New To Discu Keeping

[sparts]

Hi I am very new to keeping fish, just got an fluvil vicenza 260 tank 54 gallons, has eighty wats of lighting T5, also fluval 305 filter, 300 wat heater, uv light 24 wats,

I intend keeping Discus * 6 plus couple of other bottom dwellers other wise only other things in tank will be plants. My question is what I need to make this work from new.

Intend getting ecomplete or laterite then fluorite on top is that correct substrate. How deep should this be.

Plants well I think it would be low light plants and plants that take the type of heat discus like. any help in what plants would be good in a new setup would be appreciated as well.
I know I need to set tank up and leave to cycle are there any treatments I need to do in this time befor fish are introduced to help keep algae down besides water changes what set tests should i run whilst it is going through this stage.

What problems should I look out for at this point, I know I have hard water here in Hertfordshire. And will be taking a drop down to local store to ask if they can let me know the correct paramertas of it

If I buy a ph meter would this be better than a ph testing kit

In the end when money is more forth flowing I intend to have a container sitting in shed with tap water for a few days and at tank temp so it may help with ph and chlorine but any other help is greatly appreciated,
Hope in future to post some achievements on here and be able to help some one else out like you guys and gals

Just a note, is it true if you use peat in the tank it helps to soften the water ? what type of peat and where to have this located in the tank or filter ? thanks

 

[thegnu]

hi sparts
you don't do things by half. i kept fish for 8 yrs before i tried discus but you have come to the right place to learn and you seem to have your head screwed on so read all you can especially the stickys on cycling but i still think you are trying to run before you can walk. look at the aquatic section of this site for plants that don't mind high temps.
http/www.birstall.co.uk/ranges/99984-1.html

 

[cheesy feet]

Hi I am very new to keeping fish, just got an fluvil vicenza 260 tank 54 gallons, has eighty wats of lighting T5, also fluval 305 filter, 300 wat heater, uv light 24 wats,

sounds like a good set up

I intend keeping Discus * 6 plus couple of other bottom dwellers other wise only other things in tank will be plants. My question is what I need to make this work from new.

You can't keep 6 fully grown discus in that tank.Well you coudl but i wouldn't reccomend it.4-5 tops
Intend getting ecomplete or laterite then fluorite on top is that correct substrate. How deep should this be.

I've heard about 2 innches,if underneath other substrate if not 3 inches.Need others input please.

Plants well I think it would be low light plants and plants that take the type of heat discus like. any help in what plants would be good in a new setup would be appreciated as well.

Look it up

I know I need to set tank up and leave to cycle are there any treatments I need to do in this time befor fish are introduced to help keep algae down besides water changes what set tests should i run whilst it is going through this stage.

Look up on how to cycle a tank,there are loads of articles and methods.

What problems should I look out for at this point, I know I have hard water here in Hertfordshire. And will be taking a drop down to local store to ask if they can let me know the correct paramertas of it

If you buy discus in your area you shouldn't need to change parameters of water.My ph is just above 8 and my discus don't mind it.

If I buy a ph meter would this be better than a ph testing kit

I've heard.But i have yet to of got one as there £20+

In the end when money is more forth flowing I intend to have a container sitting in shed with tap water for a few days and at tank temp so it may help with ph and chlorine but any other help is greatly appreciated,

It will only help with chlorine.Get an RO unit if you want pure water.

You really need to do some more research

Hope in future to post some achievements on here and be able to help some one else out like you guys and gals

Just a note, is it true if you use peat in the tank it helps to soften the water ? what type of peat and where to have this located in the tank or filter ? thanks

I've heard it is but you need loads of it.It isn't really reccomended

 

[fuzz16]

stick with flourite...and id recomend about 2 inches or so...2 bags of the stuff would be fine, and then covering it with gravel to keep debris and dust from clousing the tank.
cycle for about 2 months, fishless or not, before you think about discus.
great plants would be the amazon sword, anacharis, water wisteria, anubias, and java fern. could do java moss but its an insane grower once it starts, which takes a while.
and personally i would buy a kit to test everything. the tests where you drop a bunch of liqued in tubes is the best i think. and the discus will be fine in that high of a pH but may be stressed out. try to get ones that have been raised in it.

