Preparing for new discus

[jamie111]

I have a 45g-planted tank that has been running for 9 weeks, I am going to introduce 4-5 discus at the age of 3-4 months within the next 2 weeks. Is there any thing I need to do before I introduce them and what should I feed them after I introduce them?

Thanx Jamie

[CARY_GLdiscus]

Bloodworms ;D

[ronrca]

From my experience, what you need to do is grow them out in a bare bottom with daily water changes and lots of food. In a planted tank, the discus may become stunted because of the lack of food and clean water necessary to ensure good growth. In your situation, I would buy older discus around 4"+. ;)

O yes! Bloodworms! ;D

[Carol_Roberts]

What have you used to cycle your filter?

[jamie111]

Carol what do you mean

[Carol_Roberts]

Fish excrete ammonia. Ammonai is toxic to fish. Good bacteria grows in the filter to convert ammonia to nitrIte and then nitrAte. Have you had other fish in the tank excreting ammonia to build a bacteria bed in the filter for the last 9 weeks? Running a tank with just plants will not cycle your filter (grow a bacteria bed). If you put 4 discus in a 45 gallon tank with an uncycled filter you will have sick discus. You can add pure ammonia to your tank to cycle your filter without fish

[jamie111]

I have only had plants in for the last 9 weeks maybe I should look at adding pure ammonia

[Carol_Roberts]

You can buy pure ammonia at a grocery store. Don't buy sudsy or perfumed ammonia. Put enough in the tank to register 4 - 5 ppm. You may have to add more ammonia every few days. Test the tank for ammonia, nitrIte and nitrAte.

The plants should jump start the cycle for you. Good bacteria convert ammonia. Other good bacteria convert the nitrITe to nitrAte. the nitrAte is removed by water changes. (plants will remove these somewhat too).

In a fishless cycle you will register ammonia, then as those bacteria grow they will "eat" the ammonia and convert it to nitrIte and you will see a nitrIte spike. Pretty soon the nitrIte "eating" bacteria grow a good colony, the nitrIte reading begins to drop and you see nitrAte in the tank. Then you know your filter is cycled. Do a huge water change before adding discus.

[Carol_Roberts]

. . . . . . Or you could use this tank for some nice danios (they will cycle it for you) and buy a bare bottom 55 gallon tank, do a fishless cycle and then add your juvenile discus - giving them the best possible chance to grow big and healthy :heart1: