Newbie needs help

[Tin Pusher]

After cycling my 50 gallon planted tank I purchased a nice pair of Discus. If you follow this forum closely you may recognize my name as the beginner who has water problems. I cannot balance my CO2 input, water changes, hardess...........and so on to keep a level PH. It was a mistake to jump into buying Discus until I was 100% ready and understood how to keep my Ph steady. Needless to say my poor fish are black with stress and will not eat or move from their hiding space. Anyways I have had a 34 gallon breeding tank cycling for a week in hopes that my pair were ready to spawn in 6 weeks. My question is should or can I move the pair to this tank where the Ph is steady (no CO2 injection or plants)? If so how do I cycle the tank with Discus in it?
Please Help?
PS. My latest effort to balance the Ph is with Seachem Neutral Regulator. My fish came from Ph 7.0 so this should have helped out. I am at triple the recommended dosage and me Ph is still low and fluctuating. A tank with Discus in it is not a place for my chem 101 class to take place.
Thanks

[Carol_Roberts]

What type of filter do you have in the 50 gallon?

If it is a hang on the back or cannister filter move it and the discus to the smaller tank. Finish cycling whatever filter you bought for the smaller tank in the 50 gallon planted tank.
Carol :heart1:

[fcdiscus]

I would move them to the new tank, and large daily WC will keep the ammonia from becoming aproblem. You will gradually build up a cycled system. Keep the food light and PH as steady as possible. Frank

[Jeff]

I would tend to agree with Frank. If you have an established filter this would help a lot.

[Tin Pusher]

Thanks for the advice. What a great forum. :)

[brewmaster15]

I agree with Frank too-- sort of., just more with Carol :).

I'd take the filter off the 50 gal planted tank and use it on the breeder. Odds are you don't need it on the planted tanks. Your substrate in that tank is covered with bio-bacteria.

hth,
al

[fcdiscus]

Al, You are so damn tactful! Frank ;D

[Tin Pusher]

Thanks again. So far so good. They are in the new tank and their color has come back (not black hockey pucks). I have put in some aquarium salt to help with the stress ( 1 tbsp/10 gal.). If they start eating and looking 100% again should I stop the salt or run it for 2 weeks. The male is still scratching himself every 5-10 min. on whatever he can find (see "Disease or Normal?" in the disease forum).
Thanks

[Carol_Roberts]

He's scratching from irritation due to high ammonia. Continue salt until nitrItes read zero and fish stops constantly scratching.
Carol :heart1:

[April]

hope they continue to get better.
where'd you get the pair from?
locally?

[Tin Pusher]

Eric at King Ed Pets has a list of Discus available from a Hong Kong breeder every Wednesday. You pick what you want, pay for them and they are flown in on Sunday afternoon. The fish stay in the bags they were shipped in and because they are already paid for the markup is a lot smaller ( I paid $130). The breeders cost less shipping and airport fees is right on the list you see on Wednesday, mine were $85. He also brought in 2 other breeding pairs (Red Turquoise and Blue Turquoise) which are still at the shop for $199/pr. Where do you like to shop?

[April]

hi,..yeah i was wondering if thats where you got them from. just came from there and saw the other two pairs.
but i also saw alot of black discus there...
so..were yours left in the bag or put into their tanks?
thats why i was asking.or...they could have been exposed and shipping them caused stress and the virus showed up. it could have been them that gave it to the ones there. as the two pairs there are not showing signs..yet the ones that were fine last week are all not fine.
and yes...i get my wilds there. but i wont right now as i saw sick fish. it spreads extremely easy. they are all on different filters.but the guy who works there who has discus..told me its spreading from tank to tank..
so..it could be more than water issues with your fish. they may need some meds.
ive used double dose furan and maroxy in combo as to carys advice..and it worked great. king ed has both. so if they dont get better within a day or so..id use meds. and also salt.
hope they are getting better.
if you ever want to email me or see my fish...your welcome. i have some at the shop..where i work...and some at home.
we also order in from breeders as groups. and share shipping. nice quality fish..from nice breeders.

[Tin Pusher]

Hi
They were left in the bags (still sealed when I showed up). Thanks for the invite and I will surely take you up on it. Both are eating today but the male is still listless. One minute he is sitting on the bottom at a 45 degree angle and the next minute he is swimming around with his mate. He still rubs himself ocasionally and when the light hits him just right I can see what looks like a couple of worn patches on his coat (one side only). They still only eat frozen Blood worms so I am concerned if the needed medication has to be eaten as this is not going to happen. Below are the specs for you to look over.

Aquarium 34 gal. (30x16x16)
Water change 25%/day
Light=room light only so far (don't want them stressed any more)
Salt 1 tbsp per 10 gal. (3 tbsp)
Ph 6.8
Ammonia .20 ppm (mg/L)
Nitrite 0 ppm (mg/L)
Nitrate 20 ppm (mg/L)
Temp. 86 f

I am a little shocked that there was any reading at all for Ammonia and Nitrate as I change the water every day.
Standby for updates as I am looking to your wisdom for a course of action to take.
Thanks

[April]

tin pusher. id do an 80 percent water change. i do 90 all the time.get rid of the ammonia.

[Don_Lee]

I agree with previous posts about moving the fish to another tank. If you want to consider the ins and outs of CO2, pH, etc. I would encourage you to post with questions in the planted area of the board.

Don ;D

Tin,
As they say w/c's, w/c's, w/c's and MORE w/c's. The more water changes you do the better off your fish are going to be. Age your water and do 50-75% daily until the tank cycles. Once it has cycled keep on doing those daily w/c's 50-75%.


Miles

[Tin Pusher]

As pointed out I am getting a little off topic so I am now moving this conversation over to the disease section. Please follow my updates a give advice where needed. See "Disease or normal?".
Thanks again