and ive heard the peat thing, never tried it myself. and ya, would just go in the filter

 

[lillykinloo]

Hi sparts! I know nothing about keeping Discus and am new to fishkeeping myself. But, I might have some input on your question regarding peat. What I have learned from this forum is that fish like stable water perameters. Most fish can adapt to water that is a bit harder or softer than what they are normally used to. But, they will not thrive in water that is constantly changing. So, the key is to get your water stable. I also was trying to find a consistent way of softening the water, and I've tried a few things including peat. Here is what I've tried so far and the results:

Putting peat in the filter compartment will help to soften the water. However, as the peat gets old, it needs to be replaced. As a result, the "peat in the filter method" worked, but I was worried that it would be too inconsistent to provide a stable softness. I wasn't too sure how to tell when the peat needed to be replaced (weekly, monthly? I'm really not sure.) And, I figured that by the time my test results indicated that the pH and dH levels were changing, the fish might be getting stressed out (I don't know if this is true, but I was concerned about this) So, I gave up on this method, because I was afraid it would be too hit or miss.

I also tried putting some large buckets outside to collect rainwater. This method is inexpensive, and it's easy. Also, I tested the rainwater each time I collected it, and it had a consistent pH and dH level. However, it hasn't rained enough, so I am not able to collect enough water for the weekly water changes. So, I've given up on this idea for the moment.

The last method I've tried involves peat, and I got this idea off of the internet (I apologize-I do not remember the site). It's worked well so far. But, admittedly, I've only been using this for about 3 weeks now, so maybe someone can tell us if they've used this idea as a long term solution with any success. I fill a bucket with tap water. I put peat in a pillowcase and put the pillowcase in the bucket. (Honestly, I don't measure the peat. I just take a few handfuls and stick it in the pillowcase.) I place an airstone connected to an airpump in the bucket to keep the water circulating. Basically, I just let this sit in my basement for a week. (I'm sure it could sit for longer, but I do my water changes weekly, so I end up using it). Before I add the water to my aquarium, I test the dH and pH levels. I also add a dechlorinator. So far, the dH and pH levels have been consistent each week. I like this method because it allows me to test the water BEFORE adding it to the tank (unlike placing the peat directly in the filter). It also provides me with water for my weekly water changes. I have three buckets at a time to provide me with enough water for weekly water changes. I will have to change the peat out at some point, but so far, the water levels have been consistent, so it looks like I do not have to change the peat just yet.

If you want to try any of these methods, I would definitely suggest that you test them out for yourself before putting any fish in your tank. Discus are especially sensitive to changes in water perameters. So, it would be best to get some method that is working for you consistently before adding your fish.

Hope this is somewhat helpful, and good luck on your Discus tank!

 

[thegnu]

i have peat in my water thats waiting to go into my tank. the way i tell that the peat needs changing is when it no longer stains the water a nice yellowish colour. but don't worry about the stained colour going into your tank as when its in there you cant notice it. when you get any peat make sure its sphagnum peat moss as this stuff is pure with no added chemicals

 

[kev_kb]

Hi I am very new to keeping fish, just got an fluvil vicenza 260 tank 54 gallons, has eighty wats of lighting T5, also fluval 305 filter, 300 wat heater, uv light 24 wats

That's a nice first tank, but I'd really really think if you want to get into discus this early. They are not your average community fish, and though hardier than some sites/books make out they will most likely not tolerate any mistakes by the beginner.

I would suggest you do a planted community tank instead, learn about cycling and generally keeping the tank stable. I'd also choose species that do not require changes to your water chemistry.

If you do decide on a planted discus tank, and it is achievable, you'll just need to be super careful and do plenty of research before doing anything then you would be best off buying discus around 4". These will settle in better and smaller discus are easy to stunt, especially in planted tanks. Your easily looking at an investment of £300 worth of discus, so I'm sure you wouldn't want to loose them to beginner errors. A bare bottomed tank would be much easier to maintain.

