Advise on how to prepare a tank for Wild Discus

[LKSDiscus]

I'm getting ready to set up a tank to get some Wild Discus, can anyone give me some advise on getting a tank set up and who is the best sponsor who sell good Wilds. I could use some good hints on how to set up the tank with the water parameters and whats best for the wilds. I have a 60g where I want to start and work with them and then possibly will expand them into my 210g, In my 60g I have some rainbow fish and some cleaner fishes. It already has driftwood and plants established. In my 210g I have some rainbow fishes, balloon red eye tetra and my cleaner crew that I have. This also is a planted tank with driftwood and natural substrates. my last water check the parameters where all good except that my ph may be too high and hardness and this was just last week.

On the ph and hardness I've done some research on putting peatmoss filter medium in the filter system to help level out the ph and hardness would this be a good thing with the the wilds. I haven't tried this method but I think my water here is harder then where I came from.

So I would greatly appreciate some advise.

Thanks
Linda

[3dees]

my wild tank is my first try with discus of any kind. about as low tech as you can get. less than an inch of sand, some floating plants, and lots of wood which I think is great for wilds. I tried to replicate thier natural habitat. I ony have a school of lemon tetras. my ph is 7.6 but it's very stable. got my fish from John at snookn. he is a sponsor here. 8 wilds between 4-5", and 18 months later they are all doing great.

[zchauvin]

My water had ph of 8.1 and tds 480 and my fish were perfectly fine also... Just feed them and they will live

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[LKSDiscus]

Thanks for the advise and can't wait until john start selling them.
Linda




My water had ph of 8.1 and tds 480 and my fish were perfectly fine also... Just feed them and they will live

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk


my wild tank is my first try with discus of any kind. about as low tech as you can get. less than an inch of sand, some floating plants, and lots of wood which I think is great for wilds. I tried to replicate thier natural habitat. I ony have a school of lemon tetras. my ph is 7.6 but it's very stable. got my fish from John at snookn. he is a sponsor here. 8 wilds between 4-5", and 18 months later they are all doing great.

[Darrell Ward]

Wood to swim thru is probably most important, followed by a thin layer of sand. Both things are to help keep them relaxed. Heavily planted tanks that require a lot of substrate, or constant fiddling with are a bad idea when dealing with wilds.

[Discus Origins]

All good advice above so far... Only thing I would add with the tanks you already have would be to invest in an RO unit. That will help decrease the hardness of FL tapestry and keep ph closer to 7 or below. Wilds can live in tap but thrive in softer water.

[LKSDiscus]

Well so far I got both tank set up that way. How much water changes are required. What I have been reading on the internet has varied where some say every other day and other once a week. Also what I have read that they are easier to take care of vs. Domestic discus and then i read the opposite so what would you all say?



My water had ph of 8.1 and tds 480 and my fish were perfectly fine also... Just feed them and they will live

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk


my wild tank is my first try with discus of any kind. about as low tech as you can get. less than an inch of sand, some floating plants, and lots of wood which I think is great for wilds. I tried to replicate thier natural habitat. I ony have a school of lemon tetras. my ph is 7.6 but it's very stable. got my fish from John at snookn. he is a sponsor here. 8 wilds between 4-5", and 18 months later they are all doing great.


Wood to swim thru is probably most important, followed by a thin layer of sand. Both things are to help keep them relaxed. Heavily planted tanks that require a lot of substrate, or constant fiddling with are a bad idea when dealing with wilds.

[Discus Origins]

If you purchase adults, WC every 3-4 days is fine...there is no stunting factor at that point. Water quality is the most important thing. As long as they are QT'd and de-wormed when you receive them, they will be very easy once settled in.

[zchauvin]

Well so far I got both tank set up that way. How much water changes are required. What I have been reading on the internet has varied where some say every other day and other once a week. Also what I have read that they are easier to take care of vs. Domestic discus and then i read the opposite so what would you all say?

Well if its a cycled tank once a week is ok, if its new.... Well cycle it first lol. Domestics are a tad more disease prone because of all the cross breeding ect..

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[LKSDiscus]

My 210 is already set up with an RO, my 60g is upstairs so that is a challenge, I make 1/2 and 1/2 and put a buffer in to keep ph at 7.0. I was doing research about the peat moss to put in filter to keep the PH and softness stable. They have a medium that you can put into the tank called Sera Super Peat. Has anyone tried this?


All good advice above so far... Only thing I would add with the tanks you already have would be to invest in an RO unit. That will help decrease the hardness of FL tapestry and keep ph closer to 7 or below. Wilds can live in tap but thrive in softer water.

[Larry Bugg]

I'll go with wilds being a little more difficult than domestics. This is because domestics over time have become easier to adjust to our different water parameters. Most domestics are equally as happy in a wide range of conditions. While wilds can tolerate a pretty decent swing in parameters they are happiest in low ph, soft water. That being said, I don't treat my wilds any differently than I do my domestics (but my water here is soft). The water changes, feedings, ect are all the same.

