water change

[leechiahan]

!)what's the steps for doing the water change for discus?
2)if i change 30%/day , what should i do to the newly-add water?
3)should i preheat or maybe let the water run over night(necessary?)?
is the tap water PH the same as the water i run over night?

4)is RO water necessary?
5)also, do i need to put any kind of salt or minerals in the water?and what kind?
6)I went to a shop and the guy there told me to buy a very special kind of solution especially designed for discus fish, is that necessary?
7)I also bought the peat since that store guy told me to buy it, he said that thing can soften the water and lower the PH, is he right? and should i put it into my filter?

[Carol_Roberts]

You've asked some very important questions!

1)what's the steps for doing the water change for discus?
Most of us have a storage container, like a plastic barrel to store our water. We heat and circulate the water. Circulation or agitation releases trapped gasses like CO2.

The first step is to siphon out the old water and any uneaten food and feces on the floor of the tank. Decorations like plants, wood and rocks collect a lot of dirt underneath them. I just run my siphon hose out the back door and let the water run onto the lawn. Tanks close to my bathroom are drained into the bath tub. Once you have drained the tank down 20% to 50% remove the siphon hose. IF the walls or floor of the tank ar dirty you can wipe them down with white paper towels or a sponge. If you have a prefilter on the water intake of your filter you would rinse it at this time.

2)if i change 30%/day , what should i do to the newly-add water?
After adding a dechlorination product (if needed) you will refill your tank with water that is very close in temperature and pH to that removed. We call this aged water. You age your water by letting it heat and circulate for 3 to 24 hours depending upon the hardness of your water and the agitation used. Some people use buckets to transport water to the tank. I have a pond pump and hose and pump it from my storage container to the fish tank. It's sooo much easier on your back.

3)should i preheat or maybe let the water run over night(necessary?)? yes, see above
is the tap water PH the same as the water i run over night?
probably not. Generally the pH rises or in some cases lowers as the trapped gasses are released. Testing pH is very easy. You can buy a simple kit from most fish stores or even Walmart.

4)is RO water necessary?
It depends on how hard your water is. Generally most of us have water that is fine for growing out discus. You will need soft water for discus eggs to hatch.

5)also, do i need to put any kind of salt or minerals in the water?and what kind?
If your water is vey soft you will need to add minerals so the pH doesn't crash and to aid in discus growth. Again you will need to test your water to find out how hard or soft it is. This is a different test from pH. If you have city water your water department can give you this information

6)I went to a shop and the guy there told me to buy a very special kind of solution especially designed for discus fish, is that necessary?
No

7)I also bought the peat since that store guy told me to buy it, he said that thing can soften the water and lower the PH, is he right? and should i put it into my filter?
If your water is fairly soft already it will lower the pH, other wise it doesn't do much . . . . but stain the water brown.

[95jeepxj]

Are there any other ways besides peat or an r/o to soften and lower. I am thinking about setting up a discus tank but this is holding me back a little. My city water is extremely hard 250 ppm ph 7.2 out of the tap. Does the peat really make the water noticeably brown?

[Carol_Roberts]

My TDS meter measures my water at 276ppm and the pH is 7.8. My discus are growing like weeds.

RO is the best way to lower hardness, Peat stains the water.

[leechiahan]

I got my fish today....
so happy
I got 7
there is a Leopard
the look really nice...
thanks...
Henry

[dm]

Congrats Henry. I hope you enjoy your new fish. (I'm sure you will)

[Lun4r]

Considering most discus come from water that is almost like tea, some people like to use peat and driftwood for the tannins that they release to make the tank more like the discus' natural habitat. Actually, I find this light coloration to be asthetically pleasting in some tanks, especially planted type South American tanks. Just something I have picked up. Bottom line is: the coloration from peat/driftwood isn't nescessarily a bad thing, it really has more to do with personal preference and if you are in need of lower pH/hardness.