General questions

[wet head]

Hi,

I've been a tropical fish hobbyist for many years and am now considering owning discus for fun, not necessarily for breeding. I have a 55 gal tank with various small tetras.I'd like to know the answer to a few questions if someone could be so kind to answer.

1. The pH of my aged water is about 7.6. The same water not in my tank is on the acid side. What could be causing the pH to rise? The water is relatively soft (80PPM). I have 2 river rocks in the tank the size of a softball and about 2 inches of store bought aquarium gravel. Could either of these affect the pH? I've added some peat but so far have seen no effect. Should I even worry about it?

2. Are there any varieties of discus that are more hardy than others?

3. I'll probably buy fish in the 2 inch range. Should I raise them in a tank by themselves until they grow more before introducing them into the 55 gal? Should I buy more mature fish?

4. I've read the threads but are frequent water changes really necessary for non-breeding purposes?

Thanks for your help

Wet Head

[Carol_Roberts]

. The pH of my aged water is about 7.6. The same water not in my tank is on the acid side. What could be causing the pH to rise? The water is relatively soft (80PPM). I have 2 river rocks in the tank the size of a softball and about 2 inches of store bought aquarium gravel. Could either of these affect the pH? I've added some peat but so far have seen no effect. Should I even worry about it? Probably your tap water contains CO2. Once the CO2 disapates the pH rises. Since you are aging your water don't worry about it

2. Are there any varieties of discus that are more hardy than others? Pigeonbloods and turquoise

3. I'll probably buy fish in the 2 inch range. Should I raise them in a tank by themselves until they grow more before introducing them into the 55 gal? Should I buy more mature fish? Either grow out juveniles in a bare bottom or buy full sized discus for your graveled tank

4. I've read the threads but are frequent water changes really necessary for non-breeding purposes?
YES

[ronrca]

Welcome to Simplydiscus! Believe me, discus are the way to go! Once you have some, you get never get enough! LOL! ;)

What is your wc schedule like right now?


The pH of my aged water is about 7.6. The same water not in my tank is on the acid side. The same water not in your tank? Is that your water straight from the tap water? As Carol mentioned, Co2 dissapation!

If you are starting with discus, Id recommend going bare bottom. It is much easier to keep clean. You can still add some decor like rocks and driftwood but nothing beats a clean bare bottomed tank. And frequent water changes are a must! The next question you will ask is how often and how much! The answer is measure your nitrates on a daily bases and change water once a day at least 25%. If your nitrates are higher than 5ppm, increase the volume to 50%.

Should I raise them in a tank by themselves until they grow more before introducing them into the 55 gal? How big is the other tank? It depends on if you are willing to take the gravel out of the 55G! If not, as Carol mentioned, buy adult discus or grow them out in another bare bottomed tank.

HTH! ;)

[mikezz]

My sister just gave me to 40 gal tanks that have been sitting in storage for a long time. what would be the best way to clean them? they have a lot of dry lime on them.
LFS told me to use lime-a-way but I was to never to use soap or bleach. These tanks are old and have the old metal trim is it worth cleaning them.

Thanks for your help......

I have water in them now and i dont see leaks
;D

[Carol_Roberts]

Razor blade, vinegar, salt, green scrubby pad . . . .

[ronrca]

As Carols post!

I have also found that methanol hydrate (cleaning fluid) works quite well for hardness stains. I wonder if alchol would work also? (you would have some "happy" discus if nothing else) ;D

[wet head]

Thanks to all for your help. How do you have time to do daily water changes?


Wet Head

[ronrca]

How do you have time to do daily water changes? LOL!

Well, its part of my routine now! I do my wc's first thing in the morning! I get up half hour earlier than I have to (which is 4:50am btw) and it takes me around 15-30mins to do my wc's, wiping down tanks, rising filters, etc. You probably ask why in the morning? Are you nuts? Answer to the second question, yes! Answer to the first question, in the evening when I come home, I can spend my time with my family and not have to worry about my fish.

The important aspect of doing daily wc's is efficiency! For example, by using pipes connected to your drain, all I do is open the valve and the tank drains. No dragging hoses around and all that stuff! Filling is the same way! Open the valve and turn on the pump! Getting a good pump with a high gph also helps! ;)

HTH!

[henryD]

Wow Ronca,

1/2 and hour is awesome. I get up early to do mine also. For the same reasons....How many gallons is your total setup?

[ronrca]

I only change around 100G's at wc right now because of low stocking density! Total setup running is 240G not including the ageing barrels or planted tank!