The water change issue is the same for wilds and domestics. It all depends on the age of the discus and how many in what size tank. The younger they are the more water changes they need to get them to grow out to their full potential. My wilds are all adults and I do about a 70% change every 5 days. 12 adults in a 125.

[Second Hand Pat]

Hi Linda, you are about an hour from me and I have all wilds. I need to downsize so if that interests you let me know.

[ExReefer]

You don't need RO long-term for the wilds. You can start with RO/tap water combo and ween them onto 100% tap. I bought wilds from snookn and they are now in 100% tap water (have been for a long time). My wilds were in a tank with pool filter sand and some branchy wood, but I recently went back to a painted glass bare bottom set up as I've combined my Piwowarski's with my wilds for easy of maintenance (my Piwowarski's are also done with quarantine). WC's on one tank vs. two is just easier. Plus, the large group size is welcomed by the fish.

I can tell you that since I've combined my two discus groups and went back to bare bottom, my wilds are acting exactly the same as when they had the sand and wood decor. I used to think differently, but now I firmly believe that decor is truly for the hobbyist and the fish are indifferent. What makes discus feel the most comfortable is being in large groups.

[zchauvin]

You don't need RO long-term for the wilds. You can start with RO/tap water combo and ween them onto 100% tap. I bought wilds from snookn and they are now in 100% tap water (have been for a long time). My wilds were in a tank with pool filter sand and some branchy wood, but I recently went back to a painted glass bare bottom set up as I've combined my Piwowarski's with my wilds for easy of maintenance (my Piwowarski's are also done with quarantine). WC's on one tank vs. two is just easier. Plus, the large group size is welcomed by the fish.

I can tell you that since I've combined my two discus groups and went back to bare bottom, my wilds are acting exactly the same as when they had the sand and wood decor. I used to think differently, but now I firmly believe that decor is truly for the hobbyist and the fish are indifferent. What makes discus feel the most comfortable is being in large groups.

+1 give them something that looks like them and food and good to go, whenever I got mine from john I just put them straight into tap water and they are alive today sooo. Most of johns fish are in tap of 7.8 including heckels, if you throw them into a "well thought through tank" with 4.5 ph ro/Di you will only kill them from the ph difference. Or do drip method for hours.

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[ExReefer]

+1 give them something that looks like them and food and good to go, whenever I got mine from john I just put them straight into tap water and they are alive today sooo.

I would admit that while I started mine off in RO/tap mix, I now think I could have just used straight tap from the start. The wilds I got from John arrived very strong and thick.

Don't overthink keeping wilds.

[Discus Origins]

My opinion when someone asks how to set up a tank for wilds they are wanting to replicate nature. BB tanks are for the convenience of people, not for the fish. Grouping behavior is not normal behavior, normal wilds are swimming in and out of driftwood, shifting the sand for food, etc. Wilds have been in soft water for thousands of years, not understanding why they wouldn't need to be in RO water long term. Acclimating them to tap water is also a convenience for people, not the fish.

Reef tanks are a much better environment for most saltwater fish, not a fish only tank with fake corals. I would say wild discus do better in biotope environment. John keeps all his wild stock in water that's been softened, FL ph around 7.6.


Linda, in the end choose what you are willing to put the work in... If BB tank is easier to take care of go with that. But to create nature takes a little more work but a more realistic show tank to enjoy.

[zchauvin]

My opinion when someone asks how to set up a tank for wilds they are wanting to replicate nature. BB tanks are for the convenience of people, not for the fish. Grouping behavior is not normal behavior, normal wilds are swimming in and out of driftwood, shifting the sand for food, etc. Wilds have been in soft water for thousands of years, not understanding why they wouldn't need to be in RO water long term. Acclimating them to tap water is also a convenience for people, not the fish.

Reef tanks are a much better environment for most saltwater fish, not a fish only tank with fake corals. I would say
wild discus do better in biotope environment. John keeps all his wild stock in soft water.

Linda, in the end choose what you are willing to put the work in... If BB tank is easier to take care of go with that. But to create nature takes a little more work but a more realistic show tank to enjoy.

And he keeps them in bb tanks....
With tap water, sure they won't breed but setting up a wilds tank and making money by becoming a wilds breeder are completely different things.
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[Discus Origins]

And he keeps them in bb tanks....
With tap water, sure they won't breed but setting up a wilds tank and making money by becoming a wilds breeder are completely different things.
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Please don't speak when you don't know...I've been to John's place several times, his wilds are in tanks with sand and he softens the water. He also is in the business of selling fish, they don't stay long enough to 'settle' down. The purpose of setting up a tank is for fish to thrive, if they breed that's a sign of thriving not just surviving.

[ExReefer]

I don’t want to turn this into a debate, but I feel the need to explain my position. First off, I think we can all agree that a display tank is nicer to look at.

