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This is the second of a five part post about how to keep a discus display tank in a pristine clean condition, and spend significantly less time doing tank maintenance. In Part 1 I presented a number of pictures showing the general health and condition of my fish and included some pictures showing the clean conditions existing in the tank.
Water Exchange Methods: Water exchange is vital to keeping adult discus in a display tank, unless one is into biotopes where everything is in balance. I might try a biotope someday, but right now I'll take the easy way out and go for the water exchange method. The two extremes of accomplishing water exchange start with the "bucket brigade" method at one end, and the fully automated exchange method at the other end. I really admire those people that are so dedicated to their fish that they are willing to carry buckets day after day to support their fish. As for me, that's a task that I'm not willing to assume. But if that is the method that you choose, I dont know of any reason why it cant be used in conjunction with the filtration system presented in Part 3.
Semi-automated Water Exchange System: I chose a system somewhere between the two extremes. I call it a Semi-automated Water Exchange System. Basically, it works like this: once every few days I go down to my basement, turn a few valves, turn on a pump and wait until my "Mix Tank" is full. Then I enable the transfer pump to be controlled by a programmable timer, and that's it until the Mix Tank is empty . The programmable timer turns the pump on/off seven times a day, and each on/off cycle transfers 5 gallons to the aquarium. Thus a total of 35 gallons is transferred to the aquarium each day. A change in programming permits me to change the amount and when the exchanges occur. This system also provides for aging and pre-heating the water, and provisions for using a mix of RO and straight well water.
Here's a link to some Photobucket pictures that illustrate what it consists of:
How Much Water Exchange is Necessary?: The results obtained in Part 1 are dependant on water exchange by some method, automated or manual. I'm presently putting 35 g/d into the tank by a process which closely resembles the drip method. Using the equations for the drip method, 35 g/d results in a net of 30 g/d for a tank of 100 g. I would be highly hesitant to reduce this amount until I know more about the chemistry going on in the tank. All that poop (in a months time there is a lot of it) is going somewhere. A small portion (perhaps 1% or less) collects on the bottom of the tank. Quite a lot of it is trapped by the pleated mechanical filters. Some of it is being flushed out by the water exchange, and a small portion is absorbed by the Purigen reactor. I can say this, I have 10 adult discus in a 100 gallon tank and they seem to be doing quite well so far by placing 30 g/d of new water into the tank.
In Part 3, I will present the filtration system and discuss the operating characteristics of it.
Water Exchange Methods: Water exchange is vital to keeping adult discus in a display tank, unless one is into biotopes where everything is in balance. I might try a biotope someday, but right now I'll take the easy way out and go for the water exchange method. The two extremes of accomplishing water exchange start with the "bucket brigade" method at one end, and the fully automated exchange method at the other end. I really admire those people that are so dedicated to their fish that they are willing to carry buckets day after day to support their fish. As for me, that's a task that I'm not willing to assume. But if that is the method that you choose, I dont know of any reason why it cant be used in conjunction with the filtration system presented in Part 3.
Semi-automated Water Exchange System: I chose a system somewhere between the two extremes. I call it a Semi-automated Water Exchange System. Basically, it works like this: once every few days I go down to my basement, turn a few valves, turn on a pump and wait until my "Mix Tank" is full. Then I enable the transfer pump to be controlled by a programmable timer, and that's it until the Mix Tank is empty . The programmable timer turns the pump on/off seven times a day, and each on/off cycle transfers 5 gallons to the aquarium. Thus a total of 35 gallons is transferred to the aquarium each day. A change in programming permits me to change the amount and when the exchanges occur. This system also provides for aging and pre-heating the water, and provisions for using a mix of RO and straight well water.
Here's a link to some Photobucket pictures that illustrate what it consists of:
How Much Water Exchange is Necessary?: The results obtained in Part 1 are dependant on water exchange by some method, automated or manual. I'm presently putting 35 g/d into the tank by a process which closely resembles the drip method. Using the equations for the drip method, 35 g/d results in a net of 30 g/d for a tank of 100 g. I would be highly hesitant to reduce this amount until I know more about the chemistry going on in the tank. All that poop (in a months time there is a lot of it) is going somewhere. A small portion (perhaps 1% or less) collects on the bottom of the tank. Quite a lot of it is trapped by the pleated mechanical filters. Some of it is being flushed out by the water exchange, and a small portion is absorbed by the Purigen reactor. I can say this, I have 10 adult discus in a 100 gallon tank and they seem to be doing quite well so far by placing 30 g/d of new water into the tank.
In Part 3, I will present the filtration system and discuss the operating characteristics of it.
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