Water change regularity

[kerrie6703]

Hi all,

Thought it might be helpful to some of us (yes, me) if the regular viewers of these threads could perhaps post their regularity of water changes.

I've had so many differing opinions on this topic, I'd love to get a general consensus from people here.

Cheers

[Iminit]

Hey Kerrie I’d say the more the better . For young discus for me 50% daily. As they get to a year or so you can knock it down to every other day. Now on my older tank it’s every 2 days 50%. On the new tank it every other at 50%. This will also depend on the size of your tank. The smaller the more water changes. A smaller tank is easier to grow young discus. Less water to change. Not sure what they get out of the new water but they do need it. My tanks are perfect 0/0/10 but if I don’t change the water on time 2 of my discus will get white dots on there fins. 3 water changes later there gone. Clean water is really the most important thing.

[Second Hand Pat]

Hi Kerrie,

Your water change schedule is really based on the size of your fish. People new to discus keeping tend to want to do as little as possible unless they have done their research. Here on the forum we tend to recommend daily water changes until a person is comfortable with their fish and have a feel for reading if their fish not doing well. Experienced discus keepers get a lot of flack for that.

Basically for growouts (fish under four inches) I change water once a day, at least 75%. If the fish are really small (less then two inches) I have done multiple nearly 100% WC per day. On my F1 growouts I an doing 60% daily WC every day to every other day. They are all over five inches now. On my adult wilds I do two 50% WCs a week. More if the fish seem off. Clean water is the best cure.

Pat

[danotaylor]

Kerrie I am not currently keeping discus due to time pressures with work & family...not able to do the essential water changes for good health and peace of mind.

When I had 8 adult discus in a 500 litre 6 footer my goal was 2 x 50% and 1 x90% every week. Busy-ness crowded that goal out and my discus got sick 1 time, and recovered, but it was enough for me to sell up for the time being until life slows down a little. These were my guys the day I brought them home...

20180930_074120.jpg

I also grew out some fry that were 2-3" to 5" and the goal was 75% daily, which in reality was every other day.

I always used water that was aerated and heat adjusted for my changes

[peewee1]

From 4.5 inches to full grown I change 100% weekly but at the rate once per day. I also use high filtration hang on back filtering at 300 gallons per hour rate. Higher density would need more percent changes.

[seanyuki]

Water changes.People can argue all day long about wc's. Fact is wc's depend on your agenda. What you want to get out of your discus?

You need frequent water change for juvies because depleted nutrients needs to replenish that's require for development. That's why juvies grow faster if do large and frequent water changes.

[Willie]

Water changes. People can argue all day long about wc's. Fact is wc's depend on your agenda. What you want to get out of your discus?

I want the biggest, baddest discus around, so its 100% everyday.

[peewee1]

I want the biggest, baddest discus around, so its 100% everyday.

I had heard that when Willie was known as "Wee Willie" that his mama did large and frequent water changes on him. He grew to be the big badass that he now is as a result of his mama's attention to that important function.

[Iminit]

So as you can see nobody here will tell you to skimp on water changes. These people successfully keep discus. Not many people do! To me the most the most important thing is water changing! And look I do the least .

[Second Hand Pat]

I had heard that when Willie was known as "Wee Willie" that his mama did large and frequent water changes on him. He grew to be the big badass that he now is as a result of his mama's attention to that important function.

Norm, I understand you are trying to be funny but is this really necessary?
Pat

[BrendanJ23]

Up until recently, I did 50% daily. I started doing 90-100% daily over the last 3 weeks and have noticed a significant improvement in the fish’s “mood”. For reference, my tank is 650L, bare bottom, 17 discus ranging from 4-7 inches.

I also want the biggest baddest discus around, I also want to protect my investment! I’ve spent thousands of dollars on fish and set up, so why not do big water changes daily?

[two utes]

Hi all,

Thought it might be helpful to some of us (yes, me) if the regular viewers of these threads could perhaps post their regularity of water changes.

I've had so many differing opinions on this topic, I'd love to get a general consensus from people here.

Cheers

Hi Kerrie.
There is no right or wrong answer, and everything that has been suggested is correct. Your fish will benefit from more, rather than less water changes that you can offer, especially while they are juvenile. Like it has also been suggested do what works best onto your schedule, and enjoy the hobby. Keep in mind that everyone's water, and situation are different.
I see you live in Melbourne as i do, and im happy, and so are my discus, doing 30% water changes once a week on my main tank with adults fish in it, but when they were juveniles getting much much more than that.


discus main tank.jpg

[kerrie6703]

Great advice for sure Joe, from yourself and everyone else who's taken the time.

Yup, Melb water is pretty bloody good indeed.

I've had discus in a 180L tank for 4yrs. 3 of my initial 4 still remain. (I lost 1 that only grew to 3/4 the size of his mates, recently. Ceased eating, grew thin, visit to vets who advised 'very difficult to diagnose but bacterial wasn't really considered to be the culprit' (!) )

Throughout this time of having them I've maintained 50% w/c once a week with gravel vacuuming every day (gravel base)

No issues up until recently when I lost the smallest one.

Now I've apparent issues with seemingly 2 of them. 1 of them is headstanding quite a bit, not all the time though. The other 1 generally not eating .. attempts to, but spits it out again.

Both have exhibited (recently) stringy faeces but I'm unsure to jump to the worm conclusion. They both are inclined to nibble on the amazon sword and I wonder whether it is plant remnant rather than worms. The faeces don't appear to wriggle as a worm would. So .. not convinced it is necessarily worms.

But having said that .. now and then, over perhaps the last six months, the 1 fish that isn't eating has actually exhibited white mucous like, almost spaghetti like faeces .. in between normal faeces.

So as it stands now, I've just finished 3 doses of metro into the water column (Seachem Metroplex) every second day. So three doses every second day. Thats all the quantity I could get hold of.
So - no more metro (due to our ridiculous rules in Aus).

Yesterday I've increased the temp to 32/33 degrees Celsius. Have wrapped the tank in foam and it looks ridiculous but I'm praying it does the job of perhaps killing any hexamita (if thats the issue)

And i'll be doing 50% w/c every second day.

Really don't know what else to do.

[kerrie6703]

yup, think I might rethink my once a week 50% that i've been doing.

thanks for your input Tom!

[kerrie6703]

Cheers Tom