Thinking About Moving Back to Saltwater.

[Dionysius]

Hello Simply Discus! It’s been a while since I’ve posted. Sad news is upon us. After a couple of months with my beautiful Discus and setup. I’m worn out. Properly worn out. With a family and all of my responsibilities, the water change schedule needed for these guys is becoming overwhelming. I’m now to the point where I’m thinking about selling my setup and going back to saltwater. Any advice for me?

[Pices]

Hey Dylan,
Tell us more about your maintenance routine. Perhaps there’s an easier way for you. What size tank do you have? Are your fish grown or are you trying to grow them up? What is the most difficult part of the maintenance for you? Tell us what you’re currently doing and I’m sure many people here can share their time saving tips. It actually sounds like a good thread. We might all learn a trick or two.
Patty

[LizStreithorst]

I looked back at your past posts Dylan, and you made some mistakes is all. I've make mistakes and ending up killing fish! More than once!!!! This is your first time and you went with a planted tank. I don't imagine you figured out an efficient way to do WC either. Those are no reasons to give up. Besides, I hate it when someone gives up.

Patty is right. Answer all her questions and we will all come up with solutions. It may take a bunch of head scratching on everyone's part but if you want it, it can be done.

[peewee1]

Dylan, a salt tank would be less maintenance than a fresh tank? I am keeping a 30 gallon with 5 almost 5 to 6 inch discus. A thirty percent water change on Sunday take up 15 minutes of my time. I feed the fish three times a day. Before I go to work, when I get home and about an hour before bed. Mostly dry food. More time is spent on scraping that brown algae off of the glass than anything else. Maybe you are over doing this?

[bluelagoon]

Dylan, a salt tank would be less maintenance than a fresh tank? I am keeping a 30 gallon with 5 almost 5 to 6 inch discus. A thirty percent water change on Sunday take up 15 minutes of my time. I feed the fish three times a day. Before I go to work, when I get home and about an hour before bed. Mostly dry food. More time is spent on scraping that brown algae off of the glass than anything else. Maybe you are over doing this?

Hi.I would say that this is not good advice for long term well being of the discus fish.I can't imagine how they would/could live healthy for 6-8 years in those conditions.

[Dionysius]

Hey guys! My setup is a 55 gallon with 6 4 inch discus. I’ve been feeding 1-2 times per day and 90% WC 2-3 times per week. My fish look healthy as far as I can see. My issue is that I’m in a modern house and I can’t hook up any WC systems. So right now I’m limited to buckets.

[fljones3]

Hey guys! My setup is a 55 gallon with 6 4 inch discus. I’ve been feeding 1-2 times per day and 90% WC 2-3 times per week. My fish look healthy as far as I can see. My issue is that I’m in a modern house and I can’t hook up any WC systems. So right now I’m limited to buckets.

Dylan,

Perhaps this consideration might assist. I use a python system but all the faucets in my home are modern. I could not find a way to connect the python system to them. I thought I was "condemned" to buckets. At the time, I thought that this process would grow wearisome rapidly. I think I was right.

What I finally arranged was a connection to my bathroom showerhead. Purchased a short hose which connected to the showerhead (after taking it off). The other end to the python system with the outlet in the bathtub. Not pretty but easily taken off and on. In my case, it's in a guest bedroom so unless I have guests it just hangs there waiting for water changes. If you don't have a spare bath it might make it a little more cumbersome but it's better than buckets!

Frank

[14Discus]

Dylan,

I, too, hated the bucket routine, but I found a great way to not have to use buckets. I use four 45 gallon Brute garbage cans for all my water needs.
Can 1...... is heated w aeration just for filling up tank w fresh clean same temp water as in tank. It also has a pump w attached 18-20’ hose to pump the water into the tank. This can has the longest hose so it can reach both my Discus tanks in the room.

Can 2....... is my RO reserve can where I store RO water. It also has a pump w 8’ hose to send RO water to Can 1 for aging and temp matching.

