starter tank for discus

[chowyc2]

this is the first time to set up discus aquarium for me. I live in San Diego and the tap water has a relatively high pH and ammonia levels, pH about 8. Nitrate and nitrite levels are both zero. I read some posts in this forum and it looks like pH at 8 is ok for discus. My concern is ammonia. Do I have to completely rid ammonia from my tank.

[Skip]

Chow.. you need PRIME.. it will detox the Ammonia/Chloramines in the water.. next you need to build up the bacteria levels.. since are you are a beginner.. i will tell you, to for the example of Cycling your tank BEFORE you put in discus.. i learned the hard way and lost 4!!!!

trust me, when i tell you bare bottom is the way to go to start out!!!! way easier to clean.. i have some plants and driftwood in the tank for decor.. but no gravel... ok..!
get a hydrosponge, lots of surface area for bacteria.. the tap water will fine, since you are new. your not breeding.. (thats when you need the R/O water)

get a couple of starter fish, and put them in your tank. keep testing for ammonia level (some test kits will read postive but PRIME will have detox, so it will be safe, just false positives) let run for a month or so.. i have two hang on back filters (No carbon, just bio media).. and two sponge filters..

in fact i just took out the original sponge filter to start up new tank!!

that should get you going. the first thing you want to get going is water changes (one a day).. then if you want other stuff, Decor/plants etc.. add them later..

first things first.. just get a grasp of havin Discus in a tank, in your house! : ))) GOOD LUCK!!

read my "HELLO MY NAME IS SKIP.." if you want to learn from my mistakes!!

ciao

skip

[chowyc2]

thanks Skip for your advice.

[tcyiu]

this is the first time to set up discus aquarium for me. I live in San Diego and the tap water has a relatively high pH and ammonia levels, pH about 8. Nitrate and nitrite levels are both zero. I read some posts in this forum and it looks like pH at 8 is ok for discus. My concern is ammonia. Do I have to completely rid ammonia from my tank.

I would be VERY concerned with the ammonia reading. Anything above 0 is bad news. You must remove it. At your pH level, very little of the free ammonia (very bad for fish) would convert to ammonium (not as toxic).

If I were in your situation, here's what I would do:

Have a separate water tank for aging the tap water before a water change. In this holding tank, I would have a seasoned/mature filter. The bacteria in this filter will convert the ammonia to nitrites and then nitrates. This resulting water will still have lower nitrates than your discus water.

I would fill the holding tank and dechlorinate the water with cheap sodium thiosulfate or thiosulfite (you can buy large quantities in a swimming pool supplies store - you only need a minute amount for each water change). Leave the filter running to circulate the water and remove the ammonia and nitrites. After a day or so, tests for either chemicals should read zero. Then it would be safe to do a water change.

Just to be complete, an alternative way is to buy brand name aquarium chemicals that will dechlorinate and convert the ammonia to ammonium. You save time (and some electricity), but pay a premium for the products. For most people with lower pH, there is no need for the day or so of aging. The trace amounts of free ammonia is converted to ammonium automatically.

Either way, have this system in place before you buy discus.

Also, look up posts by Chad. He's in the San Diego area and has some gorgeous discus tanks. Plus he has some killer ideas on how to minimize water changes (and resulting water waste).

Tim

[Keith Perkins]

If you talk to Chad, you might ask him if he has any extra sponge filters in use that he would sell you. This is way you can have ab instantly established biological filter and skip all the waiting for your own to get going. This would save you 4 to 6 weeks of waiting to buy discus too.