Wild Green Tefe Discus Pair

[Hidan]

Not sure Cardinals would help too much. And if they do spawn you would have to net out the cardinals and that would just spook the Discus once again.

The ammonia reading is a bit of a concern, also its rare for a tank to have 0 Nitrites. Check the Ammonia once again, randomly to ensure it is under control and the fish aren't stressed ammonia in the tank.

 

[Festae Forever]

The ammonia reading is a bit of a concern, also its rare for a tank to have 0 Nitrites. Check the Ammonia once again, randomly to ensure it is under control and the fish aren't stressed ammonia in the tank.

Went back and checked the Nitrites and indeed it's 0. It's a fairly new tank, so perhaps that's why? I used bio media from one of my established tanks to start it. Glad you mentioned the ammonia. I went back and checked and it was even higher. I did an immediate 25% water change. Now it's between 0 ppm and .25 ppm It's like a double edged sword. I know the water changes need to be done, but everytime I do so the discus seem to be stressed out again. Starting to wonder if they were a bad fit for me. I love wild discus, but have seen some great looking F1 babies of late.

 

[Lilyann]

Your bio filter will catch up eventually. Don’t worry about stressing the discus with waterchanges. It’s much more stressful for them to be exposed to ammonia.

 

[Hidan]

I know the water changes need to be done, but everytime I do so the discus seem to be stressed out again. Starting to wonder if they were a bad fit for me. I love wild discus, but have seen some great looking F1 babies of late.

Every fish gets slightly stressed during water change. However many of us who keep discus, do water changes every other day and the discus do fine with it. If anything, the cleaner you keep the water, the healthier they are and the bigger they grow.

If your filter is still showing ammonia and no nitrites, it means your old media doesn't seem to be doing its job.
I'd suggest adding additional old media or borrowing some from a friend with an established tank. Also something like Seachems Stability or even a instant bacteria seeding bottle could be useful as Discus don't do great with ammonia.

Lastly don't lose hope. We all have to begin sometimes and everyone makes mistakes, but when it all eventually clicks, Discus are great fish to have in the tank.
Its my first time with Discus and I can't be more happier. Spend more time in front of the tank, than I did with any other fish in the past.