ph / water softness

[quilaho]

hello ... this is my first post here ... i'm in the research stage of discus keeping and i saw a link for simplydiscus on another forum i frequent.

ph / water softness is my first obstacle. my tap water tests as:
ph = 8
gh = 21
kh = 12

yes ... i could stand a spoon in that. i should be aiming for african cichlids instead of south / cental cichlids but ... what can i say ... i'm a glutton for punishment.

so, my tap water is not really ideal for discus. i have been experimenting with peat moss to bring it into the appropriate ranges. however, i noticed in on of the stickies here:

...don't mess with the water too much. Discus can thrive in most water conditions. The best Ph is a stable Ph. :thumbsup:

so ... should i not worry about my water or is the hardness still a problem?

[RyanH]

Welcome to SimplyDiscus!


Unless you intend to breed Discus, your water parameters are fine. I have to wear a helmet in the shower because of my hard water. Discus can adapt to hard water/ high pH, as long as its clean. Very clean.


hth
-Ryan

[quilaho]

alrighty then ... next question ...



Care
50% daily water change with aged (dechlorinated, warmed, aerated) tap water.

this quote was in reference to juveniles.

if i am buying non-juvenile discus, is this still true?? i assume not ... that weekly would be adequate but, would like confirmation.

i am planning these discus for my 55. other occupants include:
6 various tetras
2 dwarf gouramies
2 spotted cory cats
1 gold nugget pleco

i am planning 2-4 discuss as the center peice fish for this tank. i do not have aspirations of breeding in this tank.

[Carol_Roberts]

I don't think once a week is enough - 3 times a week would be OK with adults in a lightly stocked 55 gallon fed twice a day.

[quilaho]

still going at 50%, i assume??

[Carol_Roberts]

At least 30% - 50% is better as long as water is same temp and pH.

[quilaho]

thank you much.

[dmacch]

O.K. I'm a little confused when it comes to ph. Most everything I've read so far says discus must have a ph of 6 - 6.5 to flourish. Now I'm reading here that everyone has had success in raising discus in a high ph environment. My ph is 7.5 and I just started cycling a 55 gal tank. I put peat in my penguin filter to try to get the ph down and am now wondering if I'm wasting my time.
Another question I have is if I decide to put discus in ph 7.5 water what do i do if the breeder I buy them from has his discus in ph 6.5 water. Also how long does it take for the peat to actually get the ph down and how much do I have to use. Thanks.

Dominic

[Carol_Roberts]

Hi Dominick:
In my pH 7.8, GH 12 water, peat in the filter box will never lower the pH to 6.5.

Luckily it is not necessary to lower your pH. Many, many hobbyists raise their discus in your pH levels and higher.(The 7.5 pH is from your tank and not directly from the tap, right? If it is directly from the tap it may be higher in the tank.)

IF the discus are coming home in your car from a breeder a few hours away you can dump them in a bucket and drip pin your tank water drip.

IF the discus are being shipped overnight you can fill your tank with bottled distilled or RO water (not mineral water)Distilled or RO water should be pH 7.0. Then you can dump the discus right in your tank. Daily water changes will acclimate them to your higher pH water in a day or so.

[dmacch]

My ph is 7.5. The breeder that I will eventually buy my discus from has his discus in ph 6.5 water. If there is no need to change my ph, as long as it is stable, what should I do when I introduce theses fish to my tank?

[Carol_Roberts]

I usually just open the bag, dump out the water, gently grasp the discus and place it in my tank with pH7.8 water.

However, you can alo do it the ways I've listed below.

IF the discus are coming home in your car from a breeder a few hours away you can dump them in a bucket with water they were transported in and drip in your tank water to raise pH add an ammonia blocking product.

IF the discus are being shipped overnight you can fill your tank with bottled distilled or RO water (not mineral water). Distilled or RO water should be pH 7.0. Then you can dump the discus right in your tank as above. Daily water changes will acclimate them to your higher pH water in a day or so.