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Thread: Hard Water Question for Discus keeping

  1. #16
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    Default Re: Hard Water Question for Discus keeping

    Quote Originally Posted by Willie View Post
    Hi Andy;

    I make 100% W/C daily with conditioned water. I do this because my objective is to produce show quality discus for competition. This is the only method I know to get 7", sometimes 7"+, fish. My water must be conditioned because we have very long winters here (Minnesota) and tap water is supersaturated with gas in the winter. After 24 hours of conditioning (aeration), I've never had discus react badly to large water changes. I consider this approach absolutely critical with 3" - 4" fish to prevent stunting.

    Willie
    So the takeaway is anything short of 100% WC daily will result in stunted fish? That's a tough mandate.

  2. #17
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hard Water Question for Discus keeping

    No. Willie raises some beautiful fish but he's rather obsessive when it comes to WC. I only do that with little babies that I'm loading up with food. Depend on age and stocking level I generally do 40% to 50% daily. And if I'm exhausted from working out in the sun or my back gets to hurting badly I have upon occasion skipped a day.
    Mama Bear

  3. #18
    Registered Member bluelagoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hard Water Question for Discus keeping

    Quote Originally Posted by Willie View Post
    Hi Andy;

    I make 100% W/C daily with conditioned water. I do this because my objective is to produce show quality discus for competition. This is the only method I know to get 7", sometimes 7"+, fish. My water must be conditioned because we have very long winters here (Minnesota) and tap water is supersaturated with gas in the winter. After 24 hours of conditioning (aeration), I've never had discus react badly to large water changes. I consider this approach absolutely critical with 3" - 4" fish to prevent stunting.

    Willie
    Willie, you do raise beautiful healthy looking discus; your husbandry and large WC's really pays off well.

  4. #19
    SimplyDiscus Sponsor and MVP Nov.2015 Disgirl's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hard Water Question for Discus keeping

    Hi Andy, I am just reading this thread for the first time. I will be able to add my 2 cents here. Have not read each post above though. I am a very long time Discus keeper. 30+ yrs. I have always had high ph (over 9), and always had "liquid rock" water. I don't even do water tests. I change 50% of water each day, that is all.
    When I get new fish I definitely do plop and drop. I float the unopened bag to equalize temps for about 15 min. Then I open the bag, reach into the water very carefully and gently cup my hand around the fish, and plop right into the tank. I go from 6.something ph right into my 9+ ph water. I have never ever had a problem. I just want the new fish out of the old dirty water and right into my healthy, warm water.
    I don't breed my discus, if they lay eggs, they are gone soon as food for the others. I want to repeat my often given advice. Clean warm water, excellent foods, are the basics. I use only large sponge filters on a powerful air pump. And 2 good quality heaters.
    Barb
    Last edited by Disgirl; 06-03-2020 at 09:35 AM.


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  5. #20
    SimplyDiscus Sponsor and MVP Nov.2015 Disgirl's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hard Water Question for Discus keeping

    Quote Originally Posted by Willie View Post
    Hi Andy;

    I make 100% W/C daily with conditioned water. I do this because my objective is to produce show quality discus for competition. This is the only method I know to get 7", sometimes 7"+, fish. My water must be conditioned because we have very long winters here (Minnesota) and tap water is supersaturated with gas in the winter. After 24 hours of conditioning (aeration), I've never had discus react badly to large water changes. I consider this approach absolutely critical with 3" - 4" fish to prevent stunting.

    Willie
    I forgot to add in my post above:
    I add tap water right into my tank, from a water safe hose, right out of the tap, with the temp. made to match the tank water. I add Safe powder right into the tank as the water goes in. 50-75% every day. This way has grown out my Stendker Flachen Discus from Hans, from 2" babies to the 5-7" fish I now have. I don't show them, they are my pets, so 5" or more is fine with me. Health and beauty are my requirements. Good luck with yours! And listen to all Willie says, he knows Discus for sure!
    Barb


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  6. #21
    Silver Member Willie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hard Water Question for Discus keeping

    Quote Originally Posted by Oxboy View Post
    So the takeaway is anything short of 100% WC daily will result in stunted fish? That's a tough mandate.
    Not what I said. Anything less with SMALL fish can prevent stunting. Stunting is defined as not reaching its genetic potential. All animals, fish, mammal, people, are most sensitive to stunting when young. We've demonstrated that right here a year ago when Brew organized the grow out competition. Those people who did the largest, most frequent water changes in larger tanks produced fry bigger than everyone else within a 4-week period. The impact drops as fish increase, but it's still there. Other than runts, any adult discus < 6" is stunted.

