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View Poll Results: Which is the better option for lowering KH?

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  • Sera Super Peat

    1 33.33%
  • Indian Almond Leaves(Cattapa)

    1 33.33%
  • Organic Roobios Tea

    0 0%
  • Fluval Peat

    1 33.33%
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Thread: I hate my aquarium’s Alkalinity, help me love it.

  1. #46
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my aquarium’s Alkalinity, help me love it.

    No way to know. They spawn when they get ready.
    Mama Bear

  2. #47
    Registered Member DiscusDish's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my aquarium’s Alkalinity, help me love it.

    Ok... I’ll keep my pH for now though. For now I am wondering how much to feed them and what signs to look for. Thanks though.
    Matt

  3. #48
    Registered Member DiscusDish's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my aquarium’s Alkalinity, help me love it.

    Quote Originally Posted by LizStreithorst View Post
    No way to know. They spawn when they get ready.
    Thanks Liz. I will start feeding a lot.
    Matt

  4. #49
    Registered Member DiscusDish's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my aquarium’s Alkalinity, help me love it.

    And btw, they keep swimming around the tank, the male always will stop and stare at a surface. Her too sometimes. They are particularly interested in the heater and the cone. Hopefully they choose the cone.
    Matt

  5. #50
    Registered Member + MVP danotaylor's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my aquarium’s Alkalinity, help me love it.

    Suction your heater horizontal or lay it on the floor of the tank Matt. If it is vertical it is a potential spawning site.

  6. #51
    Registered Member DiscusDish's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my aquarium’s Alkalinity, help me love it.

    K, thx.
    Matt

  7. #52
    Registered Member DiscusDish's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my aquarium’s Alkalinity, help me love it.

    Ok, hi again. I have seen them scratching up against objects every once in a while. I think it might be worms/parasites. What is the best deworming med that I can get in Canada. I can barely ship any pure meds. Mostly just Seachem. It sucks. I would like to also deworm them for spawning so hopefully this will help. Thanks
    Matt

  8. #53
    Registered Member + MVP danotaylor's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my aquarium’s Alkalinity, help me love it.

    Scratching is almost certainly external Matt. Perhaps critters, but perhaps water issues. I wouldn't rush to treat an internal parasite cause of itching. Are you keeping up with your water changes? Are you using aged water? Have you tested for ammonia as it is an irritant...

  9. #54
    Registered Member DiscusDish's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my aquarium’s Alkalinity, help me love it.

    Yes, water changes quite often. Every other day 35%-50%. Non-aged water. I do have a 0.2-0.4 pH swing and I’m not sure how to or where I could age it. I’m not sure what my Ammonia is, I don’t have a test for them currently. Will have to order. I will do a 50% water change with a little extra Prime to detoxify the Ammonia. Could the Ammonia be from the peat? Thanks
    Matt

  10. #55
    Platinum Member fljones3's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my aquarium’s Alkalinity, help me love it.

    Quote Originally Posted by DiscusDish View Post
    Ok, hi again. I have seen them scratching up against objects every once in a while. I think it might be worms/parasites. What is the best deworming med that I can get in Canada. I can barely ship any pure meds. Mostly just Seachem. It sucks. I would like to also deworm them for spawning so hopefully this will help. Thanks
    They could just have an “itch” but I have found that when they do that my nitrates are too high. An additional WC is called for.

  11. #56
    Registered Member DiscusDish's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my aquarium’s Alkalinity, help me love it.

    Ok, thanks. should I still clean them out before breeding? With what if so?
    Matt

  12. #57
    Registered Member + MVP danotaylor's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my aquarium’s Alkalinity, help me love it.

    This is Al's quarantine process and advice. A lot of info but priceless!
    Posted by brewmaster15
    Hi all,
    Just saw this and thought I would update. I do much of what I always have done.. though I do tailor it a bit different depending on the condition the fish come in...

    For those interested..I had done several Discus Disease and Health Presentations over the years... The following are from a few pages of that presentation. HTH, al

    Suggested Quarantine Procedures...
    Receive fish: Place into a clean tank with aged (well aerated/pH stable warm water (85-87F). Use a well cycled bio filter.
    Week One: Many Frequent water changes, observe fish behavior, and treat for anything specifically noted******. Be sure all fish are eating well and passing normal feces.
    Week Two: Prophylactic deworming with Praziquantel for tape worms, several days latter deworm with general dewormer (levamisole) added to water as 24 hour bath
    Week Three: Repeat Levamisole as 24 hour bath
    Week Four: Let rest, nothing but water changes.
    Week Five: Re-dose with Levamisole as 24 hour bath
    Week Six: Quarantine is over if the fish are looking healthy and eating well and are not to be mixed with existing stock. If these are to be mixed with existing stock..add least favorite of existing stock (aka Test fish) to new fishes stock.
    Week Six-Week Eight: Observe new stock and test fish. If all is well, most likely safe to mix all fish.
    **** important note

