Discus water changes
- Thread starter jacobfata
- Start date
As I said in your other thread, two inch discus are very fragile and will need 50-75% water changes at least every other day to grow healthy. They are extremely sensitive at that small size. Once they get to 4-5” then they will be much more hardy and can tolerate less water changes as long as the water parameters are kept such that nitrates don’t go over 10-20 ppm.
Again, you’re asking for trouble putting them into a tank with substrate and decor. You’re asking for trouble having any fish in a tank with that deep of a substrate due to formation of toxic gas pockets.
Ten is also too many to grow out to full-size in a 55. However, you did mention you would get rid of some of the smaller ones as time goes on so that will be fine to start with. If you want to grow out ten in a 55, there will be no room for ANY other fish. You especially don’t want pleco with your discus.
Again, you should remove the power heads to reduce flow in the tank because discus don’t have the physic to handle high flow.
Again, if you want to get discus that can be added to a scaped aquarium, then you should cancel the two inch discus order and simply get six 4-5” discus. However, again, the substrate will need to be addressed before going further because it’s too deep with sand sitting on top of gravel.
Again, you should check out Simply Discus as it is a forum dedicated to only discus. If you’re wanting a discus tank, especially a scaped and planted discus tank, they can help you out big time, but will pretty much tell you everything I already have. I’m beginning to think you do have a profile there but didn’t like the answers you got so you came here to find less experienced discus keepers to give you the answers you wanted...the same way you didn’t like the answers you got in your other thread, so you started this one hoping someone else without as much knowledge will agree with you so you can feel good about getting your two inch discus and then giving them inadequate care. Not the right way to do it.
Again, I laid out a very simple and easy way to get your tank setup and ready for discus that will take you and your boyfriend no more than two hours to complete. Then you can still have discus this week.
Again, I’m not trying to be an *ss, I’m trying to set you up for success so that you can provide your discus the care they need and thrive rather than just hang on and survive, or possibly perish. This way you can enjoy them the way you want to.
Again, I have spent years researching discus, reading forums on them, watching YouTube videos on them, etc. I have read every single thread in the first page of this section such that I only get “new” indicator when there is a new posting. I have joined Simply Discus and spent countless hours there researching and reading about other people’s experiences. I have seen people do exactly what you’re doing with your setup and do exactly what you’re doing by creating new threads to try to justify their want to provide inappropriate conditions and poor care. It always ends badly. Learn from other’s mistakes so you don’t have to go through them yourself. This is why I have not gotten discus of my own yet. I do not have the time to provide the NECESSARY water changes for the smaller discus and I do not have the money to buy the larger discus. Otherwise, I would have them already.
Again, there’s a reason why the older and larger discus cost so much. It’s because of the care it took to get them there.
Substrate aside, your plan sounds great for just about any other fish, just not for discus. They have very different needs than almost all other fish, especially when do young and fragile.
One last option I briefly mentioned if you don’t want to change your current setup is to get on Craigslist or go to your LFS and get another 55 that you can setup solely to grow out the discus. All you will need are a few sponge filters, or you can take one of the filters off of your current tank since it’s already cycled. Just leave the tank completely bare and do your water changes. The fish have no need for substrate or decor. They could care less as long as their water is kept prestine.
Again, if all of this is out of the question for you, then, again, skip the discus. You will only end up with failure of dead discus or discus that are stunted and unhealthy.
Again, you’re asking for trouble putting them into a tank with substrate and decor. You’re asking for trouble having any fish in a tank with that deep of a substrate due to formation of toxic gas pockets.
Ten is also too many to grow out to full-size in a 55. However, you did mention you would get rid of some of the smaller ones as time goes on so that will be fine to start with. If you want to grow out ten in a 55, there will be no room for ANY other fish. You especially don’t want pleco with your discus.
Again, you should remove the power heads to reduce flow in the tank because discus don’t have the physic to handle high flow.
Again, if you want to get discus that can be added to a scaped aquarium, then you should cancel the two inch discus order and simply get six 4-5” discus. However, again, the substrate will need to be addressed before going further because it’s too deep with sand sitting on top of gravel.
Again, you should check out Simply Discus as it is a forum dedicated to only discus. If you’re wanting a discus tank, especially a scaped and planted discus tank, they can help you out big time, but will pretty much tell you everything I already have. I’m beginning to think you do have a profile there but didn’t like the answers you got so you came here to find less experienced discus keepers to give you the answers you wanted...the same way you didn’t like the answers you got in your other thread, so you started this one hoping someone else without as much knowledge will agree with you so you can feel good about getting your two inch discus and then giving them inadequate care. Not the right way to do it.
Again, I laid out a very simple and easy way to get your tank setup and ready for discus that will take you and your boyfriend no more than two hours to complete. Then you can still have discus this week.
