Sydney Dean
Wed Apr 13, 2011, 08:36 AM
Hi all.
I'm no professional at keeping discus, in fact I've only had one 2 months, however I needed to throw together a "how to" guide for my mother who will be looking after the tank while I'm on holidays.
Thought I'd post it here for your feedback / pleasure.
If you've got any tips, please let me know!
Thanks.
(BTW, we're on the Coast of Australia, our buckets are 10L, the food is New Life Spectrum Discuss Formula 1mm sinking pellets, the Neutral Regulator is Seachem 250g treats 500-1000 gallons, and the PH down is aqua One 2g per 40L to lower by 0.4PH per 24hrs)
FEEDING
How Often:
You must feed the fish every day. Twice a day is better, 3 times a day is alright too.
How Much:
• A Small pinch of the pellets is good.
• If they've finished eating after a minute, then give them some more.
• If there's still food lying around after 5 minutes, you've given them too much, and should scoop the extra out with the net.
Warning:
• If you don't feed them often enough, they'll start biting each other's fins. Then the fins get infected, the fish dies and the decomposing body poisons the tank.
• If you feed them too much in one go, the leftover food will poison the tank.
• The food is dead fish. If you handle it with your hands, you should wash your hands.
CHECKING UP ON THE FISH
How Often:
Every day or two.
What to check:
• Check the filter is running.
• Check the temperature is between 27 - 30 degrees.
• Check all the fish are there. (If any have died, find them and remove them with the net.)
Fish Checklist:
• 1 Discus -- the big one :)
• 1 Loach – Large one with black / orange stripes
• 1 Glass Catfish – The see-through one, hides in the plants
• 1 Dark-Green with clear fins
• 1 Black with black fins
• 1 Red with black fins
• 1 Red with red fins
• 2 Rummynose -- red heads, and black / white striped tails
• 3 Male Guppies – 2 white with red fins, 1 patterned
• 10 Neon Tetras
CHANGING THE WATER
How Often:
Ideally, every week. Every 2 weeks is ok.
You will need:
1. 2 buckets
2. 1 siphon hose
3. Container of Neutral Regulator
4. Container of PH Down
5. 2g scoop (the white one)
6. A Buddy
How Much:
• 4-5 buckets
Out with the old:
1. Put a towel down in front of the tank. There's sure to be spillage.
2. Siphon water from the tank into the bucket.
3. You can use the end of the hose like a vacuum to clean the grime out of the gravel.
4. Swap from one bucket to the next when it gets full.
5. Have your buddy emptying one bucket while you fill the next.
In with the new:
1. Get the tap in the laundry running (slowly) and at approximately the same temperature as the tank water.
2. Have your buddy fill a bucket, and in each bucket put 1 heaped scoop of each mixture (Neutral Regulator, PH Down)
3. Poor the bucket of water (very slowly) into the tank. (while your buddy prepares the next bucket)
4. Go back to your buddy to give him the empty bucket and retrieve the new one.
Caution:
• Don't poor the water directly on top of fish. It might be too cold (or hot) for them.
• If you poor the water into the tank too quickly, otherwise the tank's walls will explode and the power cables underneath will short circuit and the house will burn down.
TESTING THE PH
How Often:
After changing the water. But give the mixture at least 2 hours to settle in first. The next day is fine.
Why:
• The PH level the discus requires to stay healthy is about 6 - 6.5.
• The PH level of the water from our taps is about 8.
• If after doing a water change the PH level might still be too high.
You will need:
• Syringe
• Vial
• PH Test Solution
• PH Test Colour-Code Card
• Towel
• Adequate lighting
Procedure:
1. Take a sample of the water using the syringe.
2. Fill the Vial up to the line.
3. Drop 3 drops of the test solution into the vial.
4. Hold your thumb over the vial, and shake it till it's mixed in.
5. Compare the colour of the vial to the colour-code card. Lower than 6.6 is OK. 6.6 or higher is no good, and you'll need to adjust the PH.
6. Don't put the solution back into the tank. Poor it into the towel.
ADJUSTING THE PH
How Often:
Only if you do a PH Test and find that the PH is too high.
What's with the drip?
The directions on the PH Down say to create a formula and put it into the tank gradually over a 15 minute period. This just seemed easier.
You will need:
• The Drip (the 600ml bottle labelled "Drip")
• PH Down
• 2g scoop (the white one)
How Much:
• Depends on how high the PH was.
• 2 scoops if it was 6.6 - 6.8
• 4 scoops if it was higher.
Procedure:
1. Fill the drip with tank water. Be careful not to let any leaves or anything get in otherwise it will block the hole.
2. Place the drip on the lid of the tank above the feeding hole, such that the water is dripping back into the tank.
3. Scoop the PH Down into drip.
4. If you later find that the drip has stopped dripping, fill it with more tank water to increase the pressure.
5. 2 or more hours later you can do another PH test, then adjust the PH again if necessary.
AMMONIA TEST
How Often:
• Every month or so.
• Or if the tank looks weird.
• Or if a fish dies.
• Or if a fish looks sick.
Why:
Ammonia poisoning gets worse over time. It will kill all the fish if not treated. Detecting it early is a good idea.
Procedure:
1. Fill the jar with tank water.
2. Take it to the aquarium and ask them to test the ammonia.
• It will take them about 5 minutes.
• You may need to tell them details about the tank: 140L Communal Tropical tank with a Discus, filtered by a 500LPH filter with Bio Noodles.
