Converting my 125g

[jaybuc]

Hello
I plan on converting my 125g african tank into a Discus tank. It currently houses 10 male peacocks. I have large bolder type rocks with Pool filter sand as my substrate. I am running 2 XP3 canister filters for filtration. I plan on putting plants in such as java fern, swords etc... Should I keep the pool sand? Also living florida i have hard water, Will using my RO/DI system be enough to soften the water for discus? Also what books, articals would be recommended?

Thanks!

[Merrilyn]

That will make a wonderful home for discus.

Your pool filter sand will be fine as a substrate, but just remember that it doesn't provide the plants with any food, so some fertilizer tablets under the swords will encourage good growth. Java fern is pretty tough I think, and doesn't need much in the way of fertilizer.

I'd be inclined to remove the rocks, as they may add to the hardness of your water, which is something we definately don't want. Replace them with some nice looking pieces of driftwood. That is a more natural biotope for discus, and the driftwood will help to soften the water, and add some tannins, which your fish will love.

Hard water isn't such a bad thing for growing discus. It has lots of minerals which assist with bone formation. However is't no good for breeding, and eggs will not hatch in hard water.

Unfortunately hard water usually goes hand in hand with a high pH, and that is more of a problem. Discus are healthier in slightly acid water, so you need to do something to keep your pH around 7 or a little under.

I'd suggest you do a little experimenting with your water, once the cichlids have been removed, and see what RO mix works for your particular water.

In my humble opinion, the pH is more important than the hardness (so long as it's not too extreme) with raising and keeping discus.

If you want to breed, then that's a whole other chapter :P

[Greggy]

Sounds like a good idea - I think you'll like Discus more than African Cichlids, they just have this certain 'charm' about them, and once it gets under your skin, well your hooked! I even prefer the look of a well planted Discus aquarium to a fully bombed Marine aquarium (personal taste of course).

As for water hardness, my (tank bred) Discus live in very hard tap water where the pH is usually up around 7.8 (due to it being so hard) and although I'm sure my Discus would prefer softer more acidic water they don't seem to mind too much. Even my Rummy Noses and Cardinals have now gotten used to it, and although I lost some Cardinals early on (no doubt to the high pH they had to tolerate) the remainder of them have grown up and look very happy & healthy.

However having a pH below 7.0 is a very good idea, and its good insurance against Ammonia (NH3) spikes where Ammonia turns to relatively harmless Ammonium (NH4+) when pH is below 7.0 (Neutral).

Go for it!!!

Regards,

Greggy

[jaybuc]

Thank you for the advice! My pool filter sand bed is only about 2.5 inches deep, I wonder if I could add a more planet friendly substrate on top? Also what is a good way to monitor tempature in a discus tank? Should I use an inline heater connected to one of my canister filters? Thanks again for the help. I will lpost pictures as my adventure unfolds :)