busterbrown;4914486; said:
THAT MAKES 2!
Haha. I just keep reading about all of this 176% water changes every 4 hours and 45 minutes on your bare bottom tanks and what not.
So it's really not tooooo difficult then?
Let's Discus Something ; )
- Thread starter Steveo McNello
- Start date
THAT MAKES 2!
Haha. I just keep reading about all of this 176% water changes every 4 hours and 45 minutes on your bare bottom tanks and what not.
So it's really not tooooo difficult then?
How hard is it to change some water in a fish tank? 50% in 60 gallons which doesnt take any time at all. So three time a week is 180 gallons. 30 minutes of your day is nothing, so that amount maintenance isnt much. Ask some of the other people how time they spend on there tanks. Its not a lot and the fish love it
Discus are not hard to keep, but they are very sensitive to dissolved organics and nitrate in the water and will very quickly stunt out at a small size if you aren't careful. People always balk at water changes with discus, but there's a reason so many discus hobbyists recommend them -- they work. We don't do them because it's fun or because we want to, but because it's been proven over years of discus keeping that the key to large, healthy fish is very clean water.
Aside from nitrates, there are other types of dissolved organics in the water. Discus eat so much as juveniles (and in turn put off so much waste) that it's hard for aquarium plants to keep up. Discus keepers have tried for years to find ways to absorb all the DOCs and nitrates in tank water via natural remedies such as plants, but most don't rid the tank of it fast enough to be very effective. Remember, discus are shoaling fish and in order for the pecking order to work, it's always best to have at least 6 fish (sometimes you can get away with 4). Considering that most people start out with a 55 or 75 gallon tank and 6 cichlids, that's a high bioload.
My suggestion to people is always to start with larger discus if you're doing the planted/decorated tank route. Small fish need the extra food and water changes to really put on growth and develop properly. It's just easier in the long run to do water changes and wipe down the glass on a bare-bottom tank. Once adults are past the crucial growth and development period, usually after 12 - 18 months, you can cut back on food and water changes. These are the best fish for a display tank.
A lot of people get by with one weekly water change and one or two feedings a day with adult discus. This is more in line with other South American cichlids and it shouldn't be any different than those of us keeping geos, severums, oscars, etc. The difference is with the young fish, and not everyone wants (or can afford) daily water changes.
Simply put, everyone's maintenance schedule should be different because everyone has a different tank size, number of fish, filtration, source water, feeding routine, so on and so forth. If you keep 6 large discus in a 125 gallon tank without other large tankmates and you only feed them a couple times a day, you could do one large (50%) water change a week and be fine. Just remember to keep your filters clean and the nitrates low. If you start packing more discus into the tank or upping your feeding, or if you start with small fish, all that changes again.
Aside from nitrates, there are other types of dissolved organics in the water. Discus eat so much as juveniles (and in turn put off so much waste) that it's hard for aquarium plants to keep up. Discus keepers have tried for years to find ways to absorb all the DOCs and nitrates in tank water via natural remedies such as plants, but most don't rid the tank of it fast enough to be very effective. Remember, discus are shoaling fish and in order for the pecking order to work, it's always best to have at least 6 fish (sometimes you can get away with 4). Considering that most people start out with a 55 or 75 gallon tank and 6 cichlids, that's a high bioload.
My suggestion to people is always to start with larger discus if you're doing the planted/decorated tank route. Small fish need the extra food and water changes to really put on growth and develop properly. It's just easier in the long run to do water changes and wipe down the glass on a bare-bottom tank. Once adults are past the crucial growth and development period, usually after 12 - 18 months, you can cut back on food and water changes. These are the best fish for a display tank.
A lot of people get by with one weekly water change and one or two feedings a day with adult discus. This is more in line with other South American cichlids and it shouldn't be any different than those of us keeping geos, severums, oscars, etc. The difference is with the young fish, and not everyone wants (or can afford) daily water changes.
Simply put, everyone's maintenance schedule should be different because everyone has a different tank size, number of fish, filtration, source water, feeding routine, so on and so forth. If you keep 6 large discus in a 125 gallon tank without other large tankmates and you only feed them a couple times a day, you could do one large (50%) water change a week and be fine. Just remember to keep your filters clean and the nitrates low. If you start packing more discus into the tank or upping your feeding, or if you start with small fish, all that changes again.
everything said here has been spot on. you seem to want discus without the work. so did I. but you can't have it both ways. small fish will mean much cheaper prices but will take more work. raising small discus in a planted tank can be done. it's just not the best or easiest way. you are better off getting fish at least 4" or better. what kind of plants? some plants do not take well to high temps that discus need. I went the easy way. just sand, some wood, and floating plants. so easy to maintain. I do a 50-60% wc every 4 days. with the python it does'nt take much more time. my nitrates are always at 5ppm. keeping discus is not rocket science, but they are less forgiving than most fish. neglect you tank and you will have nothing but stunted, sickly fish.
