I´m newbie

[tarantula]

I have some experience keeping fish, actually I keep a m'buna 55 gallons tank and 55gallons goldfish tank.

I'm thinking keep a discus 75gallons tank, and my tap water is gh 17dgh, kh 8dkh and ph 7.5-8, the question is, with this water is possible keep discus?
I know this water is not good, but I read in some internet pages "discus can live in a hard water" even some people keep them in alkaline ph.
I know RO water is better for discus but I don't have a RO filter.

Another question all products like sera morena, sera ph minus etc. are a good option?

Thanks
Dr. Carlos Elizondo

[jeep]

I'm not sure about the GH as I use a TDS meter to measure my water. I do know that discus can thrive in most water conditions as long as you age your water to stabilize the ph.

What is your ph after a day of aging???

Pure RO water is not the way to go because RO removes vital minerals and elements fish need to survive. Maybe reconstituted RO water would be your best option. If interested, RandalB from this board is a great option to purchase an RO unit...

[funkyfish]

welcome to simply
my water is harder than ur's 20dgh ph 8.1 i ahve 14 discsus from baby's to 5 inch's in size they are all healthy they will even eat from my hand
good luck

ps with hard water the additive's don't work to well the ph will go up and down with that stuff it's better to have a stable ph than a rollercoaster
they don't lik rollercoaster's

[Howie_W]

Hi Dr. Elizondo and welcome to Simply! :)

Your higher degree of General Hardness and alklinity are not as big an issue with keeping Discus. Many of us grow out juveniles in water similar to your own. What's important is the quality of your water; i.e. that it is not filled with high concentrations of chemicals. Filling your tank with various assortment of chemicals is ill advised, versus keeping the pH of your existing water stable through aging for 24 hrs. if needed.

If you get to the point where you want to consider breeding, than as Jeep suggested I would look into an R/O unit.


Howie

[tarantula]

So, I can keep Discus with my water chemistry. I will check the ph of my water tonight, after 24 hours of aging.

Thanks

[tarantula]

My tap water after 24 hours of aging have a ph 8.5. Is this a ph tolerable by discus?

[funkyfish]

u should be able to lower the ph of ur water with peat moss pretty easily
peat will also lower ur gh and kh
it would be cheaper than a R.O. unless u are wanting to breed then it would be well worth the investment
good luck

[RyanH]

Hi Dr. Elizondo,

Your pH is fine for keeping Discus. The sooner this myth that keeping Discus requires a low pH goes away, the better off we'll all be. :)

As the others stated, your primary concern in stability. If you ever intend to breed your fish, you will want to consider an RO unit or peat filtration. Until then your aged tap water will be fine. Welcome to the hobby! Enjoy! :)

-Ryan

[tarantula]

:) Thanks all for yours comments

water issue solved (my water is OK for keep discus but is not good for breed)

I gonna put the Discus thank, well I need buy some things.

Next step, Filtration

what kind of filter is better for discus?
I think buy a Penguin BIO-Wheel 330, is it Ok or need another filter or combine Penguin BIO-Wheel 330 and other filter.

Thanks

[RyanH]

The biowheels are excellent. I also really like the Aquaclears. In addition to the power filters, I always have at least one hydrosponge in the tank as well. For biological filtration they are second to none. They are also remarkably efficient for mechanical even if only using an airstone.

If you are unfamiliar with Hydrosponges here is a link:

http://www.jehmco.com/PRODUCTS_/FILTRATION/Hydro-Sponge_Filters/hydro-sponge_filters.html

hth!
-Ryan