Again, I’m not trying to be an *ss, I’m trying to set you up for success so that you can provide your discus the care they need and thrive rather than just hang on and survive, or possibly perish. This way you can enjoy them the way you want to.
Again, I have spent years researching discus, reading forums on them, watching YouTube videos on them, etc. I have read every single thread in the first page of this section such that I only get “new” indicator when there is a new posting. I have joined Simply Discus and spent countless hours there researching and reading about other people’s experiences. I have seen people do exactly what you’re doing with your setup and do exactly what you’re doing by creating new threads to try to justify their want to provide inappropriate conditions and poor care. It always ends badly. Learn from other’s mistakes so you don’t have to go through them yourself. This is why I have not gotten discus of my own yet. I do not have the time to provide the NECESSARY water changes for the smaller discus and I do not have the money to buy the larger discus. Otherwise, I would have them already.
Again, there’s a reason why the older and larger discus cost so much. It’s because of the care it took to get them there.
Substrate aside, your plan sounds great for just about any other fish, just not for discus. They have very different needs than almost all other fish, especially when do young and fragile.
One last option I briefly mentioned if you don’t want to change your current setup is to get on Craigslist or go to your LFS and get another 55 that you can setup solely to grow out the discus. All you will need are a few sponge filters, or you can take one of the filters off of your current tank since it’s already cycled. Just leave the tank completely bare and do your water changes. The fish have no need for substrate or decor. They could care less as long as their water is kept prestine.
Again, if all of this is out of the question for you, then, again, skip the discus. You will only end up with failure of dead discus or discus that are stunted and unhealthy.
Yes I do have an account there and here both in which plenty other people are telling told me that my aquarium which is full of live plants and more of which I’m getting today I’ll be fine with the whole toxic gasses are going to build up.. with regular water changes and light rakings in the sand and lots of live plants like so. I’m not longer getting the babies I’m purchasing larger discus. I’m an also quite aware of some obvious things you continue to mention, we all are aware ten discus are setup for a lifetime in a 55gallon. Everyone except for you actually just about has said I will be just fine with my substrate and live plants. My fish have been good for the past eight months and my water parameters are quite well so I think I’m good for now on the whole restating an aquarium thing. I’m hopeful with for the setup. Thank you for the advice.
And by the way no body only on simply discus has told me anything like what you’re saying. They both here and there are telling me my plants are oxygenating my substrate 
And by the way no body only on simply discus has told me anything like what you’re saying. They both here and there are telling me my plants are oxygenating my substrate
I don’t have the time to read your entire topic on your level of education. But on a brighter note, I’m adding more live plants today and looking for some discus around four inches to add to the setup. I feel like there is no need to restart and everyone else has told me that’s overkill too. I appreciate your opinion and am taking your advice on getting the larger ones. Thank you.
Sorry I didn’t have time to read the reply earlier. I canceled the order for the ten two inchers and decided instead to go to a new LFS and load up on live plants and a good substrate cleaner. I understand what you’re saying however also researching and watching videos of deeper substrate aquariums thriving, with the addition of live plants and a good weekly cleaning. I’m still looking for discus but thanks to your advice im looking for some bigger babies. I want to get a few four inchers and raise them in the setup and continue to add more live plants as time goes on to combat any toxins building up with oxygen. The tank has been running for nearly a year now and my water parameters and maintenance schedule including weekly 50% water changes... I think they should be just fine. But I’ll let you know how it goes and hope to not make an expensive mistake.. thank you for sharing your knowledge with me.
We dropped s pretty penny at the the aquarium shop but it was worth it.. we ended up going with a few larger discus rather than the babies. The guy at the store told me to do no more then 25% weekly water changes, run the UV sterilizer and don’t mess with the ph. It’s worked for him for decades so I trust everything will be just fine but I’ll also be monitoring the water conditions. The setup now contains four small discus, about twenty neon tetras and three Cory cats. 
No one can tell you what amount of water you need to change period. That's why they make test kits. You test your water and adjust your waterchanges.
Also what works for me may work horrible for you. Test your water frequently keep your water parameters on point you'll be ok.
I don't care what anyone says. Discus from what I've seen are remineralized RO or rodi status.
You don't have a skimmer, fuge, etc so I doubt you can get away with 25% weekly. Test test test.
Also what works for me may work horrible for you. Test your water frequently keep your water parameters on point you'll be ok.
I don't care what anyone says. Discus from what I've seen are remineralized RO or rodi status.
You don't have a skimmer, fuge, etc so I doubt you can get away with 25% weekly. Test test test.
25% weekly won't work, sorry. Invest in a liquid test kit, keep those nitrates under 20ppm at all times. 55g and lots of discus = quick water decline.