Starting out with a used 220 gallon aquarium

[Jayy]

edit i see you already fulled good luck

Yep I had a day off yesterday so I went ahead and filled. It had a solid 4 days of drying time and after a day of sitting and heating the water it's looking good. I'll keep an eye on it longer of course. I am going to start the cycle with Seachem Stability today. It'll be some time yet before I add any livestock.

[pitdogg2]

I am going to start the cycle with Seachem Stability today. .

I have had much better luck with the Marineland Bio start or Dr. Tim's. Since Dr. Tim invented the stuff for Marineland and holds the patent I always used it. I tried others and have had not so good luck. Let us know how well it worked for you. If you're starting this before the livestock arrives be sure to feed it something or it may die off before the livestock is in the tank.

[Jayy]

I have had much better luck with the Marineland Bio start or Dr. Tim's. Since Dr. Tim invented the stuff for Marineland and holds the patent I always used it. I tried others and have had not so good luck. Let us know how well it worked for you. If you're starting this before the livestock arrives be sure to feed it something or it may die off before the livestock is in the tank.

According to Seachem, if I use stability every day for 7 days, I can add livestock at any time. I tend to suspect this may not be completely accurate haha. But I am going to put them to the test and pick up 10 or so black line tetra fish and add them later today. I'll monitor my water closely and if there is any spike I'll use Prime to treat it. Worst case, I'll remove the fish to a bucket of treated tap water while I get it sorted out.

I added a 3rd heater, all three of them governed by a temp controller. I just hit the 70 degree mark. I'll add the tetras at 72 (after acclimating them) and let the heaters gently take it up to 82 degrees.

[DJW]

Ten tetras won't produce nearly enough ammonia to prepare the biofilter for the addition of a group of discus. I would use ammonia dosing and complete a good cycle at 1-2 ppm ammonia.... not to mention QT issues.

[Jayy]

Ten tetras won't produce nearly enough ammonia to prepare the biofilter for the addition of a group of discus. I would use ammonia dosing and complete a good cycle at 1-2 ppm ammonia.

Only problem with that is I won't be buying the discus for a couple weeks still. I plan to add the tetras and if\when everything is stable, add additional community fish a few at a time. Cardinal tetras, bushynose plecos, some rams etc. I want a couple of shoals of different smaller fish in addition to discus. When everything is stable I had planned to add 6 discus in the 3" range. I'd perform water changes and add Prime or Safe to mitigate any ammonia spike from the additional bio load.

I know that discus prefer a shoal of 6 or more which is why I planned to add 6 at once. But my tank will accommodate more than that, I'd eventually like to have 12, 15 or so in the 220 gallon. If I start with a group of 6 can I add more discus, one or two at a time? If I tried that with chickens the established chickens would peck the newcomers to death.

[dragon1974]

I'll add the tetras at 72 (after acclimating them) and let the heaters gently take it up to 82 degrees.

I+ 1 on the DJW post, I wouldn't do the tetras. Just keep using the Stability and you'll be fine. I've used it on a 75 gal and after a couple weeks I was adding discus. Just to keep the tank as clean I can without adding anything to have any QT issues.

[dragon1974]

Only problem with that is I won't be buying the discus for a couple weeks still. I plan to add the tetras and if\when everything is stable, add additional community fish a few at a time. Cardinal tetras, bushynose plecos, some rams etc. I want a couple of shoals of different smaller fish in addition to discus. When everything is stable I had planned to add 6 discus in the 3" range. I'd perform water changes and add Prime or Safe to mitigate any ammonia spike from the additional bio load.

I know that discus prefer a shoal of 6 or more which is why I planned to add 6 at once. But my tank will accommodate more than that, I'd eventually like to have 12, 15 or so in the 220 gallon. If I start with a group of 6 can I add more discus, one or two at a time? If I tried that with chickens the established chickens would peck the newcomers to death.

Just make sure when you're adding new fish *QT* everything LOL. Don't do all this work and have to take care of some issue that you could have avoided. I think the tank is big enough for the newbie to run but if you can add them from the same batch like 8 it will be fine. I have 8 sub adults in a 75 gal but I clean every 2nd or 3rd day

[pitdogg2]

Add Discus then 2mo later AFTER quarantine of Discus in the large tank you should set up smaller 20-30gal tank to quarantine new tetras or other fish to be added. Would also help if you had a "stunt" (as in daredevil) discus to newer fish to make sure the big tank don't crash due to new Tetras or other fish if Discus is fine after a few weeks then move on.

without this you are taking a big chance.

[Jayy]

Add Discus then 2mo later AFTER quarantine of Discus in the large tank you should set up smaller 20-30gal tank to quarantine new tetras or other fish to be added. Would also help if you had a "stunt" (as in daredevil) discus to newer fish to make sure the big tank don't crash due to new Tetras or other fish if Discus is fine after a few weeks then move on.

without this you are taking a big chance.

Ok, so the suggestion then is to start with the discus and to add any other fish only after quarantine? Would it not also be possible to start with other fish and then only add discus after quarantine?

[Bill63SG]

Ive done that.I kept a 75 gallon to quarantine tetras and plecos.But don't let $50 worth of fish kill off $500-$1000 worth of discus.

[Jayy]

Ive done that.I kept a 75 gallon to quarantine tetras and plecos.But don't let $50 worth of fish kill off $500-$1000 worth of discus.

Understood, and I understand the need for quarantine. I'm just not sure why it would matter if the discus go into quarantine or if the other fish do.

I figured I would build up the tank with all the community fish first to well establish the cycle and then when I know the tank is healthy I will order discus and put them into a quarantine tank. After some time, I will add one of the discus to the community tank and see if any issues arise. After some more time if all is healthy I will add the remaining discus. That way I am risking only one discus. Does that make sense? If there are major issues with my plan please let me know, I'm open to all feedback.

[Akili]

Cycle the tank with ammonia add all the Discus you want have first. Setup the quarantine and do your additions at a later date.Do it like many others have indicated. You will not regret it.Minimum six weeks of quarantine is well worth it.

[MickO'S]

Starting a new discus aquarium this year, following to see how you get on

[nofearengineer]

Here is my suggestion. Though I have not kept discus yet, my method for building a biolfilter up for suddenly increasing bioload in a big tank would be as follows. Have your community fish (after 5 weeks QT obviously) in your 220. When you get your discus in, QT them for the same. I am assuming you will have sponge filters or some sort of biolfilter in the QT tanks. Just add that to your sump when you add the discus to your 220. You can gradually remove the extra biofilters over a few weeks and put them back in your QT tanks.

[pitdogg2]

Here is my suggestion. Though I have not kept discus yet, my method for building a biolfilter up for suddenly increasing bioload in a big tank would be as follows. Have your community fish (after 5 weeks QT obviously) in your 220. When you get your discus in, QT them for the same. I am assuming you will have sponge filters or some sort of biolfilter in the QT tanks. Just add that to your sump when you add the discus to your 220. You can gradually remove the extra biofilters over a few weeks and put them back in your QT tanks.

This would negate any quarantine that you would of done to take the bio from QT and put into the main tank.

If I'm reading this correctly

If it was me I would use Dr. Tims one and only

http://www.drtimsaquatics.com/treat-...ammonia-levels