The Plan

[horseplay]

Hi,

I am a complete newbie when it comes to discus but I have been keeping freshwater cichlids for a few years now. Current I am keeping two variants of African Tropheus and one SA tank with Uarus, Geophagus and Angelfish. I have been lurking for a while on this great site. Thanks for all the great posts.

The plan is to get 12 discus juvies and grow them out in a 40g tank then moving on to maybe a 90 for about 1 yr to get them to full adult size. Then hopefully I will end up with 2 or 3 breeding pairs with the rest going into the aforementioned large SA tank. Here are my questions

1. My water coming out of the tap is 6.8 PH. So the water has been changing. After sitting for 24 hours there is no change in PH. Water is coming from a reservoir and very soft. I am getting a TDS meter as well. Do I need to age water? (A few months ago I remember the water coming out of the tap was 7.6 so I am kind of surprise after the new measurement. Given the fact that the water supply maybe changing, do you recommend aging then measure PH every WC?)

2. I plan to buy 3 different color variants and would like to end up with pairs of the same variant. Is this even possible or do you have to separate them earlier before they reach maturity for this to happen. How strong is the pair bonds between discus? What's the chance of pairs forming within 4 discus of the same variants or am I better off with 2 variants of 6 each?

3. Is it a good idea to breed discus from the same breeder?

4. Will the adult discus be happy with the tankmate of the aforementioned large SA tank?

Looking forward to your replies.

[Eddie]

I recommend aging water no matter the source. I know people who age RO water. If your water changes ph a lot, you might think about going with RO and reconstituting with minerals to make it a constant.

If its your first time with discus, I'd go for larger fish >3". It's going to be tough to get suitable pairs with the amount you intend to buy and choosing 3 different types. My suggestion, if you want 3 different type, make sure all 3 can be mixed to at least have decent off spring.

You can breed fish that are all from the same source.


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[horseplay]

Thanks Eddie. Looks like I need to change the plan now. Either getting 8 discus of the same variant or may 2 variants of 6.

If I use a bare bottom 90g with a 30g sump can I change 20% of the water daily, which is about 20g, equivalent to 50% water change of 40g without going through the aging process. I would think the effect will be basically the same. But due to the smaller percentage the water parameters will be more stable. I remeasured the tap and aged water, looking like it 6.8 -> 7.4. Is there any benefit of growing out discus in smaller tanks with larger percentage water change?

The KH from the Tap is 3. I have a hard time measuring the GH. The API test kit I am using is suppose to start with yellow then change into green. But it's always somewhere between yellow and green for me from the first drop, just get darker when you add more drops. Do I have a bad test kit?

[Eddie]

I do believe there are a few benefits from growing them out in a smaller capacity with more frequent water changes but thats my opinion. Its a personal preference.

[horseplay]

What is the requirement for adult discus if not breeding? Do they still need 84 degree water, frequent feeding and massive daily water change? Will 20ppm Nitrate with 77 degree OK for them?

[horseplay]

What is the requirement for adult discus if not breeding? Do they still need 84 degree water, frequent feeding and massive daily water change? Will 20ppm Nitrate with 77 degree OK for them? Will they lose color, weight and activity under these conditions?

[DerekFF]

77 is to low. 80-84 is optimal. 20ppm nitrates isnt to bad but clean and fresh water will help keep your fish healthy and happy for years to come

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