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Thread: Walstad El Natural method and Discus

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    Default Walstad Method and Discus

    I have kept many fish with the Walstad Method and have had great success. What are your opinions on raising discus in walstad type setups. The plants will use up any ammonia before it even becomes nitrate.

    I have 6 discus who were already stunted when I got them. The smallest are just 2 inches. I am currently keeping them in a 55 BB. I just want to know your thoughts on keeping discus in a walstad tank.
    Last edited by charizard; 07-27-2017 at 07:13 PM.

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    Registered Member Clawhammer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Walstad El Natural method and Discus

    It won't work. There are many other toxins and pathogens that are removed through water changes than just nitrates.
    Last edited by Clawhammer; 07-27-2017 at 10:27 PM.

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    Default Re: Walstad El Natural method and Discus

    Quote Originally Posted by Clawhammer View Post
    It won't work. There are many other toxins and pathogens that are removed through water changes than nitrates.
    Agreed, there's way more to water chemistry than just ammonia/nitrite/nitrate. Large water changes dilute the pathogens in the water which can be deadly to discus.

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    Registered Member Jack L's Avatar
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    Default Re: Walstad El Natural method and Discus

    its on my list of things to try at some point. but i know it would be a PITA to try why growing them out, there is just so much waste to deal with considering all the feeding. even with a sump, i was doing tons of water changes and vac to keep it under control.

    if i did it, it would be a 200 + gallon tank and 6-8 fish.

    i have planted tank, and it was heavily planted at one point, and no amount of plants seemed to be able to deal with waste for the fish when fed heavy.
    i have a 140 + 30 gal sump and was growing out a dozen.

    the only thing that brought my nitrates down was WC.

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    Default Re: Walstad El Natural method and Discus

    Claw and Bubbles are you saying that discus have weak immune systems? I don't think toxins and pathogens will build up. The book discusses that they will be broken down and turned into plant nutrients.

    Jack, is it because multiple feeding are just too much for the plants to take up?

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    Registered Member Jack L's Avatar
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    Default Re: Walstad El Natural method and Discus

    Too much for everything, bottom of tank becomes a layer of detritus. I was changing water all the time and carefully vacuuming out the waste. Huge PITA when you are trying to navigate around plants and decor

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    Registered Member Clawhammer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Walstad El Natural method and Discus

    Quote Originally Posted by charizard View Post
    Claw and Bubbles are you saying that discus have weak immune systems? I don't think toxins and pathogens will build up. The book discusses that they will be broken down and turned into plant nutrients.

    Jack, is it because multiple feeding are just too much for the plants to take up?
    Discus are sensitive fish, it is well established that they need frequent water changes, especially if they are younger discus. They are sensitive to the high bacterial loads of planted tanks, especially something like a Walstad tank, which receives almost no fresh water. It will stress them out and cause them to become sick from the many pathogens that thrive in such an environment. A Walstad tank is all about creating a contained symbiotic ecosystem in your tank and discus are incompatible with that goal. Discus have to be the priority in a discus tank unfortunately.

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    Registered Member fishbubbles's Avatar
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    Default Re: Walstad El Natural method and Discus

    Quote Originally Posted by Clawhammer View Post
    Discus are sensitive fish, it is well established that they need frequent water changes, especially if they are younger discus. They are sensitive to the high bacterial loads of planted tanks, especially something like a Walstad tank, which receives almost no fresh water. It will stress them out and cause them to become sick from the many pathogens that thrive in such an environment. A Walstad tank is all about creating a contained symbiotic ecosystem in your tank and discus are incompatible with that goal. Discus have to be the priority in a discus tank unfortunately.
    Well said, The health and well being of your fish should always come first. If that means more work, then so be it.

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    Default Re: Walstad El Natural method and Discus

    So, to clarify, are you guys saying that discus are susceptible to toxins and pathogens that most other species of fish are immune to?

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    Registered Member Clawhammer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Walstad El Natural method and Discus

    Quote Originally Posted by charizard View Post
    So, to clarify, are you guys saying that discus are susceptible to toxins and pathogens that most other species of fish are immune to?
    Discus are more stressed out by contaminants than other fish, which leaves them more susceptible to pathogens, hence they require pristine water which can only be achieved through water changes. Other fish aren't "immune" from contaminants in the water but they are more tolerant / less stressed by them than discus. The level of stress a fish is under directly affects the strength of it's immune system.

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    Default Re: Walstad El Natural method and Discus

    I don't know if I believe that. I see discus all the time in planted tanks, I don't know if they grow as well as those in BB tanks, but the fish don't seem stressed or sick. Also, the fish have huge appetites.

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    Registered Member Clawhammer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Walstad El Natural method and Discus

    Quote Originally Posted by charizard View Post
    I don't know if I believe that. I see discus all the time in planted tanks, I don't know if they grow as well as those in BB tanks, but the fish don't seem stressed or sick. Also, the fish have huge appetites.
    Some people need to learn the hard way, I was like that too. Go ahead and use the search tool in this forum, I have no other agenda other than to save you time and your future discus stress. You will not find one example of someone with a Walstad tank being successful with discus

    Adult discus can do well in a planted tank, but not a Walstad tank. Water changes are a must no matter how much you would like that not to be the case.

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    Registered Member Ryan925's Avatar
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    Default Re: Walstad El Natural method and Discus

    I think where many go wrong is to try and apply methods that work with other fish to discus. It just never turns out well. Discus have needs much different than other fish. It's like comparing apples to oranges. Nobody changes so much water because it's fun. It's just the way it is
    Im not illiterate...only my phone's auto correct is

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    Registered Member fishbubbles's Avatar
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    Default Re: Walstad El Natural method and Discus

    Quote Originally Posted by Ryan925 View Post
    I think where many go wrong is to try and apply methods that work with other fish to discus. It just never turns out well. Discus have needs much different than other fish. It's like comparing apples to oranges. Nobody changes so much water because it's fun. It's just the way it is
    I definitely don't change 250 gallons every evening because it's fun! Charizard, the reason that you don't see anyone using a walstad on a discus tank is simply because it won't work. These fish need very clean water and there's no way around it other than large water changes. You may try for yourself and I wish you luck but you will soon find that your fish become stressed and/or stunted.

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    Default Re: Walstad El Natural method and Discus

    I made all the mistakes you seem about to make, and I lost discus because of it. I didn't believe it either, the need for what I considered at the time to be "excessive" water changes. It didn't seem logical. Read and research more, we are just trying to help you have success with your discus. Beware of cognitive dissonance.


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