New with Discus & I've got questions!

[starsnwings]

First off what I have
55 gal tank
aqueon 55gal filter
200 wat heater
Sparse white gravel on the bottom

I have it all set up for 4 days now. I have a betta (who was crazy excited about the major upgrade) and 3 glow lite tetras. To see what my water was (still waiting on my test kit to arrive) I took it the pet store and everthing was good.(can this be right?) I doubt the bacteria would have built up in that quick. Also I am looking at getting a spong filter in addition any suggestions?

[roundfishross]

whats your temp? you need 84 to 86 degrees for discus. your betta and tetras will probably suffer

[starsnwings]

Its at 84 and they have been great so far

[ericatdallas]

I kept a betta at around 84-86 temps and he was fine. However, that's on the upper-end of what they tolerate and who know what that will do for their long-term health.

I'm not sure what you plan to put in there, but the betta will pick on juvenile discus. In fact, I had discus 4-5 times its size and it would chase after them.

Your bio-load is so low, it's possible there isn't any ammonia because your tank is massive relative to what you have in it. Also, the pet store's strip test isn't that accurate to begin with.

[starsnwings]

I plan to take the betta out when I get the Discus. How do you know when your bateria is good?

[Northwoods Discus]

With a test kit the ammonia will rise. Then you would see nitrites. Eventually nitrates will appear and then you have the bacteria necessary present. It does not mean you have a large enough amount though. As Eric said you have a low bio load for the tank and only 4 days to build ammonia with very small fish load. It may be best to remove the fish and do a fish less cycle with ammonia. You will need to but a test kit with the 3 above to monitor the progress. I do not believe the tank is ready in just 4 days. See threads on nitrogen cycle.

[mkisielewski]

I would probably put one more filter....Discus LOVE clean water!!!

[discuspaul]

Your cycle hasn't really begun yet - That will take weeks - prepare for even 5 or 6 weeks' duration. Get a proper test kit and regularly test for ammonia & nitrites, at least, every couple of days. Your existing fish will likely suffer through the cycle, and you may even lose some, or all. If you don't want to remove them & do a fishless cycle, I would suggest getting some Stability or Safe-Start to help move things along, and hopefully protect those fish in the interim.
And yes, in preparation for getting discus later, it would be advisable to get another filter, or a larger filter to replace what you now have. Run it concurrently with your existing one until your cycle is completed, then remove the first one if you get a larger filter.
If you continue to cycle with that small bio-load of fish (but I wouldn't add any more now), your BB colonization will not be heavily concentrated when you finish the cycle, and you will need to carefully add a low number of new fish, on a very gradual basis, until the BB can catch up to the bi-load.

[Bill63SG]

I plan to take the betta out when I get the Discus. How do you know when your bateria is good?

I've had a betta with my discus for around 6 months now.Rasied up from juvies,no problem.Larger tank thou,150.

[ericatdallas]

I've had a betta with my discus for around 6 months now.Rasied up from juvies,no problem.Larger tank thou,150.

Yeah, during WCs the betta would huddle with the discus in the corner. I guess they're like humans in that sense --- coming together in times of "stress" and emergency :)

However, there's always the exception to the rule. Some bettas (aka siamese fighting fish) are more aggressive than others. I think speaking in generalities, you want to avoid juvenile discus and bettas. Although, I suppose the space helps a lot.

The betta doesn't necessarily hurt the discus, it's just another element of stress and another variable to deal with when trying to figure out why your discus look so scared/tired/diseased/etc.

[starsnwings]

Thank you for all the info Another Q is I have a sponge filter on its way and what about getting a sponge filter (with media already on it) from a local discus breeder will that move my cycle along with out having to go the fishless route?

[discuspaul]

Do you mean a seeded sponge filter from one of the breeder's established tanks ?
Yes, that should allow you to introduce discus at once. If you do that, I would start your routine, or regime of regular wc's right away, and check the params regularly the first few days to ensure/confirm the bio-filtration level in that sponge filter is sufficient to deal with the number of fish you are starting off with.

[starsnwings]

So another one if I take a new sponge filter and just stick the sponge in an already established tank how long would I have to leave it in their. Or does anyone have any suggestions on how to cycle right with keeping the few fish I have in their. I tested the water today and my amonia, nitrite and nitrate were all 0. Its been up for a week now. A couple of days ago it got cloudy and now cleared up.

[discuspaul]

You've only been cycling a week, and you have a low bio-load of fish right now, so it would seem your cycle hasn't really properly begun yet. You should be showing a little ammonia soon, but it will likely take a couple more weeks before you see a relatively high level of nitrites developing. Generally, the majority of cycles take 5 to 6 weeks - not just 3 or 4.
If you place a new sponge filter in an established tank (hopefully a healthy, well-established and properly maintained tank), it would take at least 3 weeks or so for that filter to become properly seeded, and that will only be to the level of the bio-load in that particular established tank.
Just be patient, stay with the number of fish you have, keep testing & doing wc's. If you wish, you could try the recommended dosage of Stability or Safe-Start, and that should help move things along.