Can 3........is on wheels. It is used to gather discarded aquarium water from tank via gravel vac siphoning in WC. I wheel removed aquarium water in this can to the sink and pump out through 8’ hose into drain. This can only gets used for getting rid of used aquarium water.

Can 4.......is on wheels. It is used to collect good fresh water from source (tap or RO faucet) and bring into fish room. This is where I really got rid of buckets....no more carrying and stacking buckets. I’m 59 now and those buckets did not help my back any. I merely fill this can partially full and wheel it into the fish room and pump out the water into the Can #2 w an 8’ hose. My ratio of water is 5-1 (RO to tap), so most water moving is w RO.

Yes......all four cans have pumps fixed to the bottom w hoses and two of them have wheels. Pumping out water from these means not only not having to carry buckets, but also no lifting water up to the tank top and dumping water in in gushes. Just turn on the pump (each can has an in-line switch at the can and a ten foot ext. cord to plug in).

And finally......keeping your water parameters in mind (especially KH, GH, PH and N03), you might consider one weekly WC of 90% or two of 50% a week. Now, some out there will bark at me for even suggesting a WC reduction, but if WCs are what might drive you out of the hobby, then altering them some (fish health permitting) is worth considering. This also depends on your feeding amounts, frequency,and types along with your filtration. Another option to help reduce WCs would be to aquire nearly full size adult Discus of 5.5 to 6 inches. Four inch Discus are still growing and do require (imo) more frequent WCs whereas larger fish would not.

Note.....I am hoping to help keep you in Discus w my thoughts. I am not as longtime Discus experienced as others here, but I’ve done fish for decades and would hate to see you abandon the greatest of fish...the Discus....largely due to WC issues. Trust me, though, the garbage can approach really really makes changes a breeze compared to buckets. This system alone has allowed me to set up a second Discus tank as buckets w one tank was terrible....the mere thought of buckets for two tanks was awful. But.....with merely wheeling around water and pumping it out, a second tank was possible.. bc this system works well for me.

This is my discard water can to pump out used water into sink drain.
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This is my aging temp controlled can for pumping tank replacement water for tank refill purposes. Note the ‘gauges’ on top. After I refill this can.....a couple of days later....I check the PH, KH, and GH w API Test kits. I move the needle part to the spot that the water is. For example....the thing reads 4 KH, 4 GH, and a PH of 7.8. I then know exactly what I’m pumping into the tanks waterwise.
This can also has three thermometers for accurate temp readings. My can temp is 1-2 degrees warmer than the tank temp.
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[Lewjo11]

If you are not breeding fish and not interested in Maxx grow out! And have the fish live for 3 to 5 years. One big water change a week is fine! Perfectly fine. Add another smaller one better. They will live and be fine. Consistency is the Key. Less plants the better but a bare bottom looks just fine .. I took my discus out of this tank a few days ago.

[Lewjo11]

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[Lewjo11]

I did this for over 2 years on this tank. The 2 discus are fine. Some died but is was due to my error! Heater ... Adding cold water by mistake example.

[Doogy262]

https://www.amazon.com/d/Plumbing-Hoses/Camco-Connects-Standard-Various-Sources/B000EDOSKG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1551114734&sr=8-1&key
might try something like this with a clamp if pressure is to high...

[Pices]

What a great idea Doogy and I read in the reviews that it worked perfectly with a python!
Patty

[Doogy262]

yup

[Dionysius]

You guys are amazing! I didn’t think about hooking the python up to the shower head! GENIUS! I’m going to try that out. Will make my life SO MUCH EASIER.

I’m going to post some pics of my discus. I am pretty proud of them ;)

[Dionysius]

Some pics from when they were smaller.

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[Pices]

Beautiful bunch Dylan! They look healthy and happy. You should be proud!
Patty

[fljones3]

Great looking! Great reason not to abandon these beauties.