3. If anything is wrong, ask them what to do next.
I'm no professional at keeping discus, in fact I've only had one 2 months, however I needed to throw together a "how to" guide for my mother who will be looking after the tank while I'm on holidays.
Thought I'd post it here for your feedback / pleasure.
If you've got any tips, please let me know!
Thanks.
(BTW, we're on the Coast of Australia, our buckets are 10L, the food is New Life Spectrum Discuss Formula 1mm sinking pellets, the Neutral Regulator is Seachem 250g treats 500-1000 gallons, and the PH down is aqua One 2g per 40L to lower by 0.4PH per 24hrs)
FEEDING
How Often:
You must feed the fish every day. Twice a day is better, 3 times a day is alright too.
How Much:
• A Small pinch of the pellets is good.
• If they've finished eating after a minute, then give them some more.
• If there's still food lying around after 5 minutes, you've given them too much, and should scoop the extra out with the net.
Warning:
• If you don't feed them often enough, they'll start biting each other's fins. Then the fins get infected, the fish dies and the decomposing body poisons the tank.
• If you feed them too much in one go, the leftover food will poison the tank.
• The food is dead fish. If you handle it with your hands, you should wash your hands.
CHECKING UP ON THE FISH
How Often:
Every day or two.
What to check:
• Check the filter is running.
• Check the temperature is between 27 - 30 degrees.
• Check all the fish are there. (If any have died, find them and remove them with the net.)
Fish Checklist:
• 1 Discus -- the big one :)
• 1 Loach – Large one with black / orange stripes
• 1 Glass Catfish – The see-through one, hides in the plants
• 1 Dark-Green with clear fins
• 1 Black with black fins
• 1 Red with black fins
• 1 Red with red fins
• 2 Rummynose -- red heads, and black / white striped tails
• 3 Male Guppies – 2 white with red fins, 1 patterned
• 10 Neon Tetras
CHANGING THE WATER
How Often:
Ideally, every week. Every 2 weeks is ok.
You will need:
1. 2 buckets
2. 1 siphon hose
3. Container of Neutral Regulator
4. Container of PH Down
5. 2g scoop (the white one)
6. A Buddy
How Much:
• 4-5 buckets
Out with the old:
1. Put a towel down in front of the tank. There's sure to be spillage.
2. Siphon water from the tank into the bucket.
3. You can use the end of the hose like a vacuum to clean the grime out of the gravel.
4. Swap from one bucket to the next when it gets full.
5. Have your buddy emptying one bucket while you fill the next.
In with the new:
1. Get the tap in the laundry running (slowly) and at approximately the same temperature as the tank water.
2. Have your buddy fill a bucket, and in each bucket put 1 heaped scoop of each mixture (Neutral Regulator, PH Down)
3. Poor the bucket of water (very slowly) into the tank. (while your buddy prepares the next bucket)
4. Go back to your buddy to give him the empty bucket and retrieve the new one.
Caution:
• Don't poor the water directly on top of fish. It might be too cold (or hot) for them.
• If you poor the water into the tank too quickly, otherwise the tank's walls will explode and the power cables underneath will short circuit and the house will burn down.
TESTING THE PH
How Often:
After changing the water. But give the mixture at least 2 hours to settle in first. The next day is fine.
Why:
• The PH level the discus requires to stay healthy is about 6 - 6.5.
• The PH level of the water from our taps is about 8.
• If after doing a water change the PH level might still be too high.
You will need:
• Syringe
• Vial
• PH Test Solution
• PH Test Colour-Code Card
• Towel
• Adequate lighting
Procedure:
1. Take a sample of the water using the syringe.
2. Fill the Vial up to the line.
3. Drop 3 drops of the test solution into the vial.
4. Hold your thumb over the vial, and shake it till it's mixed in.
5. Compare the colour of the vial to the colour-code card. Lower than 6.6 is OK. 6.6 or higher is no good, and you'll need to adjust the PH.
6. Don't put the solution back into the tank. Poor it into the towel.
ADJUSTING THE PH
How Often:
Only if you do a PH Test and find that the PH is too high.
What's with the drip?
The directions on the PH Down say to create a formula and put it into the tank gradually over a 15 minute period. This just seemed easier.
You will need:
• The Drip (the 600ml bottle labelled "Drip")
• PH Down
• 2g scoop (the white one)
How Much:
• Depends on how high the PH was.
• 2 scoops if it was 6.6 - 6.8
• 4 scoops if it was higher.
Procedure:
1. Fill the drip with tank water. Be careful not to let any leaves or anything get in otherwise it will block the hole.
2. Place the drip on the lid of the tank above the feeding hole, such that the water is dripping back into the tank.
3. Scoop the PH Down into drip.
4. If you later find that the drip has stopped dripping, fill it with more tank water to increase the pressure.
5. 2 or more hours later you can do another PH test, then adjust the PH again if necessary.
AMMONIA TEST
How Often:
• Every month or so.
• Or if the tank looks weird.
• Or if a fish dies.
• Or if a fish looks sick.
Why:
Ammonia poisoning gets worse over time. It will kill all the fish if not treated. Detecting it early is a good idea.
Procedure:
1. Fill the jar with tank water.
2. Take it to the aquarium and ask them to test the ammonia.
• It will take them about 5 minutes.
• You may need to tell them details about the tank: 140L Communal Tropical tank with a Discus, filtered by a 500LPH filter with Bio Noodles.
3. If anything is wrong, ask them what to do next.