    Willie
    At my age, everything is irritating.

  7. #22
    Administrator brewmaster15's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hard Water Question for Discus keeping

    Hello all,

    I have cleaned up this thread abit. I am a very big supporter of people hashing out their various opinions on how we keep these fish best in polite and mutually respectful ways. Dialogue is important when ever differences of opinion occur. However, I have zero tolerance for situations where members disrespect this forum's management team. The Forum is here today because of their help. If someone has an issue with something it can always be discussed privately by Pm. Its been awhile since I have had to post a reminder like this but unfortunately its needed here.

    My apologies Andy for your thread taking a few wrong turns.

    Thanks,
    Al
    Last edited by brewmaster15; 06-03-2020 at 01:06 PM.
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  8. #23
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    Default Re: Hard Water Question for Discus keeping

    Thanks for your reply, I focused on the information provided from various members and it has been very helpful. I look forward to keeping active on this forum as I can see it will be a very good place for knowledge about all things discus. I already know the importance of water changes but since reading through a few more posts I have bought various pieces of equipment to get me ready to do many watered changes in an efficient way. Have had lots of parcels arrive lately . Anyway will keep everyone posted on how it goes when my discus arrive next week.

  9. #24
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    Default Re: Hard Water Question for Discus keeping

    Quote Originally Posted by Disgirl View Post
    I forgot to add in my post above:
    I add tap water right into my tank, from a water safe hose, right out of the tap, with the temp. made to match the tank water. I add Safe powder right into the tank as the water goes in. 50-75% every day. This way has grown out my Stendker Flachen Discus from Hans, from 2" babies to the 5-7" fish I now have. I don't show them, they are my pets, so 5" or more is fine with me. Health and beauty are my requirements. Good luck with yours! And listen to all Willie says, he knows Discus for sure!
    Barb
    I am new to discus but I follow this M.O. too....except for the WC schedule (I am at 50% 3x/wk).

    People in the fish trade often wrongly associate high pH lockstep with rock hard water. Although they often correlate, you can have "soft" water with high pH and "hard" water with low pH. The better easily-measurable indicators IMO for hard water are kH, TDS and your water supplier's report. Here in Las Vegas, kH and TDS are sky high and my pH is pushing 8.0. For me, like Barb, the tap can go right in the tank because aging won't reduce the pH and there's nothing to gas off. In fact, I could pour a jug of vinegar in my tank and the pH wouldn't move .00001%. I joke a bit but you get the point. I only kept africans for the longest time because I thought Discus couldn't live/thrive in my water. Now I have my 2-inchers growing like hotcakes (pun intended) in my QT and my 4-5 inchers in the main tank doing fine.

  10. #25
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    Default Re: Hard Water Question for Discus keeping

    Hi, thought I would give an update. Have had my discus for about 3 weeks now and they are doing great! I did exactly what people advised with the plop and drop method and they were great. Took a few day for them to get settled into their new tank but I kept the lights off and then gradually brought light into the mix. I do a 50% water change daily and use safe which is working out great too. I bought a pump for the water changes and really only takes 30mins a day for the whole process. I do nothing to the PH of my water but I do age it for 24hours with a heater in my water storage so the water temp stays the same while doing water changes.

    So all good and loving them!

    Thanks all for your help.

  11. #26
    Silver Member Willie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hard Water Question for Discus keeping

    Quote Originally Posted by LizStreithorst View Post
    ...Willie raises some beautiful fish but he's rather obsessive when it comes to WC...
    Correction, I used to be obsessive. Back then, I had 75 minutes to spend in my fishroom before heading out to work every morning. Now I'm retired and totally out of control!!!

    I need a better adjective.
    At my age, everything is irritating.

  12. #27
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hard Water Question for Discus keeping

    Obsessed.
    Mama Bear

  13. #28
    Silver Member Willie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hard Water Question for Discus keeping

    At my age, everything is irritating.

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