Bringing home new discus...

[neo_44]

Hi everyone,

I'm brand new to discus and have a few questions:

1. Do I need to keep the exact same water temp as the breeder?
(is there an ideal temp?)
2. What's the best way to get new discus adjusted to my tank conditions?
3. If I don't feed them for the first day or so (I expect they'll be stressed from the move and won't eat), does this mean I don't have
to do the daily water change?
4. Lights on or lights off??

Thanks everyone, this is a really informative site! Best one I've found on the net! ;D

Oh yeah, just for the record, I have a 55g with gravel.

[Carol_Roberts]

Hi Neo and welcome to Simplydiscus :wave:

1) When I bring get new discus I have the temp a little higher than the breeder for the first several days - about 88 degrees.

2) If your pH is .5 or more lower than the breeder you can adjust your tank to the conditions the discus are used to. What is the pH of your water? IF your pH is lower than the breeder you can raise it with a little baking soda. IF the pH of your water is a little higher than the breeder don't try to lower it. Discus can easily adajust to water a little higher in pH.

3) You will be putting the discus in a clean tank with fresh water and a fully cycled filter. You do not need to do a water change the first day.

4) lights off mostly . . .

55 gallon is a good size for 6-8 baby discus. What type of filter do you have and how are you cycling it? I Hate Gravel :-X :o

[neo_44]

Thanks for the quick reply Carol :D

Let's see,

I'm not sure what the breeders tank conditions are. My PH comes out of the tap at 7.2 and aged water is about the same, a shade higher.

I was reading another post, and the consensus seemed to be that you don't have to adjust PH!?!? What's the best way to introduce the new discus to my tank...float them in the bag for 30 min...keep adding my tank water to the bag slowly...If I do this, is it safe to say I won't have to adjust my PH at all? I'd like to get them in with the least shock possible but also have them adjust to my water as soon as possible.

After the first few days at 88 degrees, what temp do you settle on?

I have an aquaclear 200 and an aquaclear 300. I currently have a convict breeding pair with about 11 3-month old fry. The tank has been running since March but I used the gravel and the filter media from a 3 yr old established tank. I'll be moving the convict out asap.

Which brings me to another question, I had an oscar in the tank which I recently took out because he wasn't doing very well. Gasping for air. Could whatever affected him affect the new discus?

Hmmm...I'll have to defend gravel use in another post...this ones getting long...

[Carol_Roberts]

After they settle in I keep my temp at 84. Your pH of 7.2 is fine for discus. Aqua clear 300 + AC 200 does not = Aqua Clear 500 ;)

When I get new fish I don't add water to the bag. My tank is close to or slightly higher than seller's pH so I place bag in small bucket after dumping out most of the water, reach in with my hand, gently grasp discus and plop in tank.

I don't know what was wrong with oscar - hopefully just not enough disolved oxygen. Is he better in a different tank? Since you have had other fish in that tank here is a simple way to make it as healthy as possible for new juvenile discus.

I suggest you pull the gravel and everything else in the tank at least 2 weeks prior to arrival of new discus. Clean tank thouroughly with either a 10% bleach solution or rubbing alcohol. Rinse several times. Dry and store gravel for later use.

Run filters in an extra 10 gallon tank or anthing that will hold water. Add a few drops of pure household ammonia every couple of days to keep filters alive. If you can do this for 2 weeks or so many fish parasites, etc. will die.

The day the discus arrive rinse filters in dechlorinated water and put put back in sparkling clean 55 gallon that was filled the day before with clean dechlorinated water and is 88 degrees. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons salt per 10 gallons. Turn the lights off, let them settle in, feed late evening or next day.

[rickk]

Hi Carol. So here you go just another reason this site is so good. a couple of drops of ammonia every couple of days, I have learnt something new again today.

Thank you

Rick

[RAWesolowski]

I agree wholeheartedly with Carole on the acclimate to temperature and then put the fish in the tank without adding tank water to the bag. A problem with transporting discus or any fish is the build-up of ammonia in fish bags during shipment. If the bag water is acidic, it is likely that the ammonia is held in state as ammonium, a relatively harmless chemical. Exposing the bag to tank water or the air may result in an increase in pH in the bag water that will transform ammonium to ammonia.

If your fish survive, side effects may be burnt gills and fins.