    Quarantine Common Sense:
    Maintain complete separation of new stock from existing livestock.
    Use separate nets, hoses, buckets, and siphons for each quarantine tank.
    Separate rooms are much safer than in room quarantines.
    Perform all maintenance on new stock’s quarantine tank after you are done with all existing tanks.
    Wash hands and arms thoroughly after working in tanks.
    Maintain optimum water quality, less stress means healthier fish
    Tank should have a fully cycled bio-filter. Quarantining a group of fish is not the time to be cycling a tank!!!
    Be vigilant… catching and treating a problem early on is better than latter when it may be harder or impossible to treat.

    Brews Top 11 Discus Health Issues
    1. Chemical Poisoning: Chlorine, Chloramine, ammonia, nitrite, heavy metals (ex. copper and iron), Medications. Suggested treatment…clean water and lots of it!
    2. Dissolved gases: Low dissolved oxygen or high dissolved C02/nitrogen etc. Suggested treatment ...age and aerate water.
    3. Improper Shipping and Handling Techniques: Suggested treatment…prophylactic screening of suppliers and buying only from reputable ones.
    4. Improper care of Discus at Vendor’s Shop: Suggested treatment…prophylactic screening of suppliers and buying from reputable ones.
    5. Well meaning but inappropriate or inaccurate advice. Suggested course of action…Check references…information abounds in the internet and pet shops, both good and bad info.
    Improper care of Discus on the part of the hobbyist. To keep any fish, a basic knowledge of species requirements and needs exists…Discus require a bit more than basic knowledge. Suggested treatment…Learn as much as you can!!
    7. Poor Tank Hygiene Syndrome: Suggested treatment….Be less stingy with the water changes and maintenance.
    8. “Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Syndrome” A fish that is sickly or poor quality when you buy it isn’t going to miraculously turn into a beautiful specimen. Suggestion..start with obviously healthy stock, not obviously sickly or low grade stock.
    9. Hobbyist Mediated Pandemic: Occurs when a hobbyist recklessly acquires many specimens in a short period of time from multiple sources…mixing these together with existing stock then leads to Immune Overload..aka..sick fish. Suggested treatment….Learn patience and adhere to a sound Quarantine plan!!
    10. Nutritional deficiencies…Largely unknown how this affects Discus specifically.. But what we do know is that every animal needs an adequate diet.. Suggestion…feed a varied diet to your discus of quality foods.

    And finally…… Number 11!!!!


    11. Gill flukes, external and internal protozoans, nematodes, bacterial infections, viruses, “plagues”etc…..

    Why is this one listed last in a talk about Discus Diseases and health you may ask?…

    Because! If you pay attention to the first 10 conditions mentioned you may not even need to worry about number 11! A healthy fish that has all its needs taken care of and is not stressed has an innate advantage when dealing with diseases and illness..

  13. #58
    Registered Member DiscusDish's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my aquarium’s Alkalinity, help me love it.

    Thx. Will see if I can do this.
    Matt

  14. #59
    Registered Member bluelagoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my aquarium’s Alkalinity, help me love it.

    Quote Originally Posted by DiscusDish View Post
    Yes, water changes quite often. Every other day 35%-50%. Non-aged water. I do have a 0.2-0.4 pH swing and I’m not sure how to or where I could age it. I’m not sure what my Ammonia is, I don’t have a test for them currently. Will have to order. I will do a 50% water change with a little extra Prime to detoxify the Ammonia. Could the Ammonia be from the peat? Thanks
    Amonnia is one of the most toxic ingredients of the nitrogen cycle. It is most toxic when PH is above 7.0 and gets even more toxic as ph goes higher. It is not toxic under 7 ph. It starts the nitrogen cycle in your aquarium. Bacteria come along and turn it into another very toxic substance called nitrite. Then another bacteria will change nitrite to nitrate; a less harmless substance that can be gotten rid of with WC's. All fish and decaying matter produce amonnia; from gills that work with the kidneys to poop. It generally takes 4 to 6 weeks to cycle a tank that is safe for fish. This is done in the filter from the bacteria that has become established. And also on all the objects and substrate in the tank. The itching "could " be from the WC's themselves caused by micro bubbles. Do you see any pearling of air bubbles on the glass or objects after a WC? If so I would age the water. There are other ways and words to explain this but I tried to keep it in lay-mans terms.

  15. #60
    Registered Member bluelagoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my aquarium’s Alkalinity, help me love it.

    Sorry now that I've read, the post again you were not asking that. only that you have no test kit.. Sorry for the miss understanding.

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