Converting african ciclid tank to discus. help please

[neupane00]

Hey guys, i have a well estabilished ciclid tank. Running for about 2 years. I have UV, canister filter on this tank. I have river gravel substrate. I plan to change to smaller white substrate (either thin gravel or thin layer of sand).

I plan to clean the tank and the filter etc. But my main question is after i clean everything else can i keep the same filter media so that the new cycling becomes easier? Since i need all new water (ciclid water has higher PH, ciclid buffers etc), if i change the filter i would be cycling from scratch.

So ideally i want to keep the filters media, change water and substrate. would that be enough? I am not new to discus per say, i have kept them in the past for 6 years. But i am new to what should be done to change the ciclid tank to discus.

Thanks so much.

[DiscusLoverJeff]

The changes you want to make will be fine. As far as color of substrate and back glass, the lighter the color, the more you can house Pigeon Blood discus and non-pigeon. If you go with a darker substrate, you are better just keeping non-pigeon blood because pigeons can pepper. meaning get dark spots all over them as a result from darker tanks.

[YSS]

Yup. Keep the filter media.

[100fuegos]

I will definitely sterilise everything with bleach and start from cero. Why taking the risk to expose your new and expensive discus to anything that they may not be immune to?

I mean keep the filter media but sterilise it and the tank itself with bleach.

[Second Hand Pat]

It sounds to me like you wish to maintain the BB you currently have in your filter media so you do not have to recycle your tank. However I would do as suggested above and sterilize everything plus change out the substrate for PFS. So you will need the cycle the tank. To me it is not worth the risk of contaminating your new discus from your old stock.
Pat

[MendoMan]

With the amount of investment you are about to make I can't see not changing out a few dollars worth of filter media. If your sterilizing everything in your tank, as you should, you will have to start a new cycle anyway.

[Frankr409]

Interesting...

[Crooks]

I would just keep the old filter media.