Water Changed With Discus

FishForums.net Pet of the Month
🐶 POTM Poll is Open! 🦎 Click here to Vote! 🐰

australia

Fish Addict
Joined
Jun 20, 2007
Messages
747
Reaction score
0
Location
australia,victoria.ballarat
hey all after getting my discus my nitrates are a little high, i have only had them for 1 day and have done 1 %50 waterchage, is it safe to do 2 water changes in one day? with cold water....
 
Not with cold water it isn't and especially not with new discus.
Make some water up and add your dechlorinator, then add some boiling water to the bucket of water to increase the temperature. When the temperatures are the same you can do another water change.

If you plan on keeping discus it's a good idea to have a water holding container. You fill it up with tap water, add the dechlorinator, have a heater in the container, and aerate it or use a water pump to circulate the water. Then after 24hours the temp should be correct and the water should be fine for the tank. Then you can do daily 50-75% water changes without any worries.

It's a good idea to do a water change and gravel clean a day or two before you get any new fish. That way the tank is clean and ready to go and the fish will get a week or so before the next water change is due. This allows them time to settle in before they get stressed from the next water change.

How high are the nitrates?
 
10ppm of nitrate isn't a problem. High nitrates are 80ppm.
Try to keep the nitrates below 30ppm.

Ammonia and nitrite should always be kept at 0ppm
 
10ppm of nitrate isn't a problem. High nitrates are 80ppm.
Try to keep the nitrates below 30ppm.

Ammonia and nitrite should always be kept at 0ppm


okay cheers, my discus seem be be not moving around mutch and are opening and closing there mouth. is this normal?i hsbr only had them 15 hours.
 
hey
How new is the tank?
what size?
how many fish are there in the tank?
Also what are the other water stats?

Would you say the Discus are gasping?
 
hey
How new is the tank?
what size?
how many fish are there in the tank?
Also what are the other water stats?

Would you say the Discus are gasping?

the tank is 6 months old, it is 4 foot/160liters, i only have the pair of discus in there and my water stats are nitrates 0pm ammonia 0pm and nitrates 0pm, my water is still not soft enough, it needs more buffer witch will be added the next few days with water changes. ohh yeah and nah i wouldnt say they are hasping for air but they are opening and closing there mouths all the time. In the tank i also have no substrate, no rock, no decor, just a bare tank with 2 large sponge filters.


cheers dam0
 
My water is still not soft enough, it needs more buffer witch will be added the next few days with water changes.

Can you explain that comment please?

You said you matched your suppliers water parameters in another thread... now you say the water isn't soft enough?

Personally I wouldn't do 50% at all unless there's some sort of emergency. Stick to 25% per day max. Either leave the water to sit and get to room temperature before adding or slowly syphon it into the tank so it's introduced gently, I use air line tubing for this.
 
hey
How new is the tank?
what size?
how many fish are there in the tank?
Also what are the other water stats?

Would you say the Discus are gasping?

the tank is 6 months old, it is 4 foot/160liters, i only have the pair of discus in there and my water stats are nitrates 0pm ammonia 0pm and nitrates 0pm, my water is still not soft enough, it needs more buffer witch will be added the next few days with water changes. ohh yeah and nah i wouldnt say they are hasping for air but they are opening and closing there mouths all the time. In the tank i also have no substrate, no rock, no decor, just a bare tank with 2 large sponge filters.


cheers dam0

Hi
are you sure they aren't simply breathing ? if not how do the fish's gills look?
As its only been one or two days it may just be the stress of a new tank.
Personally i would add some form of decor, simply to make them feel somewhat secure
 
one of the most important things to remember with discus is stability. if matching water params of the dealer means chucking shed loads of chemicals into the tank then its not worth it. as long as you are not running to the extremes with the gh ( hardness ) then you should be fine. top breeders around europe have much harder water than most realise. this is a prob i encountered when i started discus keeping.
 
okay cheers, my ph is 6.9 my water temp is 30C. they are not gasping for air but they are opening and closing there mouths all the time. they are not opening and closing there gills....
 
warm water, say 30C doesn't hold much oxygen. Make sure you have plenty of surface turbulence to maximise the oxygen carrying capacity of the warm water.
 
okay cheers mate. i have to large sponge filters in there and they are moving the surface of the water, and im guessing them are giving them alot of air?
 

Most reactions

trending

Staff online

Back
Top