Discus tank conversion, bare bottom to planted

[Tequila]

Just checking my water for PH with a test stip and I'm getting between 6.8 and 7.2 however KH and GH is very high... they add so many things to the water in London and it is naturally very hard.

That test is out of the tap correct? Well your PH is fine for Discus , especially if you do a planted tank and use a C02 system or if you get your hands on Chemi-Pure over there then I don't see a reason to use RO unless your planning one of those BUBB (Butt Ugly Bare Bottom) and or you plan on breeding them.

 

[martcoug]

cool ... yeah I hope it's correct because I'm using them all the time at the moment haha!!!
I have chemi-pure running in my tank at the moment... works wonders!!
I will look into discus a little more and yeah it would be a planted tank... the next thing I am buying is a pressurised Co2 system. At the moment I am only using Tetra CO2-Depot but it has already made a very big difference with my plants.

 

[Tequila]

cool ... yeah I hope it's correct because I'm using them all the time at the moment haha!!!
I have chemi-pure running in my tank at the moment... works wonders!!
I will look into discus a little more and yeah it would be a planted tank... the next thing I am buying is a pressurised Co2 system. At the moment I am only using Tetra CO2-Depot but it has already made a very big difference with my plants.

C02 should have made a difference in the Hardness of your water. Plus if you can get Chem-pure it will help to regulate your PH and other chemistry factors. If your going to do a planted aquarium may I suggest Seachems Florite as a substrate.

Plus maybe you could tell Yanbbrox where you get your chemi-pure because he can't seem to find anything on his side of the pond.

 

[martcoug]

The wonderous eBay!!!!
Had to wait until the next rocket launched mind so it took a while to get here, but was worth it.

 

[Tequila]

The wonderous eBay!!!!
Had to wait until the next rocket launched mind so it took a while to get here, but was worth it.

Well unless you have some real off the chart chemistry reading you should be able to keep Discus with little if any trouble from your waters chemistry without a RO System. You could always either add peat to your water, without much worry of water color change, Chemi-pure will remove all offending color from the water. Though I don't really find the tannic coloration bothersome.

I would say try with out the RO system if your really interested in doing Discus, why spend money on something you don't need if you don't need too. Then later on if you either feel that you need it, or decide you wanna get into breeding them then would be the time to look into it. Look if your like Yanbbrox and you feel that when you have money in your pocket you gotta spend it, put it in one of those Moon pouches and ship it to me, I can always use it for a nice bottle of Cognac to sip in your memory or Ido feel the need to head south for some great freshwater Bass fish'n.

What I used to tell people when I was in the trade: If the water is safe enough to drink, then it's safe enough for keeping fish.

 

[Yanbbrox]

The wonderous eBay!!!!
Had to wait until the next rocket launched mind so it took a while to get here, but was worth it.

See this stuff doesn't grow trees over here like it does in NYC And I have some due in at the end of May, it was a real pain to convince NASA to send the shuttle just for me but it will come

Marty,

The hand was caused by an idiot mate of mine leaving a broken glass picture frame at the top of his stairs, I slipped on the way up and put my hand through it and no I hadn't had a drink at the time

On the to RO or not to RO debate, I have to agree with master Tequila about not needed to use it, I had a machine when I before I started this project so I use it. I would say though, find a good dealer and try to use what ever the fish have been raised/kept in and match those conditions as best as you can, you shouldn't go far wrong.

Keep us posted

 

[Tequila]

See this stuff doesn't grow trees over here like it does in NYC And I have some due in at the end of May, it was a real pain to convince NASA to send the shuttle just for me but it will come

Marty,

The hand was caused by an idiot mate of mine leaving a broken glass picture frame at the top of his stairs, I slipped on the way up and put my hand through it and no I hadn't had a drink at the time

On the to RO or not to RO debate, I have to agree with master Tequila about not needed to use it, I had a machine when I before I started this project so I use it. I would say though, find a good dealer and try to use what ever the fish have been raised/kept in and match those conditions as best as you can, you shouldn't go far wrong.

Keep us posted

I obviously don't understand how things are over there on the dark side of the Moon work. Where they charge a tax on G-ays A.K.A. F-ags (Joking), where Dealers don't sell used Cars or drugs but deal in Discus and the only things that can live in the tap water are Moon Monkeys.

(can't believe this place has auto censorship)

Just find a few places/Dealers that have the quality fish you want and can afford. And remember to setup a quarantine tank and always acclimate your fish even from quarantine tank to display tank. If you truely wanna spend a few bucks on something, look into buying a UV system for your Holding/Hospital tank.

 

[Yanbbrox]

I obviously don't understand how things are over there on the dark side of the Moon work. Where they charge a tax on G-ays A.K.A. F-ags (Joking), where Dealers don't sell used Cars or drugs but deal in Discus and the only things that can live in the tap water are Moon Monkeys.

(can't believe this place has auto censorship)

Just find a few places/Dealers that have the quality fish you want and can afford. And remember to setup a quarantine tank and always acclimate your fish even from quarantine tank to display tank. If you truely wanna spend a few bucks on something, look into buying a UV system for your Holding/Hospital tank.

You mean you can't use the common uk slang word for cigarettes = ***s what happens when you do?

Plus it would seem like we are agreeing on the good dealer bit, if the tank is large enough surely if it was kept the same as the dealers tank to begin with then all water chem changes could be done slowly, thus acclimitising the fish and reducing stress. As long as the tank was fully cycled before hand you could get 5-10 fish at the same time depending on the tank size, thus saving on the quarantine tank, hey why not go bare bottom to grow them out before the plants get added? Where is the big spoon smilie

 

[Yanbbrox]

That clears that up then on the auto cen! Yet you can swear all you want

 

[Tequila]

You mean you can't use the common uk slang word for cigarettes = ***s what happens when you do?

Plus it would seem like we are agreeing on the good dealer bit, if the tank is large enough surely if it was kept the same as the dealers tank to begin with then all water chem changes could be done slowly, thus acclimitising the fish and reducing stress. As long as the tank was fully cycled before hand you could get 5-10 fish at the same time depending on the tank size, thus saving on the quarantine tank, hey why not go bare bottom to grow them out before the plants get added? Where is the big spoon smilie

WTF: I swear that language you people over there speak is just making me nutz.

Dude the only fish aside from Marine that I tell people to setup a quarantee tank for are Discus especially if there going to get into high end Discus or setup large aquariums. Discus have way too many little problems that they can have when you purchase them from LFS or dealers. Better to air on the safe side than bring something into your 55G~180G or larger tank and have to treat that much water with less success than if you had too treat 1~3 fish in a 30G tank.

*BUBB hospital tank, with a spong filter that requires NO carbon, & a Airstone and a small light fixture. This tank should be maintained with a low dose amount of Copper & some Aquarium Salt with a temp of 81F~82F, after a week of life in the holding tank with NO signs of troubles. Discus can be acclimated into display tank. Note just prior say (1~2 days) to transferring Discus to display tank, Hospital tank should under go a 30%~50% water change using water from display tank. (I actually always use water from my main tank to refill or start hospital tank, since with RTGG I don't keep a full time hospital tank). (*Butt Ugly Bare Bottom).

You mean the Spoon smilie I'm swinging at your head!