Discus in Chicago

[CubsFan]

How crucial is PH in keeping Discus? (NOT BREEDING) We have pretty hard water up here in the Windy City and not sure I'd want to get a RO System although it is an option. Let me know if you have any advice or personal experience. Thanks

 

[softturtle]

You could always just go to the store and get r/o if you want. Its like $.20 a gallon. If you do a few water changes with r/o you could bring the pH dowm to were you'd like. But if your happy with just keeping discus, you should be fine on the tap. I know how bad the water is, around 8.0 right? Thats right were mine is. I always mix tap with r/o to get it right.

 

[CubsFan]

Yea, it would just take a fortune to do water changes buying water for a 180 gallon tank

 

[softturtle]

$9.00 to fill your whole tank ain't to bad. Especially when you don't have to add any conditioners to it.

 

[loach43]

Not crucial to keep the water nuetral or in the acidic range for sucessful discus keeping. I don't keep discus myself, just basing that remark on opinions I've heard from others who keep discus.