New to discus ....Hello

[deb]

Hi everyone

I am new to the world of discus and was wondering if anyone can help me get started. I have a 6 foot tank, canister filter and have 3 sponge filters which I would also like to put in the tank.. The tank is currently empty. What would I need to do before I purchase any fish. How soon can I add fish, . I plan to keep a bare bottom tank with driftwood and plants attached..

Thanks

Deb

[Discus Planetarium]

Welcome to the forum Deb,good to see your getting into discus first thing first how long has your tank been running and we will go from there

[deb]

Thanx Discus Planetarium,

The tank is not running it has no water in it.

[Discus Planetarium]

ok is it all new has the filter been running on another tank,lets get some water in fill it up mate lol..

[deb]

Yes everything is new. nothing has been connected or run before in any tank. I just wanted to get an idea of what to do.
Is it best to fishless cycle before adding any discus, or can I add fish and just keep doing water changes everyday. What is the Ideal temp and pH to keep discus at. Just the general start up stuff.. I just dont want to do anything wrong to start with that may lead to disaster

Thanks

[dyong]

hey deb welcome! it is definitely better to have the tank cycled first for atleast a week and some people say more! unless you can find someone with some old cotton wool and put it into your cannister!

[BobbyBruce]

Hi Deb,

The first thing you need to consider are your water parameters, ie, pH, gH and kH. If your tapwater is way off the "desired" parameters you need to think about how you are going to "fix" it. My tapwater is way off the chart for everything as far as discus are concerned so I run an RO unit then add RO right to make the water up to desired parameters.

Avoiding adding acids etc to your tank or change water is not a good option over time. Make sure you have the test kits required for the above parameters plus ammonia, nitrIte and nitrAte. Use liquid test kits rather than test strips and especially "multi" test strips.

Then read as much as you can on here regarding keeping discus, diseases, parasites and treatment options as well as appropriate food/nutrition while you cycle your tank

Regards,

Bob

[Old Dave]

I just dont want to do anything wrong to start with that may lead to disaster
Thanks

One potential disaster is NEW.
Clean is good but new can lead to "shocks".

Get you tank up and running (cycled etc) and then add a few discus compatibles, catfish etc.
It's not just a matter of cycling a tank but ageing it, unless you intend to do massive daily or weekly water changes. They bring with them their own risks.

Take it slow, build you understanding before you commit.
Check out all the lfs's you can and find out which ones you are comfortable with.
Learn about identifying and preventing problems before you purchase your discus and you will have done them a great favour.

Enjoy your new hobby and welcome to the forum Deb.
hth,
Dave

[deb]

It's not just a matter of cycling a tank but ageing it, unless you intend to do massive daily or weekly water changes. They bring with them their own risks.

Thanks for the welcome guys.

I have been reading post on "Fishless Cycling" I think i would rather cycle without causing any fish the stress and seeding the filter from another tank is also risky not knowing what it can bring to my tank and the discus in it. What sort of time is required to age a tanks filtration system??

[Ghoti]

Not sure where you are in Melbourne Deb, but in the SE suburbs it would be worth your while visiting Adrian at Exotic Aquatic in Carnegie (was discus specialist until he found plants and got converted). OAFS in Oakleigh is only 5 minutes away and has heaps of fish at reasonable prices. He is a little less careful though so I would not rely too much on his advice.

Discus are too beautiful (and expensive) to risk in the rush to keep some. Melbourne water is generally on the money for Discus so at least that's one complication out the way.


Cheers,
Scott