RO Water

[jkeithh1969]

I used to keep Discus in the late 1980's to early 90's and I really want to get back into it. Back then everybody always swore you needed to use RO water. Is this still the case? I have been wondering if the information I learned back then is still the common beliefs that people are using now?

[KD]

I have 7.8 to 8.0 PH and hard water. I've been keeping them in this since last April with no problems. It is actually good for juveniles to grow out in my type of water. I was told that the only time you would need RO is for breeding and hatching eggs. The most important thing is lots of water changes with stable water parameters, if you have chlorine or chloramines in the water they need to be removed. I keep mine in a bare bottom tank with biological filtration.
What are your water parameters?
This board is full of info and helped me out to restart a Discus tank.
Have fun!
Karen

[jkeithh1969]

Thank you for the reply. I don't have any yet (yet being the operative word because as soon as I can a new tank set up and cycled I will have some). I kept them in the late 80's and early 90's before settting up saltwater aquariums. I was checking to see if philosophies aobut keeping discus had changed in the years since I have kept them.

[Cosmo]

You'll find that most on the forum use tap water, very few (me being one :D ) use RO. Both seem to work very well if your tap water is good. Soft acidic water IMO is still the best, but as you'll note people are successful with very hi and very hard water as well..

I'd say the main change since the 80's is the bare bottom tank, no carbon, tons of biological filtration, and numerous (as in daily 30-50% preferably) water changes. This regimen keeps the Discus much healthier than the old ways (when I started, UGF's were all the rage, no one will touch them now).

Welcome back... it was only a matter of time you know :D

And Welcome to Simply :)

Jim

[funkyfish]

I keep mine in tap water ph 8.1 gh 350ppm . they are doing fine .BB and sponge filters lots of w\c's
good luck

[jkeithh1969]

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I was kind of amused that all of the things I used to do with my discus are now out of favor. I always had planted tanks with U/G filters. I did do twice weekly major water changes (at least that hasn't changed). I thought I had to use stuff like Tetra's Blackwater Extract. Then again, the only discus I had access to growing up in Northeast MS were wild caught discus that I had to drive 50 miles each way to pick up. Looking at all of the new color varieties now makes me miss the old days. I guess I will always prefer the older color varieties to some of the ones I see for sale now.

[jkeithh1969]

I keep mine in tap water ph 8.1 gh 350ppm . they are doing fine .BB and sponge filters lots of w\c's
good luck

Thanks for your reply as well. I never expected to get this many replies. It is nice to know that discus keeping is so popluar now. When I was keeping them in the late 80's and early 80's I felt like I was sort of out there winging it. It is nice there are places such as this where I can get good info instead of learning everything by trial and error. ( I am reallyglad to see I have to worry less about water chemistry and more about keeping the water clean.) Water changes I can handle seeing as how I do them regularly on my large reef tank already.

[Cosmo]

Is strange isn't it. Years ago, you were the only person in the world that kept Discus, or at least that's the way it seemed. Something went wrong, you figured it out and hopefully eveything came out good and everyone survived.. there were a few books, but other than that it was you and your fish...

I first found out about Simply about a year ago (almost).. was flabergasted at how many people were so keenly into Discus !!! I wasn't alone :D Such an incredible tool, and a good place to meet good people too :)

If you have a hankering for the old days.. contact Al, Brewmaster15 ... he has some nice Wilds. Fewer now that some of them are swimming in my tank :) :) After years w/o Wilds, it was really a treat dropping these guys into the tank :)

Enjoy

Jim