WC for Discus advise

[migdem]

Hi all,

I have a 450 litre tank which is planted and I dose PPS-Pro as ferts. The tank has some angel fish, tetras, corys, and some loaches. I do 100 litre water change per week.

The parameters of the water that I throw away is

Nitrate 12.5
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
GH 7
PH 7

Now I have another tank in which i have discus in it. The water parameter are

Nitrate 25
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
GH 7
PH 8

Can i do water change with the other 450 litre water's tank to lower nitrate and PH? or better use tap water with parameters

Nitrate 25
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
GH 7
PH 8

Please note that I cannot use rain water or RO in this discus tank for now.

Thanks

 

[leeishom]

i would not mix tank water.

 

[migdem]

why not?

 

[leeishom]

a simple standard, while keeping multiple tanks.
not sharing nets, tubing etc...
decrease the chances of spreading any diseases.

 

[migdem]

ah ok. So it is better that discus be in a ph of 8 instead of sharing water from another tank?

 

[leeishom]

ah ok. So it is better that discus be in a ph of 8 instead of sharing water from another tank?

if you want to lower PH, there are ways to, but having it stable is most important. there is no perfect PH. that is why some aquarists would suggest housing fishes that are comfortable with the normal PH from local tap.
i mean, there are ways and items that can lower PH, but id rather to leave it how it is.

are you trying to breed the discuses?

 

[migdem]

no I am not trying to breed them but would like them to live in my aquarium

 

[leeishom]

save yourself the headache and problems; i would not try to achieve the perfect PH for discuses. id rather just sell them off, instead of playing with the chemistry.
you may add: driftwood with moss and plants in the tank, to help lower PH. im not sure how much it will lower, but it does.

 

[migdem]

but then if this lowers when I do the weekly wc i always add water source with an 8 PH

 

[leeishom]

it all depends on your entire setup, feeding, what kinds of foods, your filtration, the substrate, how much fish poop on the pre-filters and/or sponge filters etc.
i cannot tell you what you should do or can do with positive results with your setups, due to me not knowing much about your setups.

lets just say: your discus tank is at 7.5 PH before WC. your tap is at 8 PH, if you do a 50% WC your tanks PH will rise, to how much exactly?, im not sure. you would need to test the water.
now, from how i do WC's...the PH will never increase pass 7.0, even with a 50% WC on my 180G.

you dont want to do a huge amount of WC at one time, unless its an emergency.
remember, you want the water chemistry to slowly change, also to have the fishes change with it.

my tap=7.5
my tanks=6.5
i WC about 40 to 45% every 4 o r 5 days; 'cause i feed all my fishes a high protein diet, lots of meaty foods.