fish lore known as the 'breeding cycle' but I can't seem to find any accurate measure of its duration. There are numerous reports of interruptions to the 'breeding cycle', but no reports of its duration or frequency. Clearly, in the case of Wilson and Aretha, the 'breeding cycle' has not been broken despite a temperature change of almost ten degrees and physical separation for more than a month. (Note that there is a great deal of 'communication' via pheromones and that separation by tank divider is not going to truly cut them off from each other)

There are only two alternatives: Either Wilson and Aretha have sex drives rivalling that of jack rabbits or most of the information I've read on Discus Fish is bogus.

JANITOR     16:23:08 / 24 AUG 88

As the Discus Fish world turns -

There's been a marked turnaround in behavior between Wilson and Aretha. He's became so combative that it was necessary to remove him to the other side of the tank divider. The right to fan water over the eggs became a very hotly contested issue and Wilson was not above resorting to major violence to stop Aretha from getting near them. So, Wilson was removed and Aretha has not, so far, eaten the eggs.

A standard 'dosage' of Novaqua was added to the water to help prevent infection

of Aretha's wounds.  She has multiple injuries on each side of her body and her fins are damaged. Although the injuries are relatively small, there are quite a few of them and it's obvious that Wilson must have been beating her up for a while.

JUSTME     16:34:00 / 24 AUG 88

JANITOR:  So if Wilson's on one side and Aretha is on the other, where are all the alledged juniors?  If they're over with Wilson, won't he just munch them and if they're over with Aretha and the eggs, won't they just munch the eggs?  I still want to see photos (with a current newspaper held up next to the fish)