Bruce
05-11-2003, 10:30 PM
Despite the multiple theories of hole-in-the-head and the unproven role which the use of activated carbon plays in its contribution, it seems most discuss enthusiasts shun its use. I don't particularly care to use carbon, but to remove it from the filtration pads of my Emperor filters is just such a hassle, I'd rather leave it in there if there is no reason to extract it. My question is, assuming that activated carbon might remove trace elements in the tap water which discus need to avoid H.I.T.H, wouldn't the daily water changes most discus owners perform replenish any such loss in vital trace elements? I change 50% water twice daily and don't change the carbon except twice a year. I can't imagine a small portion of carbon being able to completely erradicate all trace elements from the 10,800 gallons of water I would theoretically go through before I renew the carbon with a new pad. With daily water changes, is the fear of carbon's contribution to H.I.T.H. disease a moot point?
Secondly, do I really need to bother with filtration at all if I perform 50% twice daily water changes and siphon all the debris from the bottom each time? Along the same lines, do I need to ever bother with ammonia and nitrite testing with this type of daily near-flow-through? I don't have any reading to share because I haven't bought a kit yet, assuming that if there was a problem, I'd be correcting it with twice daily water changes and minimizing feeding quanitities anyhow, so what's the point of filtration and testing? Please let me know if my logic is amiss.
Lastly, I'm not home for 12-14 hour periods and since I live an hour from work, feeding the juvenile discus during lunch time is not an option. But I do want these growing youngsters to get as much protein as possible without fouling up the water. I've completely given up on beefheart as even small un-eaten nuggets foul the water immediately, and now I just overfeed with huge quantities of live CBW twice a day. Would I be creating any long-term problems with an exclusive and high quantity diet of live CBW, in terms of either water quality or diet/health issues? Do I need to supplement their diet by installing an automatic feeder and dropping small amounts of Tetra ColorBits or flakes at mid-day? Is there a better way? What thinkest thou?
Thanks for your feedback.
Added to post:
1. By the time the juveniles reach adulthood, the bio-load will be 7 discus in a 58 gal. For now I have 11 juveniles (1.5-2.5"), the rest will be culled.
2. Is there such a thing as too much water change? If it was feasible to perform 90% changes every 2 hours with properly aged & treated water, would it be that much better than a conventional strategy? At what point have you reached the point of diminishing returns? How do you actually figure out the frequency and percentage for varying bio-loads? Is it all guess-timation and personal experience? Confused new discus owners want to know! Thanks!
Secondly, do I really need to bother with filtration at all if I perform 50% twice daily water changes and siphon all the debris from the bottom each time? Along the same lines, do I need to ever bother with ammonia and nitrite testing with this type of daily near-flow-through? I don't have any reading to share because I haven't bought a kit yet, assuming that if there was a problem, I'd be correcting it with twice daily water changes and minimizing feeding quanitities anyhow, so what's the point of filtration and testing? Please let me know if my logic is amiss.
Lastly, I'm not home for 12-14 hour periods and since I live an hour from work, feeding the juvenile discus during lunch time is not an option. But I do want these growing youngsters to get as much protein as possible without fouling up the water. I've completely given up on beefheart as even small un-eaten nuggets foul the water immediately, and now I just overfeed with huge quantities of live CBW twice a day. Would I be creating any long-term problems with an exclusive and high quantity diet of live CBW, in terms of either water quality or diet/health issues? Do I need to supplement their diet by installing an automatic feeder and dropping small amounts of Tetra ColorBits or flakes at mid-day? Is there a better way? What thinkest thou?
Thanks for your feedback.
Added to post:
1. By the time the juveniles reach adulthood, the bio-load will be 7 discus in a 58 gal. For now I have 11 juveniles (1.5-2.5"), the rest will be culled.
2. Is there such a thing as too much water change? If it was feasible to perform 90% changes every 2 hours with properly aged & treated water, would it be that much better than a conventional strategy? At what point have you reached the point of diminishing returns? How do you actually figure out the frequency and percentage for varying bio-loads? Is it all guess-timation and personal experience? Confused new discus owners want to know! Thanks!