Adding image!

[Mhxsolo]

Hello,

I was just wondering how long you have to be a member here before you can add image on this forum? I want to post some image of my 1 year old discus that i raised since they were baby.

[mee]

I think it is based on your total posts, not time as a member, and it is something like 5 I think.

[Mhxsolo]

Thanks. I got some picture i want to post and see how everyone can help me judge if my discus is good or bad.

[brewmaster15]

Hello, you can start by telling us a little about yourself, and your tank.:)

Al

[Mhxsolo]

Hi brewmaster,

I'm X and a beginner in discus fishes. I got a batch of 2 dozens discus from a relative a year ago. They started out with a 20g tank and been through cold water to getting ick along the way which every fish has it. Than were moved to a 75g tank for 7 month. During that time when doing water change a few discus were either got into shock and die or get stunt and stop growing.

Last few months i stop doing water change and stop feeding live black worms and gradually feeding flakes and now i have only 11 left out of the 2 dozens. Some are around 4 or 5 inch but others still growing but slowly. Wish i can add some photo here for you guys to see.

[Second Hand Pat]

Hi Mhxsolo, did you stop doing water changes or start doing water changes? Also you can use the "Insert Image" icon to add an image. The "Insert Image" icon is third from the right along the top of the text box you are typing in. Welcome to Simply.
Pat

[Mhxsolo]

Thank you second hand pat for welcoming me.. At first i was doing water change but everytime it just shock them and 1 or 2 will die so i stop doing water change for 5 months straight and they were fine. I know it's not the best way but it's the only way to keep my fish from dying. I started off with 27 now just 11 left. I'm still learning and discus fish were one my favorite fish so here I'm trying to get help from you guys.

[Second Hand Pat]

Mhxsolo, these fish do not do well without water changes long term. Could be you need to either dechlorinator your water and/or you need to age it. Perhaps we can help you will this.
Pat

[Mhxsolo]

Mhxsolo, these fish do not do well without water changes long term. Could be you need to either dechlorinator your water and/or you need to age it. Perhaps we can help you will this.
Pat

Anything that is helpful i will take since these fishes are really expensive. This also the first batch that i ever own.

[Second Hand Pat]

Anything that is helpful i will take since these fishes are really expensive.

Ok, can you tell us about your water? Do you use a dechlorinator? Do you know how to age your water?

[Mhxsolo]

Ok, can you tell us about your water? Do you use a dechlorinator? Do you know how to age your water?

I used to used those dechlorinatore but i stop awhile back. I don't know how to age water, will you tell me more about it?

[Mhxsolo]

I forgot to said that i did alot of medicating these discus when they were baby from salting to almost everything i can think of reading from this site to others when they got the ick and water changed.

[Second Hand Pat]

Ok, first if your water has chlorine or chloramine you will need to use a dechlorinator to make the water safe for the fish. Best to add just before a water change. Could this be responsible for your fish loss?

To age your water fill a large bin like a brute trashcan (make sure it is food safe) with water, add an airstone and heater and allow to sit for 24 hours before using in a tank for a water change. If you wish to determine if you need to age your water take a glass of water and test the ph. Age it for 24 hours by adding an airstone and test the ph at the end of the 24 hours. See if you have a ph swing.
Pat

[Kyla]

if you have not done a water change in a very long time you may want to start off with several small water changes for the first week, slowly changing more and more water each day until you work your way up to larger % water changes.

for example, on the first day do a 10% wc, 2nd day 15 %, 3rd day 20%, 4th day 25% and so on...

this way you wont shock your discus with a possible drastic shift in water parameters.

once you get up to the 75% wc mark you can continue doing nice large water changes using your aged, aerated and pre-heated water.

[Filip]

Welcome Mhxsolo. I think that you can post pics via insert image icon now .
So you can open a new thread in our journals section and put pics with full description of your tank and discus.

[Second Hand Pat]

That's good advice Kyla.

[Akili]

Discus just need lots of fresh, clean, warm water and they will be grow and thrive.You have been give sound advice .Going through your thread I did not find at what is temperature of your tank and your water parameters.

[Mhxsolo]

Thank you all, I'll try all the advice and let you guys know.

[mee]

Mhxsolo, just my advice, but move slow and ask questions every step of the way. Surrender yourself to the knowledge here, and remember there are no dumb questions. If you can get it, I recommend seachem prime for de-chlorinating your water.

