Beginner Questions: Cycle, Quarantine, Hospital Tank

[boerkie]

Hi all. I have been reading this forum and watching videos for a couple of weeks now, learning and studying. There is so much information here, its amazing and overwhelming at the same time. I hope to get some input, suggestions and answers to my plan.

My Aquarium: 72 Gallon Bow Front
Substrate: around 50lbs PFS
Decorations: 1 or 2 pieces of driftwood
Plants: Moss, 1 or 2 other plants tied to the driftwood, no plants in sand
Filtration: Fluval 306 & Aquaclear 110, around 800 GPH, this is what I have, no reason for the combination (both new)
Heater: Suggestions please?
Lights: Going to make LED lights inside the lid cabinet
Air: Pump with 1 or 2 air stones, other suggestions?
Aging tank: 30 gallon tank, own heater and air stone
Discus: probably 6, 4"-5" discus

Cycle Plan:

I will do the fish-less cycle. I think I understand the process so far. I just have a few questions:
- Do I need to do water changes while cycling the tank? If so how often, how much? If not, when is the first water change?
- Once the tank cycle is complete, do i need to add fish right away or can I keep feeding ammonia until I am ready to add fish?
- If I don't put fish in after the cycle and I am ok feeding ammonia, how often do I need to do water changes and how much?
- Is there anything that I am missing, or not thinking about?

Quarantine:

- Do I need to quarantine the discus once I get them? they will be going into a cycled tank that hasn't seen any other fish
- I hope I can order fish from uncle sam or kenny, still doing my research. Once I get the fish, I know i need to get them up to
temp and slowly mix my aquarium water with the shipping water. Then transfer with a net to my tank. Do I need to worry about
the shipping water ph etc and my tank ph?
- I have no plan for any other fish in the tank, if that changes I will do proper quarantine. The discus will be the first fish in

Hospital Tank/Quarantine Tank:

- 30 Gallon, not the aging tank. Will be in the basement
- No decorations, no substrate, bare tank
- Do I need to have this set up and running the whole time?
- Does it need to be cycled, or can I use filter media from main tank?
- HOB filter ok?

Thanks

[discuspaul]

Seems like you've done a good amount of homework, and you're well-prepared.
Your equipment list is good.
My heater suggestion would be a 300w Eheim Jager - very reliable imo.

Your other questions:
It's not essential for you to do wcs during the cycle, but a few small ones over the usual up to 6 week cycle period wouldn't hurt.

You only need to do a large wc when the cycle is complete, at which time the nitrates will likely be at a very high level.
This before the introduction of any fish.

Once the cycle is complete, you can continue to add ammonia on a daily or bi-daily basis to maintain the cycle ok until you're ready to get & add the discus.

Depends how long the tank is 'on hold' after the cycle is finished, that you need to do wcs. Just monitor for nitrates every few days, and do a wc if/when nitrates reach say, 10 ppm's.

No QT needed when you get the discus - you've got a pure/clean newly cycled tank so you're fine.
You'll be getting near adult fish (good) who we assume are healthy fish obtained from a quality source, like Kenny's - which you mention & who I'd highly recommend as your source.

Once the shipping water is at a temp near to your tank water temp, and assuming the shipping water pH is also not far off your tank water pH (within .5 or so), you're good to go - just remove each fish from it's container by dropping them into a net held above a bucket, and thence from net to tank as you've mentioned.
Mixing aquarium water with shipping water needs doing only if there is a wide discrepancy between pH of shipping water, and that in your tank.

As for your hospital tank, no need to have it set up before it's needed - If/when it's needed, ready it as to heat & filtration, and do daily wc's which will obviate the need to cycle it. HOB filter is fine.

Best of luck with your discus start-up.

[Akili]

Hi, and Welcome to SimplyDiscus. Do a large water change of 75% or more when the Nitrates build up. Follow the cycling procedure outlined in this thread ...............http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?125704-Beginner-s-Guide-to-Getting-Started-with-Discus When The tank is cycled you can add the new fish if they are coming from the same source.Check with your source if any of the fish you getting need additional quarantine.Do not add any water from the shipping bags to your tank,float the bags for 15 or 20 minutes so the temperature can get the same.Then take a bag out,put it in a bucket,scoop the fish up with your hands and dump them right in the tank.Drop and plop is the best way to go.As for the Hospital Tank/Quarantine Tank, keep it empty till you need it but keep a spare sponge filter in the main tank which can be moved when needed.This sponge filter can be used to seed the hang on the back filter if you want to use that.

[boerkie]

Thank you for the information, very helpful!

I forgot to ask:
When do I add the plants, before or after the cycle?

Thanks

[discuspaul]

Thank you for the information, very helpful!

I forgot to ask:
When do I add the plants, before or after the cycle?

Thanks

Based on your initial post, you've only intended to add 1 or 2 plants to the driftwood - you can add those at anytime before your cycle is completed and you get the fish. Early in the cycle would do no harm at all - whenever you're ready.

[boerkie]

Based on your initial post, you've only intended to add 1 or 2 plants to the driftwood - you can add those at anytime before your cycle is completed and you get the fish. Early in the cycle would do no harm at all - whenever you're ready.

Thanks for all your help. Regarding they tank cycle, do i need to add some sort of bacteria or will they start by themselves? Also I see you are in Canada, any recommendation on where I can get my hands on ammonia?

[Filip]

Hi Boerkie and welcome to Simply Discus.
Naz and Paul already wrote the basics , so I lll just add that you can wait out the whole cycle for a one month period , or you can also add bottled bacteria to speed up the cycling process.
I would change 100% one day prior introducing discus and keep with the daily +50% changes once they are settled in.
You can put the plants anytime you like and drop the discus right from the bag once the temperature is equalized .But like Paul said , it would be safe to measure the PH difference first and do the slow drip acclimatisation if your PH is more than 0.5 degree lower than the one in the transport bag .
Good luck Boerckie and keep us posted with arrival pics .