Stewy
Aquarium Advice Activist
So I am in need of some help. I am in the process of figuring out my final stocking plans for the thousandth time and do not jump in to anything without some research and input. For this reason I am seeking the input of some Discus owners here on the forum.
So let me get my set up in here so I do not get the questions about the tank and worries about not being able to handle them. I have a 240 gallon that I picked up a couple months ago that is completely cycled and I am slowly adding stock to the tank. I am running a Fluval FX6 and I am kicking around the idea of a second due to the size and length of the tank. I am not going to be doing a cichlid only tank because I got back into the hobby for something to do with my boys. My previous tank had fish that my son wanted, with a little input from me, and I will continue to add fish that he likes. The issues that I have hit are the lack of centerpiece fish that will work with my stocking plan as I will have a lot of swimmers. One of the species that has popped up on my radar is the discus and I do really like them but I have never kept them. First let me say that I do research a lot before I commit and pride myself on not impulse buying…often…when it comes to my tank. So…my issues begin.
First of all is temperature. My current setting is right at 80 degrees. This is slightly above the high side for my Harlequins and Denisoni barbs but I have seen no issues. In my reading on the discus, I find that the low end is near 82 degrees. If I remain at 80 degrees, am I going to have an issue? I am thinking that I may be able to bring my temp up a little more but I don’t want to if I do not have to.
Second is pH. I live in a part of California where my tap runs at 8.0. Again from my readings, I am finding the discus prefer the acidic side. I say prefer because I do know that most aquarium fish will thrive in many conditions as long as they are stable. For this reason I have never been the type to mess with the chemicals and additives and I do not really want to try and balance peat or leaves. Do any of you keep discus in the 7.8-8.2 pH range? Are there any possible issues that could arise do to this?
With the prices associated with discus it is very safe to say that I will not be gambling on the chance that they will do okay. I just don’t have that kind of money and I don’t want to kill fish. I hope that some of you have some experience to help me out as you have done in the past. Thank you for all of your input and help, I have come to really appreciate and lean on the assistance I have received here at AA. Happy fishing.
So let me get my set up in here so I do not get the questions about the tank and worries about not being able to handle them. I have a 240 gallon that I picked up a couple months ago that is completely cycled and I am slowly adding stock to the tank. I am running a Fluval FX6 and I am kicking around the idea of a second due to the size and length of the tank. I am not going to be doing a cichlid only tank because I got back into the hobby for something to do with my boys. My previous tank had fish that my son wanted, with a little input from me, and I will continue to add fish that he likes. The issues that I have hit are the lack of centerpiece fish that will work with my stocking plan as I will have a lot of swimmers. One of the species that has popped up on my radar is the discus and I do really like them but I have never kept them. First let me say that I do research a lot before I commit and pride myself on not impulse buying…often…when it comes to my tank. So…my issues begin.
First of all is temperature. My current setting is right at 80 degrees. This is slightly above the high side for my Harlequins and Denisoni barbs but I have seen no issues. In my reading on the discus, I find that the low end is near 82 degrees. If I remain at 80 degrees, am I going to have an issue? I am thinking that I may be able to bring my temp up a little more but I don’t want to if I do not have to.
Second is pH. I live in a part of California where my tap runs at 8.0. Again from my readings, I am finding the discus prefer the acidic side. I say prefer because I do know that most aquarium fish will thrive in many conditions as long as they are stable. For this reason I have never been the type to mess with the chemicals and additives and I do not really want to try and balance peat or leaves. Do any of you keep discus in the 7.8-8.2 pH range? Are there any possible issues that could arise do to this?
With the prices associated with discus it is very safe to say that I will not be gambling on the chance that they will do okay. I just don’t have that kind of money and I don’t want to kill fish. I hope that some of you have some experience to help me out as you have done in the past. Thank you for all of your input and help, I have come to really appreciate and lean on the assistance I have received here at AA. Happy fishing.