By the way where do you live?

[Mhxsolo]

Mee,

Thanks, i live in the midwest so during winter kind of hard but I'll try my best to take any adviced.

[mee]

Because you have a 75 and because you are inexperienced, I would try and reduce your discus to the 6 best ones, and as stated doing a 10 percent water change first then wait a day do 20, wait a day do 30, and so on till your at about 70 or 80%, then with 6 fish you can make it every 2 or 3 days, but daily won't hurt. You can request a water report from your water company, and find out if they use heavy ammounts of chlorine or chloramines, and also see if there are any heavy metals in the water/chemicals. often in agricultural area's this is the case.. though they are usually not enough to create direct issues. I am not a water expert, I tend to live places with very good water, and other than sometimes managing ph, and usually adding prime (don't need to where I am now), I do very little other than water changes. Not all are so lucky, and it is very good to know what your water has in it, or at the very least use a good conditioner like prime. If you really don't think you can manage the suggest water routine, I highly recommend you find homes for the fish with people that know how to keep Discus, and try your hand at a much more hardy fish. Still all fish need at least weekly or at the very least bi-weekly water changes. Discus need much more.

[Mhxsolo]

I'll do that this weekend, been working and don't have time until friday. I don't know where to split my discus. I got 2 other tank for an Oscar and another for goldfish. Hard decision since all discus are beautiful.

[modealings]

I'm from the Midwest as well. Interestingly in my city they alternate between using free chlorine and chloramine. I was told they often use free chlorine in the winter to prepare the pipes for the summer (not sure exactly how this prepares the pipes).

I recently called my water company and the current free chlorine conc is estimated at 1.2-1.4mg/L. It's my understanding that free chlorine will evap out of your water if you age for 24hrs in an open container, and somewhat quicker if the water is heated. In a few weeks time however they will be switching back to chloramine at an est conc of 1.6-1.8mg/L. Again, my understanding is that this is significant because it will not evaporate off with time so you have to use a water conditioner.

It seems tricky to constantly go back and forth w adding conditioner vs not so I've just always been adding it. On a few occasions I've noticed my fish flash after an aged water change at matched temp. If I add a second does of conditioner, the flashing stops.

It's very informative to talk to your water company. The person I talked to was actually quite helpful. When I told him I had aquariums he added that our nitrate levels change somewhat throughout the year as my source is a nearby river. (Range 1-7mg/L).

[mee]

I'm from the Midwest as well. Interestingly in my city they alternate between using free chlorine and chloramine. I was told they often use free chlorine in the winter to prepare the pipes for the summer (not sure exactly how this prepares the pipes).

I recently called my water company and the current free chlorine conc is estimated at 1.2-1.4mg/L. It's my understanding that free chlorine will evap out of your water if you age for 24hrs in an open container, and somewhat quicker if the water is heated. In a few weeks time however they will be switching back to chloramine at an est conc of 1.6-1.8mg/L. Again, my understanding is that this is significant because it will not evaporate off with time so you have to use a water conditioner.

It seems tricky to constantly go back and forth w adding conditioner vs not so I've just always been adding it. On a few occasions I've noticed my fish flash after an aged water change at matched temp. If I add a second does of conditioner, the flashing stops.

It's very informative to talk to your water company. The person I talked to was actually quite helpful. When I told him I had aquariums he added that our nitrate levels change somewhat throughout the year as my source is a nearby river. (Range 1-7mg/L).

make sure your conditioner takes care of chloramine, not all conditioners do this. Prime does. On a side note Chlorine and Chloramine are both bad for the fish, but the big difference is, Chlorine may burn gills, and knock out good bacteria in your filters, but chloramines are straight up toxic for fish. Sometimes water companies flush the pipes with chlorine to take care of bacterial blooms or other issues. I actually think my water company did this for the first time in 5 years (they use only very very low levels of chlorine usually) because this winter was extremely warm, so I think they had some bacteria issues. I had some fish looking not so good after a water change about a week ago, and I could smell chlorine, so I added prime for the first time in about a year. The water company at my parents place in the states overdosed the chlorine so bad one time that my family's eyes were red and burning after showering.

[Mhxsolo]

Sorry all, been busy and didn't have time to come on here but just so you all know, my discus are doing fine. A few are about 4 to 5 inch. Sadly can't add photo yet and i want to thank all of you guys for the helping hand.