my first discus tank

[darrin34]

Hello all i am just getting into the discus hobby . I live in terrace b.c canada the water here is extremely hard our ph from the tap is 7.8 and the kh is realy high will that be ok for discus or do i have to start forkin out bucks for a rodi and stuff . I am planning on using sand as a substrate with some drift wood . i have t5 lighting and will be using a rena xp4 for a filtre . the tank is already in use as a mixed tang cichlid tank . the tank will house 5 discus probaly 4-5 inches . my main concern is the water will it be ok for discus or should i scrap the idea and go with some thing else. all your input would be greatly appreciated. thank you

[RyanH]

Welcome to Simply. :)


Your water is fine. Just keep the tank clean and you'll be good.

Take some time to read through the stickied threads at the top of the beginner section and go from there.

[ashaysathe]

Hello

I am going thru the same process. Read what is on the forum and try and talk to folks on the forum with their experiences. This forum is a great means to do it right. The forum has what I would call "Best Practices" does not mean you cannot deviate from it but then you are at much more risk not only keeping fish at stake but also your resources.
Take your time, do not rush and plan on keeping this beautiful fish healthy as your first goal.
Good Luck and you are in the safe company.

Ashay

PS - Folks on this forum are very very responsive. It has not happened to me that I have reached out to people (no matter how silly you may feel the question is) and they have not responded.

[darrin34]

i got a read out of the water here i dont wanna sound like a broken record but this is the perimeter of the water here from the tap .

10.08 dkh
12.6 dgh
and 7.8ph

is that rather hard or am i fine and start switching over my tank for my discus .

[judy]

that's just fine for discus. the most important thing is that the parameters stay stable. Some people report they've even spawned in water that hard (mind you,m the eggs tend not to jhatch very well.
Not to worry. You're fine.

[Tropical Haven]

Nothing to worry about your water is fine, I keep mine in a PH of 8.6.

[edmoran77]

New to discus myself. My parameters are almost the same. Good luck with your new hobby! Also welcome to Simply you will find so much great information here.:)

[darrin34]

yes i have heard about this sight from april in vancouver i was looking over the threads here , and it is verry informative and the people here seem verry healpfull i am glad i signed up here

[jahwork]

How about temp??
I really want to put them into a community planted tank. The current temp is 86-87 F and was told that lower temp can be harmful to their immune system. The plants I have dont do well for long period of time at 86F. Anybody here keep discus in 82-84 F water??? If so, what are the precaution?

[judy]

82 to 84 is fine for adult discus. 85 or 86 is a better temp for juvies being grown out, as it stimulates their metabolism, helps them grow faster, and they're hungrier. It also minimizes the possibility of an ich breakout if yor water isn't kept perfect.
If you want to raise juvies in a planted community aquarium, be aware that there are a limnited number of tankmates that discus can do well with in the water conditions discus require.
Also, a planted tank is much more challenging because you will need to work much harder to keep the water parameters as clean they need to be for discus to thrive. The frequent water changes, unless you are willing to spend money on constant fertilizing right after WCs, will remove many of the nutrients that discus DON'T like and plants DO like.

[jahwork]

Thanks Judy, I guess I'll keep them in a bare tank for a couple months being that they are only about 4 inches. Its alot easier for me to clean up now in a bare bottom.
I thought they would be happier in the forest heheh.
Quick question, How big should they get for You to consider them adults?

[judy]

They're on the verge now--give 'em another inch or so and you could easily move them into the planted. You would then likely only be feeding two, maybe three times a day. I've raised out my juvies in a planted-- but I'm home all the time, can do the WCs, and don't mind throwing money into the tank in the form of fertilizer. I have eight discus in a 78 gallon (two now spawning, though the male is too young to be fertile yet) and two more who were in the main planted until they starting spawning in earnest. They now live in a 20 gallon BB honeymoon suite. Where they have egg brunches regularly-- next time, it's mesh covering on the cone for the little cannibals!

[jahwork]

"EGG BRUNCHES"! hahaha sick!, I love it.
Wow, sounds like You are having lotsa fun.
I hope to enjoy that one day.

[jahwork]

hey Judy, just curious.. Do the ferts stress them enough that You would notice?

[judy]

Nope. It's just that in a regular community planted tank, you allow enough mulm buildup and vegetation decay that the plants get lots of nutrients from that alone. In a planted discus tank, mulm and organic debris mean homes for bad bugs and bacteria and the like, so you keep the substrate squeaky clean.
Interestingly, one of the ferts I add is Trace Elements fof Discus. Which are many og the elements th eplants like as well.

[darrin34]

hey for a begginer is it best with a bare bottom tank or is a thin layer of sand and drift wood ok to use ???

[jahwork]

It takes me less than 5 min to clean and fill my bare tank!
Check out this link, http://forum.simplydiscus.com//showthread.php?t=61375
I might do that for now, cleaning up substrate takes alot more time then a bare tank.
not to mention what I don't see and gets left behind.