Cycling with a Discus

[MeauxJeaux]

How stupid would it be to cycle my tank using a Discus instead of trying a fishless cycle or adding fish that I do not want in my tank in the long run?

[azzndude2005]

You can use more than one filter. For example you can have a couple of sponge filter setup depending on the number of fish you have and have an active carbon filter that hang on the tank. I cycle my tank with discus in them. My setup was a little different though. I had 1 sponge filter and a home made wet and dry filter. In the wet and dry filter I added a pack of active carbon.

[kaceyo]

You can do it if your pH is low enough to keep the ammonia in it's non toxic form and deal with the nitrates with salt and massive water changes. I wouldn't recommend it tho. It's much better to use the fishless method so you end up with a biofilter that can handle a full tank of fish immedietly.

Kacey

[oodi]

I agree... fishless is the only way to go. There is also less risk of bringing in diseases from other fish.

Judi
:)

[poconogal]

I know I've read that many people have used Bio-Spira or Stability to establish bio filter along with full fish load in their tank. Reports were posted either on Simply or www.fishgeeks.com or both, I don't remember, exactly, regarding Bio-Spira that showed no ammonia or nitrite build up at all, (after the addition of the tank of fish and Bio-Spira). I've used Stability with good results but have not seen any posts on results with that product from others. Use of these products would be another way to cycle without subjecting the Discus to any cycling stress, yet not having to wait 2 + mos. for the cycle to be complete. (When I did fishless, it actually took almost 3 mos. to establish the bio filter).

Connie

[White Worm]

Wouldnt it just be easier to drop a seeded sponge filter in the tank and you are good to go? With the amount of w/c's some do, the cycle is not too big of an issue. With daily changes of 50% or more, does the cycle actually happen anyway?

[Dissident]

With daily changes of 50% or more, does the cycle actually happen anyway?

Very slowly.

With the daily WC NH4 and NO2 will remain very low. I personally would at least cycle a new tank for 1-2weeks before adding fish even if I plan on doing daily 50% WC.
Cycling a grow-out tank with only a couple of fish is inefectual at best given the amount of food you will be feeding your new fish. The best way would be a fish-less cycle or using biospyra or something like that. Even then nothing beats a fully cycled sponge or filter from another (healthy) tank.

[MeauxJeaux]

Thanks for the feedback!
:thumbsup:

[sleonard]

Using an already seeded sponge, gravel, or even water from another tank carried the same risk of spreading disease as using other fish.

If the tank supplying the seed is healthy it obviously reduces the risk but there could be a disease that the new fish have no or low immunity to or the disease may just not have presented in the healthy tank yet.

Scott

[April]

you could ask the breeder to give you a seeded sponge..for your new tank of discus only from him..all the same time..same source.
definitely not from a lfs or someone else with discus..or if you have discus from a bunch of sources.

[Alight]

How stupid would it be to cycle my tank using a Discus instead of trying a fishless cycle or adding fish that I do not want in my tank in the long run?

To directly answer your question with a question (or indirectly as the case may be) How stupid would it be to wave a 50 dollar bill over a hot fire?

Why take a chance when you don't need too? Lots of good advice from the peeps above.