FWaddict
Aquarium Advice Activist
Hey all,
I was have some questions about Discus fish. Well the thing is, I love my fish that I have now, and have had them for a while. But I think it is time I try something new! I know how "difficult" Discus are to care for. I have been reading about caring for them for about 3 years now. Just recently I thought about actually taking the plunge. I have well water and the parameters on it are not the greatest. pH is about 8.0 straight from my tap. It is also pretty hard water as well. I am going to purchase an extensive test kit to know the TRUE parameters of my water. As of right now, I use the test strips. They work well, its just that I think I need something much better seeing as I want to care for discus. I know they need a pH of 6.5-7.8 and was wondering if an RO system would work on my water. If I do get an RO system, are they difficult to set up myself? I can do water temp of 82-86*F. I have 2 heaters in my tank, one of them is currently off, it will only be turned on should the other one fail. I don't really plan on having my tank stocked with accessories to bring up aesthetic value seeing as Discus fish produce a slime and it is hard to clean off of substrate. What I am planning on is around 5 Discus fish, I figured an odd number would suffice seeing as if I just have 4 it would be hit for hit. From what I read Discus need about 10 gallons per fish. I am planning on having them in my 55g tank. What I would do with my current fish, is trade them into my LFS. They said I probably wouldn't get much for my current fish, but I am not really looking for money on it. I am just looking for someone that would take them. I would give them to someone that already has a fish tank, but I figured that they would have better care in an LFS. I currently have limestone rocks in my tank to increase the hardness alittle for my cichlids. But they will be removed when and if I take the challenge of Discus fish. My other questions are, Do they need special lighting? Would I be fine with a 50% water change a week? Or should I do the recommended 10-15% per day? How would you regulate the temperature in the water that you have sitting out? The reason I asked the last question is, is because what I read, it says that you should have a bucket of water with the same parameters, same temp, same hardness, same pH etc. sitting out for 24 hours. Would I just have to use one of my two heaters in the bucket? and would I be fine just feeding my Discus brine shrimp or bloodworms, what I plan on doing is flip flopping them, one day brine shrimp, the other day bloodworms. Also, would I be fine with my current biological bacteria in my tank? Or would I have to just start over and cycle it again? What filters do you recommend on use for my tank? The filters I have running now are a Fluval 404, a whisper 10, and an emporer (I think its 420 or something, its not big its a HOT filter). I also have a Magnum underneath my tank, it isn't running but if need be, it can. It sounds like I would have a really strong current inside my tank but it isn't. I know you are thinking "Oh well it doesn't seem like it to you but it actually is." The current isn't as bad as it may seem. Now if all 4 filters were running, yea the fish would be whipping around! I am just eager for opinions and suggestions on what I should and should not do. I am willing to take the expenses needed when and if I do this set up.
Thanks for reading, I know it was alot!
-Andy
I was have some questions about Discus fish. Well the thing is, I love my fish that I have now, and have had them for a while. But I think it is time I try something new! I know how "difficult" Discus are to care for. I have been reading about caring for them for about 3 years now. Just recently I thought about actually taking the plunge. I have well water and the parameters on it are not the greatest. pH is about 8.0 straight from my tap. It is also pretty hard water as well. I am going to purchase an extensive test kit to know the TRUE parameters of my water. As of right now, I use the test strips. They work well, its just that I think I need something much better seeing as I want to care for discus. I know they need a pH of 6.5-7.8 and was wondering if an RO system would work on my water. If I do get an RO system, are they difficult to set up myself? I can do water temp of 82-86*F. I have 2 heaters in my tank, one of them is currently off, it will only be turned on should the other one fail. I don't really plan on having my tank stocked with accessories to bring up aesthetic value seeing as Discus fish produce a slime and it is hard to clean off of substrate. What I am planning on is around 5 Discus fish, I figured an odd number would suffice seeing as if I just have 4 it would be hit for hit. From what I read Discus need about 10 gallons per fish. I am planning on having them in my 55g tank. What I would do with my current fish, is trade them into my LFS. They said I probably wouldn't get much for my current fish, but I am not really looking for money on it. I am just looking for someone that would take them. I would give them to someone that already has a fish tank, but I figured that they would have better care in an LFS. I currently have limestone rocks in my tank to increase the hardness alittle for my cichlids. But they will be removed when and if I take the challenge of Discus fish. My other questions are, Do they need special lighting? Would I be fine with a 50% water change a week? Or should I do the recommended 10-15% per day? How would you regulate the temperature in the water that you have sitting out? The reason I asked the last question is, is because what I read, it says that you should have a bucket of water with the same parameters, same temp, same hardness, same pH etc. sitting out for 24 hours. Would I just have to use one of my two heaters in the bucket? and would I be fine just feeding my Discus brine shrimp or bloodworms, what I plan on doing is flip flopping them, one day brine shrimp, the other day bloodworms. Also, would I be fine with my current biological bacteria in my tank? Or would I have to just start over and cycle it again? What filters do you recommend on use for my tank? The filters I have running now are a Fluval 404, a whisper 10, and an emporer (I think its 420 or something, its not big its a HOT filter). I also have a Magnum underneath my tank, it isn't running but if need be, it can. It sounds like I would have a really strong current inside my tank but it isn't. I know you are thinking "Oh well it doesn't seem like it to you but it actually is." The current isn't as bad as it may seem. Now if all 4 filters were running, yea the fish would be whipping around! I am just eager for opinions and suggestions on what I should and should not do. I am willing to take the expenses needed when and if I do this set up.
Thanks for reading, I know it was alot!
-Andy