Greetings everyone!
Long-time (unregistered) lurker here, decided to finally make an account and get everything I've got on my mind sorted.
A little about my background - I've kept tropical aquariums from around 2003-2011, where I've had various species of fish in various aquariums - Angels, Rainbows, Tetras, Cories, etc.. You know, the standard things that one can usually find their local LPS/LFS. There's not much in terms of specialty stores where I'm from, so I'm stuck to either buying from large chain stores or driving a couple hours north to go to a great specialty LFS. Within that same time, I also kept discus in a high-tech planted aquarium - a fish I've always loved and wanted to have the experience of keeping. Unfortunately, my circumstances changed and I wasn't able to dedicate the time and attention that my little (3-3.5") discus needed, so they ended up being rehomed and I had to take down and sell off all my aquariums and equipment. Also in that time I learned that a planted tank isn't ideal for a grow-out either
Fast forward to now, life has settled down and I'm ready to get back into the hobby. As I said before, I've been a long-time lurker and have been (literally) drooling over Kenny's Discus for the past two years. I guess my wife got tired of me just talking about it and, without my knowledge, purchased an aquarium for me. Now that I've gotten the "push", I'm all ready to go headfirst into the hobby and hopefully pick up some nice Discus. My plans aren't to grow out juveniles, but to purchase some nice adults (5.5"+) so my wife and I can enjoy their beauty. We can always get more aquariums
My current aquarium is 48 x 21 x 20, which I've calculated to be about 90 gallons. I'll also have the volume supplemented with a 30 gallon sump.
I already know about QT, etc. I've got a 40 breeder set up in a separate room for QT, with plans to have a couple sponge filters running in my sump to keep them cycled. I'm also planning on purchasing duplicates of some items that I'll be using to keep one set for QT, one for the main tank, and perhaps a spare for emergencies.
With that said, I still have a few (or more) questions that I would like to get folks' opinion on before moving forward with some of my purchases since the aquarium is still sitting empty as well as starting off on the right foot for my investment because I want to give these guys the best living quarters possible.
Now, on to the questions.
- Best water conditioner/dechlorinator? Back when I kept fish I strictly used API Stress Coat and was advised against Prime because it could neutralize ammonia, etc during the cycle making it either not cycle at all or stall the cycle. There's also a lot more options now, such as Fritz. Any recommendations?
- What's the verdict on "live nitrifying bacteria"? I'm thinking of products such as Dr. Tim's Live Nitrifying Bacteria, Fritz Aquatics 7/Turbo Start, and Marineland Bio-Spira. Again, back when I kept fish, the off-the-shelf bottled bacteria was deemed more like snake oil.
- Once my aquarium is cycled, I'm planning on adding the Discus first. Good idea? Bad? Do they still require QT outside of the main aquarium?
- Do you still need to deworm all discus, no matter what supplier they come from? I'm planning on buying from Kenny's Discus if that matters. In the case of deworming, what product is ideal? Is Bendazole still a go-to or is there a better product out there? Is it recommended to medicate the food as well as the tank, or just medicate the food such as mixing the Bendazole with a beefheart mix?
- When adding dither fish, I've heard talk about adding a "sacrifical lamb" to the QT tank once QT is complete and observe for another 2 weeks just to make sure there are no adverse effects. Is this still common practice?
Test kits and other gear is supposed to arrive today, so I'll hopefully be able to provide some results. I've already had aged water tested at my LFS and it looks like my pH is right around 7.8 - is this acceptable for discus? I've heard the domestic strains are fine with it, but I get mixed results when researching.
Thanks for taking the time to look at my topic!