when to change params for young discus

[harry]

hi can anyone tell me when growing up young fish at what size do you start to change ph. gh. kh. temp .and cut back on feeding ,mine are about 4&half inch now about five months old still feeding 6to 8 times a day,any help much appreciated ??? ??? ???

You're feeding them 6-8 times a day just because you enjoy feeding them. 4.5" is almost fully grown. the growth rate will be slow from now and there's no need to feed them so many times. You can start feeding them they way suits you the best. They can even go for once a day if you're not planning to breed them. but 2-3 time is the best.
Jimmy.

[Carol_Roberts]

Mine are in tap water by one week freeswimming and don't go into an RO mix until I'm ready for a batch of eggs to HATCH.

I agree with Jimmy on the feeding. However, they enjoy eating so it's OK to give them extra little bits now and then.

Carol

[harry]

thanks jimmy and carol ,will cut back on the feeding im doing 70% water changes daily is that ok

[Carol_Roberts]

As long a your water is the same temperature and the pH has stablilzed you can do 70% water changes. How do your discus react? If they huddle in the back and glare at you then the water isn't the same.

Carol

[harry]

hi carol ,ive 4 x45gallon tubs off water temp ,ph,same as tank,airstones in each one ,if i feed twice daily could i cut down on amount of w/c i have to do ,or best to keep at 70%,thanks for your time

[Carol_Roberts]

I base my water changes on the amount (mass) of fish per gallon AND the age of the fish.

So, if I have a pair of adults in a 55 gallon I may change 50% of the water 2 or 3 times a week. If I have 80 babies in a 55 gallon I change 50% morning and 50% night everyday.

If you have 6-8 three inch discus in a 55 gallon, a daily water change of 50% would be fine, but 70% is fine too.

Carol

[Fisheyes]

Hi Carol
I am having a little trouble with the cycle tank and water change thing. I can not understand the reason to cycle a tank before the fish are intraduced and then making 50% water changes twice a day. With that much water change going on will there be enough bacteria in the filter to do any good .
I realise the cycle helps change amonia to nitrite and so on but will it have enough time to do this. with two 50% water changes daily.
I said I was new to discus I hope you can help me understand this. ??? ???
Ken

[hunterbeav]

Ken how big is the tank you have. How many fish are in it. How big are the fish, and do you have plants. Is it a bare bottom, what kind of filtration system are you using? You may not need to do 50% w/c's twice a day. People do that if the tank is extremly over crowed. Let me know whats going on then I may be able to suggest a proper water change amount. Thanks Jim & Diane

[Fisheyes]

Hi Jim and Diane
Thanks for the response My question was if you have a cycled tank with the bacteria working for you and you change water twice a day at 50% each .How can the bacteria remain at a good level????? Would you not be defeating the Bacteria??

Ihave two disc tanks
one is a 33 gal with 6 21/2 inch disc in it

The second a twenty gal Tank I had to set up in a hurry because I had 20 young disc given to me. So I took the filter from the origenal tank and 5 gals of water and set it up at home


It is a 20 gal tank with twenty small disc in it ranging from nickle size to quarter size . Bare bottom ,two out side filters,Heat at 85,and I am changing 50% twice a day which I do to keep the amonia level down . I know this was not the best way to set up a tank but it was needed in a hurry. I am presently fighting with amonia in the 1 to 2 rang ..Thats why I am doing so many water changes.
Hate to loose any of these little guys
Thanks for any advice
Ken
Sorry this is a picture of my 33 gal
the next one is my 20gal

[Fisheyes]

OOPS wrong picture this is the 20 gal

[hunterbeav]

Hummmmm as long as the waters the same in both I would switch them. Put the 20 small fish in the 33gal and put the 6 2 1/2 in the 20. It may help some just a idea.

[Carol_Roberts]

I change about 75% water twice a day in this overstocked 55 gallon with about 80 nine week old juveniles. Soon I'm going to have to divide them. If there were only 8 juveniles I'd still change 30 - 40% per day. Clean water dilutes all the bad stuff.

[Fisheyes]

Thanks Carol
As I mentioned before I had to set up a 20 gal in a hurry so I was fighting an amonia battle .Has anybody tried amonia lock 2 . I tried it and the test tube went kind of milky color and no trace of amonia . My concern is if a person was to use this as a temporary fix what if any would it have on the fish.
Thanks
Ken

[harry]

AMMOLOCK MAKES SAFE BUT WILL STILL SHOW UP ON TESTS ,ONLY USE A FEW TIMES ,PLENTY W/C CHANGES WILL DO THE TRICK ,,