Starting a discus tank over

[Patrick4802]

I’m starting over a discus tank. Due to a lack of quarantining and not purchasing fish from a good vendor my fish all died. So I’m trying to do it the right way this time.
First step is to sanitize the tank, boiling the driftwood, etc. Since I’m breaking down the tank I’m going to paint the back and bottom. From there I will refill the tank and start the fishless cycle. Once I get the tank cycled I plan on adding 10 discus to my 125 gallon tank.

So looking for a little bit of advice. For the fishless cycle does anyone have a recommendation for the starter bacteria?
Once the fish are in, is it recommended that I still do the deworming regimen as Al recommends during quarantine?

For water, I’m running 100% ro with trace minerals added back. My water out of the tap comes out at a ph of 8.2-8.6 with a tds between 750-850. I have a 30 gallon water barrel so I’m limited to a 25% change at a time when aging water. Assuming i monitor nitrates Will the fish be ok with 2 - 25 gallon water changes per week?

Thanks for your help.

[pastry]

I like seeding the tank (take portion of filter media from filter of another healthy, mature tank and putting into filter system of new tank.... port foam or ceramic media is what I've done before). Then I'll get a small group of tetras and put them in for awhile. I use tetras like coal miners and WW1 units used canaries... "early warning devices" if something's wrong.

What type of DW? Ever notice any type of little golden bubbles on it when in set up?

[bluelagoon]

Why not get a bigger barrel or even two or three and mix tap and RO instead of adding minerals back. That way you can change a larger volume. 1/5th is not much of a WC should aim closer to 1/2. In time you're going to have to change a large volume anyway to get the TDS/DOC down, from all that has been left behind from previous WC's. Imo, I would do a fishless cycle to ensure nothing gets contaminated from a pet shop where disease is prevalent.

[pastry]

Oh... and what is limiting you to only 25 gallons per water change? Is it more the RO system or the barrel? If it's the barrel, then definitely get a bigger Barrel or at least another 30 gallon barrel. I did that for a couple of winters since my tap water chemistry changes in the winter time where I am and my wife did not want pay Barrel next to the fish tank which is in our living room. So, I figured out a way to hide it in plain sight. I'm not an expert furniture Carpenter but good enough to take my time and make some pretty good wooden furniture cabinets in chess if I need to. So I had belts hey cabinet where the barrel was on the inside with a big door accessing it and access on the side and holes in the back so that it sort of Disguise or camouflage the true purpose of the piece of furniture by also had shelves above it with pictures and stuff so no one ever really knew that I had an aging Barrel right there. I did that during the second winter. The first winter I actually used our guest bathroom tub upstairs and put too big plastic storage containers in it with an aerator and I would shut the door when not using them. Then when I needed them, I would run long, cheap rubber hosing from the bathroom, down the stairs, and into the tank. Just trying to give you some outside of the box ideas I've done in the past. A lot of people on here have all sorts of awesome ideas. Either way, I would definitely recommend figuring out a way to do a larger water changes play on the 25%. I have a 150 gallon tank and I do 70% water changes twice a week and I really need to be doing at least one more than that.

[Patrick4802]

I’m not sure what the type of driftwood is. Is just the common wood you get at your lfs. The Dw has been in tanks for years but I don’t remember seeing any bubbles on it.

For water changes it’s the barrel and the amount of waste water from the ro system that’s the current limit. I can set up a second barrel, but if the nitrate levels are in line should be changing 48% of the water weekly be ok?

For seeding the tank from an existing one I like the idea but this is my only tank. I don’t know anyone with a tank I’d trust.

[Patrick4802]

Correction on one of my driftwood pieces. I’m Sterilizing only the oven and some yellow sap is baking out

[Patrick4802]

Any advice on a good bacteria in a bottle starter?
Also, do I still put them through the prazi & levamisole procedures as Al recommends for quarantining since they’ll be the only fish in the tank? I assume the answer is yes but thought I’d double check.