Purpose and/or way to achieve appropriate water

[FishRfun]

I have read at nauseum about aging water and that it is severely recomended for proper care of Discus. However I have some unanswered questions about how and why. So here goes my questions.

1. Can the container be sealed
2. Does it need aereation or just circulation.
3. Does it need to be in sunlight for process to work if so how long.
4. Do any chemicals need to be added to the water before or after aging.
5. As I understand chlorine is lost and supposedly Ph drops but does anything else happen.
6. I have read that a piece of wood is also good to add to the aging barrel, does this sound right.

Hopefully I was clear and am just attempting to fully wrap my head around all of the process before I start designing and building my aging system. Thanks for taming the time to read and post your opinions and thoughts.

[John_Nicholson]

There is no universal answer since there is not a single universal water source. The main purpose for aging your water for me is to get any dissolved gases out. In most cases it is CO2 which is an acid. When it leaves the ph will rise. Circulation will work but I think aeration will work better. It is also a benefit in winter if you have a problem with cold water and micro bubbles. I don't add anything to my water but some people might. It would depend on what you are treating it for.

-john

[Second Hand Pat]

Hi FishRFun and welcome to Simply.

1. Can the container be sealed. Covered to maintain heat is best.
2. Does it need aeration or just circulation. Yes, aeration is used to gas off the CO2.
3. Does it need to be in sunlight for process to work if so how long. No
4. Do any chemicals need to be added to the water before or after aging. No but make sure you add a dechor to the tank just before adding water back to the tank.
5. As I understand chlorine is lost and supposedly Ph drops but does anything else happen. Ph generally rises from the gassing off of CO2. Do not believe chlorine is affected by aging.
6. I have read that a piece of wood is also good to add to the aging barrel, does this sound right. Personal choice really but suggest you don't to maintain a clean barrel.

Pat

[FishRfun]

Pat thanks for such a quick and concise reply. Although my misunderstanding of Ph affect leads to another question if my tap Ph is between 7.8-8 and everything says discus prefer lower should I be concerned or worried about lowering it or juzt stick with the idea of maintaining consistency. Lastly is it better or preference to aerate with airstone or sponge bubbler?

[Second Hand Pat]

With domestic discus ph is not really a concern as much as having a stable ph. The few domestics I have are in water with a ph of 8.2. You can measure your ph before and after aging to see your final ph value. I would recommend knowing your water. :) Also it does not matter whether you aeration with a sponge or airstone. The result is the same.

[FishRfun]

Thank you so much........yeah I havent purchased the fish yet as I want everything setup and ready to go before their purchase. I have my tank cycled and running even have 6 Tankmate rummynose Tetra that currently occupy the tank now. I will be building my aging/storage tank this weekend in prep for my first discus to follow soon.

[Second Hand Pat]

If possible please QT your new discus by themselves. This will allow them to recover from shipping, get them eating and allow an observation period to ensure there are no issues. Also if you have not sourced your discus yet consider browsing through the sponsor section here.

[FishRfun]

Will do thanks for the info!