First purchase jitters

[ewechye]

So I've cycled the tank.. Added some 25 cardinal tetras and 6 corydoras sterbais ( 150g tank ).. Everything seems to be alive.. Water temp is at 85. What else do I need to check/test/verify before spending hundreds of dollars on discus? I just don't want a wipeout cuz I forgot to do something... Wished there was a 'discus' test to give me a green light that everything will be ok....

[Second Hand Pat]

Hi ewechye, have you figured out how to do your water changes? I will guarantee you will have a mini-cycle the first week after adding discus due to the increased bio-load of the discus. I would suggest a daily 50% WC until the cycle stabilizes.
Pat

[ewechye]

Yup... Water change ready...

[LizStreithorst]

Pat is absolutely right. But there's more. Watching this video will be invaluable to you.

[brewmaster15]

Added some 25 cardinal tetras and 6 corydoras sterbais ( 150g tank ).. Everything seems to be alive

Hi,
Can I ask how long ago you added these?

Al

[ewechye]

Jan 22 - start cycle.
Mar 3 - 0 Ammo, 0 Nitrites.
Mar 7 - 15 cardinal tetras ( but lost 2 to overflow as I thought the cards wont get into the overflow, but that has been fixed )
Mar 14 - 6 cory sterbais
Mar 21 - 12 cardinal tetras


I was planning to add another 24 cardinal tetras over the next 2 weeks to make sure everything is working/stable for another month before getting the discus.

I was hoping with 50 inches of fishes, when I add 8 discus ( 4 inches ), the tank might be stable enough to avoid mini cycles. I also wanted to get the routine down with the tank, understanding the water changes required to keep the nitrates down on 50 inches of fish to get an idea of what I would need when the discus came in.

[brewmaster15]

Jan 22 - start cycle.
Mar 3 - 0 Ammo, 0 Nitrites.
Mar 7 - 15 cardinal tetras ( but lost 2 to overflow as I thought the cards wont get into the overflow, but that has been fixed )
Mar 14 - 6 cory sterbais
Mar 21 - 12 cardinal tetras


I was planning to add another 24 cardinal tetras over the next 2 weeks to make sure everything is working/stable for another month before getting the discus.

I was hoping with 50 inches of fishes, when I add 8 discus ( 4 inches ), the tank might be stable enough to avoid mini cycles. I also wanted to get the routine down with the tank, understanding the water changes required to keep the nitrates down on 50 inches of fish to get an idea of what I would need when the discus came in.

I really don't want to be a stick in the mud here as I know you are really excited to start your discus adventure but I have to. You are taking a really big risk with the way you are cycling your tank. Quarantine is extremely important when adding livestock. Even cardinals can pass protozoans and worms to other fish like discus. Having just added cardinals 4 days ago you should really hold off on adding more fish especially discus. 6 weeks is my quarantine..some do less.. but sooner or latter if you skip QT you will have a headache.

[Iminit]

Yes for best results qt for 6weeks. Next do you have a separate qt tank? You will need a 40-50g qt/sick fish tank. Even better 2 different tanks for qt and sick. Also for at least the first month after getting your discus a 50% water change should be done. This will be easier for you with the 8 new discus in a 50g. Less water plus new discus are adjusting to your water and not stressing from all the dither fish. How are you setting up the 150? Bare bottom? This is the best way with new discus.

[LizStreithorst]

Always remember to take your least favorite Discus and put it in the tank with the Cardinals and Sterbai, and watch it for 5 to 7 days. After that time, if the test Discus is healthy, it's time to move the Discus to the big tank. You will still get a mini-cycle. Start with 50% WC for a couple of days, test your water and if the parameters are good, start changing 30% daily for the rest of your life.

[ewechye]

Ha.. that's a good idea of just moving my least favorite discus first. I assume I would add prime on top of the water change to neutralize the nitrite/ammonia from the mini cycle... I'm hoping that doesn't happen.. But people keep telling me that it's gonna happen.

[Discus Fever]

But people keep telling me that it's gonna happen.

It will happen, when ever you add more fish into a tank whether it is fully cycled or not it will affect the cycle of your tank and make your readings go up until your filter can catch up and get back to normal readings.

[brewmaster15]

Where did you source your sterbai and Cardinals from?

[ewechye]

It's a local fish store. They are actually pretty good... They quarantine all their fish 2 weeks. Everything looks very clean. They also breed some of their fish.

[gimaal]

You've received great advice here. Perhaps it's not want you hoped to hear but it certainly is the counsel that is most likely to lead you to success with your new Discus.

[ewechye]

I don't think it's was too out of line with what I was planning. I wasn't planning to add the discus anytime soon. I do not have a quarantine tank and it would be quite difficult for me to setup, so I have to figure that out.

[danotaylor]

Is there room in the stand under the 150 gal for a 29 or 40gal to use as qt or hospital tank? It doesn’t need to be an elaborate set-up…bare bottom, air driven sponge filter with a heater & light…

[ewechye]

Nope.. Sump underneath... But I'll figure something out eventually...