KLGFCG
09-17-2010, 10:16 PM
To start, sorry about the book to follow. I've been lurking around, reading up, but I really want some direct, honest feedback on my situation.
I recently got a killer deal on a 90 gallon tank with FX5. I've admired discus for a while, but never thought I could keep them. I've heard more and more about them being kept in tap water, so I'm wondering if maybe I can be successful. I currently have 8 other aquariums; 4 are Africans (1 Tang, 3 mbuna), the others are communities (with angels as the centerpieces in all but one tank).
I have hard, hard well water that goes through a water softener. The pH out of the tap and aerated for 24 hours is around 8.0. I don't monitor pH in my tanks with regularity, but the last time I checked, it ranged from off the charts high (tanks with lots of THR and shells) down to about 7.8 in tanks with lots of driftwood. I've never measured my gH/kH, but I know my water is crazy hard. Even with a water softener, I get rust staining in sinks and such (though less than I get without the softener).
My water change schedule for my current tanks is 30-60% (depending on stock level) once or twice per week. I'm planning some plumbing changes soon that should mean that 2x/week or more becomes the standard.
So, my plan for the discus tank is the 90 gallon filtered with the FX5, an AquaClear 110, and possibly another filter the next time I see a good deal (I'm a big fan of over filtering). The temperature will be maintained at ~83' F with 2 heaters. I'll have playsand substrate, driftwood decor, and fake plants. I realistically think I can do water changes every 2-3 days... sometimes I can do daily, but I work long hours, and I don't want to mislead myself about what I can do. I plan to get a reservior (probably an extra tank) to keep aged, heated water (is there any benefit to trying to add peat or other acidic modifiers to this water?) to pump in for water changes. I'm not sure if I want a species tank, or a school of tetras (probably lemons, maybe rummies), possibly a couple pairs of electric blue rams. I'd like 8 discus of varying colors, but I'd like to purchase them all together from one source.
To wrap it up, what say the experts? Should I get discus, or am I better off waiting till I can devote more time and be able to do daily WC's? Is my water just too far off the mark? Any other red flags? And, if discus are a viable possibility for me, what size fish should I be looking for (I understand juvies are higher maintenance, right?)? Opinions on species tank vs. community? Other pieces of wisdom or good threads that I might have missed?
If you made it this far, THANK YOU. :)
I recently got a killer deal on a 90 gallon tank with FX5. I've admired discus for a while, but never thought I could keep them. I've heard more and more about them being kept in tap water, so I'm wondering if maybe I can be successful. I currently have 8 other aquariums; 4 are Africans (1 Tang, 3 mbuna), the others are communities (with angels as the centerpieces in all but one tank).
I have hard, hard well water that goes through a water softener. The pH out of the tap and aerated for 24 hours is around 8.0. I don't monitor pH in my tanks with regularity, but the last time I checked, it ranged from off the charts high (tanks with lots of THR and shells) down to about 7.8 in tanks with lots of driftwood. I've never measured my gH/kH, but I know my water is crazy hard. Even with a water softener, I get rust staining in sinks and such (though less than I get without the softener).
My water change schedule for my current tanks is 30-60% (depending on stock level) once or twice per week. I'm planning some plumbing changes soon that should mean that 2x/week or more becomes the standard.
So, my plan for the discus tank is the 90 gallon filtered with the FX5, an AquaClear 110, and possibly another filter the next time I see a good deal (I'm a big fan of over filtering). The temperature will be maintained at ~83' F with 2 heaters. I'll have playsand substrate, driftwood decor, and fake plants. I realistically think I can do water changes every 2-3 days... sometimes I can do daily, but I work long hours, and I don't want to mislead myself about what I can do. I plan to get a reservior (probably an extra tank) to keep aged, heated water (is there any benefit to trying to add peat or other acidic modifiers to this water?) to pump in for water changes. I'm not sure if I want a species tank, or a school of tetras (probably lemons, maybe rummies), possibly a couple pairs of electric blue rams. I'd like 8 discus of varying colors, but I'd like to purchase them all together from one source.
To wrap it up, what say the experts? Should I get discus, or am I better off waiting till I can devote more time and be able to do daily WC's? Is my water just too far off the mark? Any other red flags? And, if discus are a viable possibility for me, what size fish should I be looking for (I understand juvies are higher maintenance, right?)? Opinions on species tank vs. community? Other pieces of wisdom or good threads that I might have missed?
If you made it this far, THANK YOU. :)