Discus

[2bd1left]

I have started a discus tank 75 gal. It cycled for a month with guppies and neon tetras and all levels where good nitrites amonia ect... then i added my discus and the amonia and nitrites went up. I did a partial water change of 25 % and added cycle (lots of it) as the bottel says you can not over dose. Last night i noticed that three of my discus out of 4 where only using one gill so i moved them to an established ten gal to get them out of the toxic water. They are using both gills again and the 4th fish is still in the 75 gal. How long do you think the cycle product will take to get the levels back to normal. Help

 

[meegosh]

This thread will probably get moved but to your question. The product Cycle, I've heard, is not worth a darn. The only product people seem to say works SOMETIMES is Bio-Spara when it is handled properly (refrigerated). I'm not a discus keeper or an expert but I'm sure the others will need to know your exact test readings, ie nitrites, nitrates and ammonia in ppm. Good luck!

 

[happygirl65]

True....cycle does not work...you would be better off putting filter media from your established tank into the 75 to help it catch up but even then it probably not going to handle the bioload of that many discus right away.

You are experiencing a mini cycle since the discus put a much larger bio load on the system than your guppies and tetras. It will take a while for the benficial bacteria to catch up.

I would add them back into the 75 slowly, one at a time as the bacteria has a chance to catch up. And ANYTIME the ammonia is above .25 then do a water change of at least 25% even if it is everyday.

Test the 10 gallon too, even though it was established longer it might also be struggling to keep up with the bioload. Keep checking it because you might see a cycle there as well.

If you notice there is another cycle happening in the 10 thn I would put them all back in the 75 and do 1-2 water changes per day until the ammonia and nitrite are showing zero.

I had three discus in a 10 gallon for a short time and even though it had an established filter I had to do 3 50% water chnges a day to keep up on the load.

It might be pretty exhausting for the next month with daily water changes but it will eventually settle out.
I wish you all the best. Let us know if you have any other questions.

 

[brutus]

your a newbie who is starting with discus? you picked wrong fish to start with and to cycle with

 

[Zagz]

Welcome to AA! Moved to cichlid discussion. Discus are a sensitive fish and will not do well through a cycle. Most discus owners cycle their tanks for several months to stabilize them and then add the discus. Cycle has no live bacteria and will not aid in the stabilization of your water. My suggestion is return the discus until your tank has been cycled or do daily water changes. What size discus do you have?

 

[2bd1left]

the discus are around 2 to 4 inches. I have had fish tanks for years and do know a little. However i did extesive research on the discus and i did cycle my tank for around 6 weeks before adding the fish. The fish are doing good in the 10 gal so far and the larger one still in the 75 is doing ok to. I have not lost a single fish yet thank god. It has been since monday morning all this started. Could someone let me know where to get the spiral bio.

 

[happygirl65]

here is a link Bio-Spira you have to pay overnight shipping so it won't be cheap but that is an option for you.

You want to aim of course for keeping them in optimal health (rather than just keeping them alive) and to make sure that they do not get stunted as a result of damage from ammonia and nitrite but it sounds like you are on top of things, you just need to stay on top of testing and I would still recommend daily water changes.

 

[bs6749]

Welcome to AA! Moved to cichlid discussion. Discus are a sensitive fish and will not do well through a cycle. Most discus owners cycle their tanks for several months to stabilize them and then add the discus. Cycle has no live bacteria and will not aid in the stabilization of your water. My suggestion is return the discus until your tank has been cycled or do daily water changes. What size discus do you have?

Most people that I know that purchase new discus do not cycle the tank. Rather, they obtain 6-8 3"+ specimens and grow them out in a 55 gallon bare bottom tank. Young discus around this size require daily water changes or every other day at the very least in the order of 25-50% or more. The tank doesn't have to be cycled when water changes of this size are done as scheduled. Seeded sponge filters are a plus though as are potted plants.

I'd suggest changing 75% of the water daily at a minimum in a ten gallon tank with 3 discus that size.