3dees;4915392; said:
I'm not looking for an easy way out... I'm researching different methods to see if I can give them the proper care they need and deserve. I'm not an ignorant fish keeper, I research before I buy.
ive only had discus for a couple of weeks, but i do about a 40-50% water change 3 days a week M, W, F. they are happy and healthy, eating, andi have substrate as well, i always treat the water with "prime" before i put new water into the tank. i was a little skeptical about keeping discus as well, but so far i really enjoy it.
if you need more info, check out this discus forum =)
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/forum.php
(although this kinda scared me a little cuz some people feel like making it a science to keep discus. but regular water changes, good food, and extra care ((water quality)) will do)
if you need more info, check out this discus forum =)
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/forum.php
(although this kinda scared me a little cuz some people feel like making it a science to keep discus. but regular water changes, good food, and extra care ((water quality)) will do)
Its not rocket science as of you already heard but if you treay them right and good they will do the same to you. Starting off bigger is better also. I have gotten juvies and yes they are cheaper but its a pain cause you have to watch them constantly and i do a lot of big water changes and fed them good but its still a pain. I got 3 brilliant turqoise at about an inch a piece and they all have different growth rates and different personalities. It can be done but its more work than getting large discus. Id listen to 3dees and just go with medium sized fish for starters. Its rewarding watching them grow though
Good info here. I'm new to discus also, so my experience is limited. Everything I read says it is very difficult to raise small discus to adult size without stunting them (eyes too big for the body, football shaped, etc). I can't comment on that, so I would do as people say and buy them big already.
As for water changes, again, that's mostly towards those who are raising and breeding discus. If you're simply keeping a show tank, just try to keep your nitrates as low as possible (5-10ppm or less) and they'll be happy.
They are like any tropical fish, but I have noted that they can be more delicate too. I have 7 in my 57g. It's a little crowded, but I'm in the process of setting up a 190g, should be going pretty soon. I do 60% water changes every couple days.
I slacked for a bit, and let it go for about a week and a half. Not sure what happened, but I ended up with a nasty bug that almost killed my fish. When I noticed the clamped fins and white stringy feces, I started doing daily water changes and adding epsom salt. As quickly as it spread, it went away. Not sure what it was, but my guess goes to slacking on the water changes.
Another thing I noticed lately, I think I experienced my first case of gas bubble disease. I normally do water changes straight from the tap. A few weeks ago, I noticed my discus were covered in bubbles after the water change. They didn't look happy at all, and chunks of their slime coat was coming off with the bubbles. All the other fish in the tank were fine except for the discus. Why discus only? I have no idea. I do know that it's caused by the super saturation of nitrogen in the water, but I've never had the problem before. Not sure what caused it all of the sudden. So even though I was always against aging water, I have started aging/aerating for a few hours to degass it, don't want to risk that happening again.
Degassing is a serious issue in aquaculture, and many places use huge degassing towers. So for the time being, I'll age my water for 4-6hrs to get rid of the excess gases.
As for water changes, again, that's mostly towards those who are raising and breeding discus. If you're simply keeping a show tank, just try to keep your nitrates as low as possible (5-10ppm or less) and they'll be happy.
They are like any tropical fish, but I have noted that they can be more delicate too. I have 7 in my 57g. It's a little crowded, but I'm in the process of setting up a 190g, should be going pretty soon. I do 60% water changes every couple days.
I slacked for a bit, and let it go for about a week and a half. Not sure what happened, but I ended up with a nasty bug that almost killed my fish. When I noticed the clamped fins and white stringy feces, I started doing daily water changes and adding epsom salt. As quickly as it spread, it went away. Not sure what it was, but my guess goes to slacking on the water changes.
Another thing I noticed lately, I think I experienced my first case of gas bubble disease. I normally do water changes straight from the tap. A few weeks ago, I noticed my discus were covered in bubbles after the water change. They didn't look happy at all, and chunks of their slime coat was coming off with the bubbles. All the other fish in the tank were fine except for the discus. Why discus only? I have no idea. I do know that it's caused by the super saturation of nitrogen in the water, but I've never had the problem before. Not sure what caused it all of the sudden. So even though I was always against aging water, I have started aging/aerating for a few hours to degass it, don't want to risk that happening again.
Degassing is a serious issue in aquaculture, and many places use huge degassing towers. So for the time being, I'll age my water for 4-6hrs to get rid of the excess gases.
sorry Steve. should have worded it differently. what I meant was you can do it with less work if you start with larger fish. as much as I enjoy watching a fish grow, it's a little different with discus, and I just did'nt want to do all that work.
3dees;4918082; said:
definatly is, my discus tank is bearly a month old and i bought mine at about 1.5 inches a piece, and they definitely need more attention and work than adult discus. although growth is rewarding, and i get excited everytime i notice them getting more color, it is harder to take care of smaller discus than adults.
