Michelle's Discus

[jeb102385]

I was thinking more along the lines of something like this...

http://www.bigalspets.com/gravel-tube-30.html

[michelleraia]

I love discus. I really wanted them when I started my tank but I was told to stay away from them if you are a beginner. So I opted out. Are they are difficult to care for as the Internet makes it out to be. I was reading you need a certain type of filtration etc.

[mnemenoi]

IMO Water changes and strict adherence to water parameters are the key to successful discus keeping. Many top breeders perform 50-100% water changes daily to ensure no build up of any pollutants. Soft water is harder to do for them in our area, but allows a bit more wiggle room on parameters as the pollutants themselves act differently in very low Ph systems.

[michelleraia]

Would a water softening system that is built into your house be safe and good water to use for them?

[mnemenoi]

Water softening systems generally replace minerals with other minerals, thus producing similarly hard and mineral rich water (high TDS). To create soft/acidic water here I have found it easiest to start with RODI/Distilled water (0 TDS, Ph-7.0) and acidify it via peat, Ph reducing substrate or tannins. It can be achieved via CO2 injection, but that has a tendency to swing overnight and can cause some shock in fishes that experience those dramatic swings. A larger RODI unit would truly be the best idea to provide the ample water needed for water changing in any system that could house discus in a soft/acidic water parameter. Many SW keepers use them to allow them to start with water free from any pollutants or excessive nutrients that would cause an imbalance to their delicate reef systems. You can buy RODI water from many LFS, but hauling it can become an issue with any significant gallonage. I would recommend any interest in a soft/acidic water system to try it out in a smaller tank and get a feel for it and its upkeep/care before trying it in a larger system. A simple 10 gallon can give you a much better idea on its maintenance and tendencies, eventually applying it to a larger set up. We have run quite a few very soft water tank with no CO2 inj. and would be happy to offer guidance and issues to watch for should you want to try it out.

[Darbex]

I will say the problem with RODI water is that it strips out all minerals. So you loose the good ones and you will need to get additives to replace it. IMO the best way to get the right water is use RO water and let it sit in a drum with peat or IAL for a few days. Or get rain water. But all of this is a big headache, especially if you are lazy like me. Discus can live healthy and happy lives in tap water. The amount of WC with discus all depends on how big the tank is, how many fish are in the tank, what is the decor, and what you want to do with the discus. If you just want them to view and not bread then it will not require as much WC or soft/acidic water either. I keep 10 discus in a 150G. That is on the low side but I am lazy and dont want to do more than 1 WC a week. I also have it heavily planted with plants from the region to help consume the nitrates. Another thing I do is I fill the tank up with RO and tap water as to lower the pH but also speeds up the WC time since I have 2 sources of water coming in.

Long story short is to say Discus arent that hard as long as you do it correctly and now what you want out of the experience. SW fish are more difficult than discus. But discus to me is probably the one of the hardest FW fish to keep.

[Darbex]

Seachem's Equilibrium is the stuff I was talking about if going RO only.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4828

[michelleraia]

If I want to buy an RO unit would I turn my water softener off and then run the python through the RO uunit when I filling the tank back up. Can you send me a link to a good RO unit.

[mnemenoi]

Usually RO units are purchased with a collection tank that shuts off when it is filled. They can take a bit of time to fill so many folks DIY a larger container (55gallon drum, ect.) to increase their collection amount and simply hook up a powerhead or pump to move it into their tanks. I only use small amounts (all our soft water tanks are under 8 gallons) so larger systems are not my strong suit, but I'm certain some saltwater folks on here can recommend a decent system to handle larger volumes.

[mnemenoi]

Many saltwater internet sites have models online, most are sold by the gallon amount of RO water they can produce daily, such as 75 GPD, or 150 GPD. Depending on your storage capacity and water change schedule this should help to determine your sizing

[Tautog]

Thats a beautiful looking set of Discuss... I just got started... on Discus a few months back.