Changing water daily - fish get stress?

[kkdiscus]

Currently I only do water changing twice a week. Every time the fish get stressed when I remove 75% of the water inside the tank. It takes a few hours for them to get back to active after I fill up the tank.

I wonder if daily change, won't the fish get really stressful?

[Jstaabs]

This might be a stupid question but are you putting around the same temp water back in?

[kkdiscus]

This might be a stupid question but are you putting around the same temp water back in?

In Malaysia, the temperature doesn't fluctuate much. Always around 29-30 degree. I let the fish stays inside the tank during water changing, as taking them out stressed them even more.

[trungnguyen]

Do you use water conditioner?


Trung.

[John_Nicholson]

If the replacement water is good it will not stress the fish at all. The cast majority of successful discus keepers change water more than twice a week.

-john

[Phillydubs]

The problem I seem to have has nothing to do with the water or the change, but the fish actually seem to be afraid of the siphon, they swim back and forth and huddle up away from it, some get sppooked and charge off and I am afraid one will bang into he glass too hard and hurt themselves...

It doesn't stop me from doing multiple water changes a week and they are fine once the water starts to fill and begging to eat again right after. I just worry that they will get injured. They also go crazy when I am wiping the glass sides and bottom down...

[Madaboutdiscus]

If you were to start changing water daily they'll get used to the things you use to clean. It's like a child that is afraid/doesn't want to do something. Repetition helps them see that's it safe and not going to harm them. My bunch was terrified at first now I have to "move" them with the scrubber sometimes because they've seen it so much they don't know to move

~Victoria

[STHH]

My discus are so used to the water change, they will go under the hose and wait for the fresh water to flow on them.

[CobaltBerry]

From my personal experience, I was having the same issue. I found out my water has a high amount of dissolved gasses. I've started aging for 12-24 hours, and my discus love water changes now.

This may just show my lack of understanding of your water system, but here it goes: You said that your temperature is constant there. Does that include the temperature of your water as it leaves the faucet? If the water is being pumped through pipes under ground, that may have a different temperature than the air. Groundwater in my area is about 13c regardless of the air temperature.

[BODYDUB]

Maybe a little PH swing in the new water?? Have you tested yout tap to tank PH??????

[kkdiscus]

I use tap water and I put anti-chroline into the tank before putting new pipe water into the tank.

[Nick Klimkowski]

If the replacement water is good it will not stress the fish at all. The cast majority of successful discus keepers change water more than twice a week.

-john


John is right also the more you do them the more they seem to become accustom to getting there water changed and the less stressed they should become. Hth.

[Tazalanche]

Maybe a little PH swing in the new water?? Have you tested your tap to tank PH??????That's what I was thinking too. :)

[aquadon2222]

Discus like water changes, but you don't need to do it every day unless you want to grow out trophy fish.

[discus rookie]

I change 100% twice a day and my discus are very happy about that.
In my humble opinion, if your discus are stressed, perhaps your new water is too different from your old in terms of pH, temp and things like that.
If you only change your water twice a week, may be the pH of your old water is quite different from your new water?

[JaydubAiC21]

Yeah my fish peck at the food going up the siphon as well as seeing what gets stirred up. I would try to do a WC every other day, unless you are feeding a bunch togrow them out fast. I would think temp is most likely the culprit, but I would def take the parameters of my tank, and then a control of the tap water, then another set of tests where you add the dechlorinater directly to the tap water before you put it in the tank. Just to get the baselines. Then maybe do a test shortly after a water change as well, though that would be just to make sure it is what you expected. But yeah, highly unlikely its the siphon unless your fish were traumatized by a siphon as children.

Jay

[Chad Adams]

Discus like water changes, but you don't need to do it every day unless you want to grow out trophy fish.

Disagree with you.

Most people who want consistently healthy discus find it better to do daily water changes. Trophy discus is irrelevant.

Your information is false and worst of all misleading.
Chad

[treemanone2003]

Discus like water changes, but you don't need to do it every day unless you want to grow out trophy fish.

Sorry but I too disagree with your information. I change water daily in my QT just because it's best. Limits disease, need for unnecessary meds and overall wasting money. I prefer to keep as much $$ in my pocket as possible so I could get more non "trophy" fish from respected suppliers. I think your statement is off kilter, highly opinionated, non factual and detracting to anyone contemplating joining the Discus community. JUST MY TWO CENTS !!