Cycle the tank, add any other tank mates (don't choose many and keep em small), and finally add the discus. They will most likely require softer water than what comes from your tap. The easiest way to do this is to use RO water, so you'll need an RO filter to produce your own, you then mix it back with some tap water. You can use peat to soften it but I've never tried it and read the results can be unreliable and your discus will not tolerate this.

Have you considered Angels?

 

[George Farmer]

I think I may be able to help a little here.

For the last few weeks I have been researching discus and their requirements quite intensely. I have even had e-mail and long telephone converstions with some of the UK's leading experts with many years of experience.

This is a summary of some major points that I understand so far. Even though I have little personal experience, I think the following is generally accepted -

1. Discus need excellent water quality. Think a mature set up with excellent bio-filtration and regular water changes i.e. 10% daily or 30% twice weekly.

2. Select your purchases carefully from a reputable dealer or breeder.

3. Match your water chemistry to the supplier. Generally German-bred discus come from harder water, Asian from softer. RO units are very popular for acheiving this. Talk to the supplier to see what their parameters are.

4. Heavy metals in most UK tap water supplies are very bad for their long-term health. Plant growth can help but investing in a HMA (heavy metal axe) filter to treat your tap is recommended. This is a subject I'm currently researching intensely.

5. Max. stocking guidelines are around 1 discus per 10 gal.

6. Buying juveniles is much cheaper but they are demanding in terms of feeding. They should be fed up to 5 times daily with protein-rich food, as well as other types i.e. a balanced diet. This is not ideal for a planted tank due to the bio-load (protein > ammonia etc.). Trapped food amongst plants can rot and pollute. As suggested a bare-bottom tank is better for growing on discus.

7. Feed them a varied diet, regularly. This is another reason water quality cannot be compromised and filtration needs to be excellent (consider adding another filter of the same capacity to your set up).

8. Temp around 29-31C. Limits plants choice but the fish health is priority, of course.

9. You cannot do enough reading up on these fish. There are some excellent forums dedicated to these wonderful animals, so take a look.

10. If you still decide to keep these fish then all the best.

 

[crazylegs]

In the end when money is more forth flowing I intend to have a container sitting in shed with tap water for a few days

Thats if that jake don't get in there and slurp it all up first....

What problems should I look out for at this point, I know I have hard water here in Hertfordshire

Hard ! when I turned on your tap a block of Calcium dropped out...

I know I said I'd Babysit but this is taking the P**s

 

[sparts]

I have been impressed with the replys i have been getting on this forum, thanks so far with your help, im'e sure i will succeed with the project as i am carefull and do a lot of research before i do anything like this, and with the help you peeps are dishing out i am sure i will be posting me first impressive tank pics some time in the mid months of this year, i think im'e gonna get tank breed discus as consensus is from other forums they are a little more hardy to my type of water, any views on this as well would be welcome, and where to start looking for these so i can start to look and study the stock they may have )

 

[kev_kb]

Tank bred discus are your only option IMO. Wilds are much more demanding and your chances of success would be far less.

You need to test your water hardness gh and kh, and compare with your supplier. Find a decent stockist/breeder in your area and find what parameters you need. Your very likely to need to soften your water, so an RO filter is a must IMO. If your tap water doesn't need softening then I'd use an HMA filter.

 

[cheesy feet]

If the discus are acclimatised to your water in the first place you definately wouldn't need a RO unit,so theres no point getting one if the fish are already acclimatised to your water,unless you want to breed them.My discus are in a Ph of 8-ish (+) if anything and fine.Never had a death,except when one jumped out the tank (went misteriously missing ) which i found shrivled when clearing the room up .One thing i've learnt is nearly all fish can be acclimatised to different water,and with all these caresheets going around saying a severum can tolerate a Ph of 6.8-7.5 theres just no point taking note...