However, as to if décor it’s necessary to keep wilds, I think not. I never said anything about not keeping them in soft water. My tap water hardness is 190 ppm at the most. I think that’s fairly soft. My tap PH is about 7.6, but the water hardness is major element with keeping wilds. Would they do fine in harder water? Maybe, but I don’t have to worry about that.

I completely agree that BB tanks are for the convenience of people, but I don’t believe it alters the health of the discus in any way. If anything, I would argue that discus kept in BB tanks are healthier overall because of the cleanliness that comes along with BB.

Once my Piwowarski’s are grown out, I’ll probably go back to keeping them in a display tank (for my viewing pleasure).

[ExReefer]

Please don't speak when you don't know...I've been to John's place several times, his wilds are in tanks with sand and he softens the water. He also is in the business of selling fish, they don't stay long enough to 'settle' down. The purpose of setting up a tank is for fish to thrive, if they breed that's a sign of thriving not just surviving.

I promise you people within this community have spawned wild discus in BB tanks. Heck, just go to youtube and search. They spawn because they are healthy, not because of the decor in the tank.

On the filp side, I've had my domestic discus spawn on driftwood. I'm guessing they didn't grow up with driftwood in their grow out tanks overseas.

[Discus Origins]

Definitely many have spawned wilds in BB tanks, but water parameters are a big factor. That was more to answer Zach's assumption of how John keeps wilds in his warehouse.

Just trying to keep from confusing Linda with too many different opinions. In then end it's whether she wants a display tank or BB tank.

[YSS]

I would start with discus in the 210G rather than in the 60G. In my opinion, 60G is too small for a group of adult wild discus. 210G, on the other hand, is a great size. I have 12 wild adults and whole bunch of other fish in a 265g and I love it. I do about 75% water changes every 5 days or so and all my fish are doing great. I use tap water and it's not too soft not too hard. Good luck!

[ExReefer]

Definitely many have spawned wilds in BB tanks, but water parameters are a big factor. That was more to answer Zach's assumption of how John keeps wilds in his warehouse.

Just trying to keep from confusing Linda with too many different opinions. In then end it's whether she wants a display tank or BB tank.

Cool

[Darrell Ward]

I would start with discus in the 210G rather than in the 60G. In my opinion, 60G is too small for a group of adult wild discus. 210G, on the other hand, is a great size. I have 12 wild adults and whole bunch of other fish in a 265g and I love it. I do about 75% water changes every 5 days or so and all my fish are doing great. I use tap water and it's not too soft not too hard. Good luck!

I agree. Can you keep wilds in a 60 gal? Yes, but they are much more active, and a lot more relaxed in a larger tank. I've QT wilds in a 75 gal. numerous times. The moment I place them in a 240 gal. tank, the change is so pronounced in behavior, you would swear they were different fish. About water change, I usually do at least 2-50% water changes per week on a 240 gal. with 16 wilds. Works for me. The amount of water changes can vary from person to person depending on tank size, source water quality, feeding, and stocking levels.

[LKSDiscus]

Just trying to keep from confusing Linda with too many different opinions. In then end it's whether she wants a display tank or BB tank.

Thank you for your advise and everyone else's as well. I'm not into the breeding aspect just like enjoying the serenity of watching them and if they spawn great. I had some Rainbow spawn in my 210g and now I have 8 small ones thriving so i would say I thoroughly enjoyed watching them progress.

I'm not in it for convenience my fish seems to be happier with my planted and driftwood tanks more then the BB as that what I would have them in when QT. I dedicate a whole day in a bigger cleaning with all my tanks once a week and a small cleaning every few days to ensure that they are doing fine. What I have is 1-210g with rainbows, will have wild discus; 1 - 92g for Goldfish; 1 - 60g that will have rainbows and wild discus; and 16g nursery tank all of which have the Carib-sea black sand and this has been really nice as most of the debris stays on top so you can vacuum it up easily.

Again I really thank you all for the advise


Hi Linda, you are about an hour from me and I have all wilds. I need to downsize so if that interests you let me know.

Second hand Pat, I would be interested in what you may have.

Linda

[3dees]

I don't think it's what they need. I have seen wilds in tanks that are pretty bare and they look fine. I have tons of wood in my tank and watch my fish go thru it and lay on thier sides to go under the wood instead of just over it. it's like they are playing. I just think it's more enjoyable than watching them just swimming from one side to the other. it's a pain to get my hand thru all the wood to clean the sand, but it's worth it to watch them act like they are meant to.

[LKSDiscus]

I got some picture of the tanks that I will be putting the discus in.

First one is the 210g.

https://picasaweb.google.com/117802347084907859890/My210gTank?authkey=Gv1sRgCM3w8tntma71aQ#

Second one is the 60g - I was just going to put a few in this one. 4 or 5

https://picasaweb.google.com/117802347084907859890/Upstair60gTanks?authkey=Gv1sRgCOv7nqqm-NDJcg#