Discus Advice

[kevmiller]

ok guys my question is when discus are first introduced to the aquarium does it take time for them to settle. ie do they tend to hide for a bit and be quite shy. I got some discuss on sat and they seem to be quite shy always hideing is this normal. ere are my tank readings and my water chnage routine
ok guys just to give you some information my tank paramaters at the moment are

Temp - 30
Ph - 6
Amonia - 0
Nitrate - 0
Nitrate - 5-10
Kh - between 1-3 (hard to tell on the chart
GH - 4d

I do 15% water chnages in the morning then again in the evening. I use tap water and treat it with api stresst coat. I am ordering a HMA of devoutly discus.Are ,y paramaters ok. I know ideally i need the nitrate at 0. I decided against storing the water so it goes in to my bucket and i treat it then get it up to the temp then add straight to the tank

 

[mike os]

water is fine, & nitrate up to 3-=40mg/l should not be a problem

sometimes thy hide & other times not... just carry on regardless & don't pander to them

 

[shahrezsyed]

are you growing juvies? if yes, then you need 75 percent water changes everyday....well thats just me...
see thats what you get for all thats.
(the discus in my pic)
shahrez

 

[kevmiller]

are you growing juvies? if yes, then you need 75 percent water changes everyday....well thats just me...
see thats what you get for all thats.
(the discus in my pic)
shahrez

wow thats a lot of water changes. Credit to you. Yes they are juveniles. I was told 30% everty other day would be fine, however due to them not settling as i thpught they would i have decided to do 15% in the morning then again in the evening. Making it 30% a day. Sorry just do not have the time for 70% a day

are you growing juvies? if yes, then you need 75 percent water changes everyday....well thats just me...
see thats what you get for all thats.
(the discus in my pic)
shahrez

sorry if i can ask how do you do your water changes

 

[rabbut]

OK, how many do you have, and what size are they at. Group sizes and their age makes a ig difference on their outgoingness (I know it isn't a word ) IME. Too smaller group or just sub-adults tend to be the two worst things for Discus boldness. Obviously juveniles will need a group of 5+ to be comfortable and to spread the aggression as they mature.

I do twice weekly 50% waterchanges on mine. I do this with a hose. No mucking about with dechlorinator, water softening pillows or heating the water or any rubbish like that, just drain it with the hose and fill again direct from the cold tap with it

May I ask why you are getting a HMA filter? For Asian bred stock I'd argue your pH and Hardness readings are too low low as it is...

All the best
Rabbut

EDIT to add. If you do keep dechlorinating the water, cut the use of stress coat. It contains aloe vera that severely irritates Discus (and any other fish for that matter. All "slime coat enhancers" work, so far as I'm aware, by using chemicals to irritate the fishes skin and make it create more slime. Not good)

 

[angelmouse]

I have often found live brineshrimp a good way to temp new discus out of hiding.

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

How long have the Discus been in the tank? Sometimes they will hide when first introduced, after a while though they should seem more robust.

I agree, a large water change may be necessary, depending on how much you feed. between 50 and 100 percent daily is what I try to aim for and 5-6 feedings a day, though some people do up to 8. In doing this you will find you will be getting optimal growth. Could you do 2 25% water changes daily?

 

[blue acara]

How many discus do you have and what size is the tank? It is possible to understock discus, they may not do well in a very small group.
What decorations do you have in the tank? Some people find that if you give them something to hide behind they will. Keeping the tank bare forces the discus to lose its fear of the open.
You have good water for keeping discus, nice and soft. Using a HMA filters you can take out say 40-50% tank water and run the HMA directly into the tank. No need for storage There is more value in changing 50% once per day than changing twice 25%. And its easier on you and the fish.
Keep active around the tank and feed them alot, get them used to you.

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

There is more value in changing 50% once per day than changing twice 25%. And its easier on you and the fish.

I disagree here. You are picking up more waste at the bottom doing it twice, waste is going to be less after 12 hrs then 24.

 

[blue acara]

There is more value in changing 50% once per day than changing twice 25%. And its easier on you and the fish.

I disagree here. You are picking up more waste at the bottom doing it twice, waste is going to be less after 12 hrs then 24.

True you will be picking out solid waste more often, but as you know much of the ammonia from fish is excreted via the gills which is absorbed directly into the water. I believe one big change is taking out more percentage nitrate and other unwanted chemicles than two smaller water changes. But hey if the op likes doing two water changes per day thats going to be good for the fish so each to their own...

 

[meguro]

EDIT to add. If you do keep dechlorinating the water, cut the use of stress coat. It contains aloe vera that severely irritates Discus (and any other fish for that matter. All "slime coat enhancers" work, so far as I'm aware, by using chemicals to irritate the fishes skin and make it create more slime. Not good)

is this true?

 

[joecoral]

I believe one big change is taking out more percentage nitrate and other unwanted chemicles than two smaller water changes. But hey if the op likes doing two water changes per day thats going to be good for the fish so each to their own...

It does. 2 25%'s are not the equivalent of one 50%, 2 25%'s are more like one 44%. Not a huge difference, but still a difference

 

[meguro]

That would only be the case if he didn't replace the displaced water...

 

[rabbut]

EDIT to add. If you do keep dechlorinating the water, cut the use of stress coat. It contains aloe vera that severely irritates Discus (and any other fish for that matter. All "slime coat enhancers" work, so far as I'm aware, by using chemicals to irritate the fishes skin and make it create more slime. Not good)

is this true?

Well, my best research says that Aloe Vera is an irritant to fish. I put the question of how Stress Coat works to the API rep at work regularly, and ask if it works by irritating them. Each time they artfully dodge the question. Knowing what he's like, if it diden't irritate their skin, I'd have had a strait answer of "no" by now...

Two 25% waterchanges are equivelant to one 43.75% waterchange for disolved muck removal. For solids removal though, discuslova's approach is going to keep things cleaner. Your call here.

When I come to think of it, Mars Fishcare own API now from what I remember, so it may be worth dropping Anna Robinson on here a PM. She claims to be a Mars Fishcare group consultant...

Some people find that if you give them something to hide behind they will. Keeping the tank bare forces the discus to lose its fear of the open.

Yes, lets make the fish bolder by stopping them from being able to hide. There is a great idea. I'd take a tacktic of adding more hiding places personally. It makes the fish feel more secure and hence come out more. Also, keeping the tank's surroundings nice and noisey all the time helps boldness

All the best
Rabbut

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

I believe one big change is taking out more percentage nitrate and other unwanted chemicles than two smaller water changes. But hey if the op likes doing two water changes per day thats going to be good for the fish so each to their own...

It does. 2 25%'s are not the equivalent of one 50%, 2 25%'s are more like one 44%. Not a huge difference, but still a difference

Haha I want to know why it's more like a 44% where did that number come from? Not being rude or anything I'm serious.

Yes, lets make the fish bolder by stopping them from being able to hide. There is a great idea. I'd take a tacktic of adding more hiding places personally. It makes the fish feel more secure and hence come out more. Also, keeping the tank's surroundings nice and noisey all the time helps boldness

All the best
Rabbut

Agreed. In a Discus tank you want the least amount of stress possible. I have nothing in my tank, but every fish I've had has seemed pretty outgoing and no need to hide.

Try hand feeding, coaxing them out into the open. Walk around the tank and get them used to movement, and soon enough they will come around.