Discus, Water Parameters

[bomber]

I have been doing a little research on the web and read that you should change the water in your discus tank at least 2x a week.

I understand they need really clean water but to all the Experienced Discus owners out there,

What should the Nitrates read when you should change the water?

10ppm-20ppm?

20ppm-40ppm?

40ppm-60ppm?

 

[rocketgypsy]

I change water 1x (40%) per week and my discus have been fine for 2 years running. After change, nitrates are about 15ppm, so that must mean about 25-30ppm before the change. I hear Discus need water changes much more often if you want them to grow really big - provided they have the room - but that's not my desire. I use RO with Kent RO Right and Kent Discus Essentials for my new water, which they really like. pH usually about 6.0.

 

[rocketgypsy]

PS - they're breeding, so I know they're happy in there.

 

[bomber]

After change, nitrates are about 15ppm, so that must mean about 25-30ppm before the change.

Thanks for the reply. If those are the nitrates, then as long as the Nitrates are under 20ppm, we as discus keepers dont need to change the water?

 

[Aquaben19]

Thanks for the reply. If those are the nitrates, then as long as the Nitrates are under 20ppm, we as discus keepers dont need to change the water?

False. Just because your Nitrates may read under 20ppm, I would still suggest changing thier water. I myself may not do massive water changes every day, but I DO vacuum out thier poo and wasted food on a daily basis. Clean water is always a plus with Discus. Plus you eliminate some problems you have later dealing with illness.

Ben

 

[TangoWRX]

I change water 1x (40%) per week and my discus have been fine for 2 years running. After change, nitrates are about 15ppm, so that must mean about 25-30ppm before the change. I hear Discus need water changes much more often if you want them to grow really big - provided they have the room - but that's not my desire. I use RO with Kent RO Right and Kent Discus Essentials for my new water, which they really like. pH usually about 6.0.

I'm the same with Ro and kent products. What TDS do you use to get a ph of 6?

I have a few other fish with mine so i keep my ph at about 6.8-7

 

[Burto]

How often and how big a water change should you do on your discus tank? How long is a piece of string?
If the answer to the latter is twice the distance from the centre to either end, the answer to the former is however often and in whatever quantity is necessary to keep your nitrate level desirably low.

For discus, other sensitive fish, and growing fish, I would not want nitrates to get above 15ppm, preferably much lower.
If my nitrate reading in a discus tank was 20ppm I would want to do a 50% water change, same again the following day, then however much water changing in quantity and frequency as is necessary to keep the nitrate level desirably low.
I really wouldn't want to need to change any more than 50% per day on a tank in order to keep the nitrate level low. If 50% a day was insufficient to keep nitrates low, I would adjust my stocking level and feeding regime.

In the tank I keep a pair of discus in (amongst many other fish), 25% water change 5 or 6 times a week keeps nitrate below 10ppm. This is basically enough of a water change to suck up all of the poop and debris from the substrate. 3x 50% water changes per week might be more effective at reducing nitrates further, but the nature of the tank makes 25% changes easier.

 

[rocketgypsy]

Thanks for the reply. If those are the nitrates, then as long as the Nitrates are under 20ppm, we as discus keepers dont need to change the water?

I personally would do my weekly water change no matter what the nitrates were, more than weekly if nitrates got higher than usual. There are a lot of parameters in there, and regular water changes tend to keeps things on an even keel.

I don't disagree with they guys who do water changes every day and keep ppm 10 or less. I merely found that my discus are happy and breeding even tho' my nitrates are between 15ppm and 30ppm. They've been like this for 2 years and so I'm happy. I don't necessarily follow the "book", although I'm currently building a tank with a RO drip system so "water changes" will be gradual and continuous and I'll be more in line with the book.

 

[rocketgypsy]

I'm the same with Ro and kent products. What TDS do you use to get a ph of 6?

I have a few other fish with mine so i keep my ph at about 6.8-7

I'm sorry to say that I don't measure TDS. I just follow the Kent label amounts and leave it at that. I also inject CO2 so that probably has a lot to do with why my pH is lower than neutral 7.0.

I do have a Milwaulkee digital pH meter 'on' all the time, so I continuously see how my activities affect tank pH -- this I found quite useful as my theory on Discus keeping is more about keeping pH steady than sweating TDS and nitrates. Once I let my pH gradually drift down to 4.8 before adding a bit of buffer day after day to gradually bring it back up to around 6, over about a 3 day period. I'm sure the buffer changes the TDS, as does the salt I sometimes add if the Discus are looking a bit stressed out. But the discus never seem to notice anything I do EXCEPT when the pH changes too fast, (or when someone strange rushes into the room and scares them.) So I just concentrate on keeping pH steady, do my weekly water change with RO. Maybe I'm wrong but my Discus seem fine 2 years running.

 

[Bobears]

Nitrates are certainly one thing to look at and a good indicator of a need for a water change. However, letting your nitrates get to 20 and you trying to grow big discus won't get you there. You probably aren't measuring for phosphates. The water changes not only remove what you measure in nitrates, but what you don't measure also. If your goal is big healthy discus, change the water big and often. I changed mine 50% 3x a week. Again they will grow and even breed in less, it all depends on your goals. Oh, and just cause their breeding doesn't mean they are happy, ie. "Why does the caged bird sing?" Hope.