Discus Keeping

Question
Hello Karen,

I had a few questions in regards to Discus keeping. I am planning for an aquarium that would be 60' X 24' X 24'. I am not sure if it is appropriate for them but this is the only size that I can afford at this moment because I am working on a cichlid tank also with David's help. I've seen a Discus tank in my locality and was completely mesmerized. I thought only marine tanks can look beautiful but I was wrong. Now coming to the point, as far as my knowledge is concerned, Discus needs soft water which shouldn't be a problem in my area. Now the challenge is the water that we get here is chlorine treated and is very rich in calcium. I know chlorine can be removed by oxygenating the water for 24 hrs. But how do I get rid of chloramine? It can not be removed that way. What would you suggest me on this? How long do you want me mature the water? Once the water is matured, which varieties shall I start with? Forgot to mention that it is going to be a highly planted tank that will only accommodate Discus and a few varieties of Rainbow. What shall I use for base medium? How shall I maintain pH? Shall I use peat moss? Please put some light on the above mentioned concerns. I'll keep you posted on my tank related advancements. Your valuable guidance will be appreciated. Regards

Answer
Hi there,
Discus tanks are among the most beautiful freshwater setups for sure and they certainly -can- compare to marine tanks!

A very simple and common solution for water that contains chlorine and chloramines is to simply use a water conditioner that neutralizes these chemicals. Water conditioners are completely safe and are -vital- for removing dangerous chemicals and heavy metals from your source water and they are a must when setting up your tank and anytime you do a water change. Some of the common water conditioners out there such as Start-right, Stresscoat, Aquasafe, are all good. But Prime and Amquel+ are excellent and are a little more complete than the others mentioned as they remove more things from the water.

When all equipment is running well on your tank you should try to have it cycled completely before putting any discus in. Either fishless cycle your tank (there are lots of helpful articles on that) or use some other fish to cycle and either keep them or remove them when your tank is finished. It really really helps to run a large sponge filter on an established and healthy fish tank for a few weeks and then introduce that sponge into the discus tank the same time you add fish. The sponge will be absolutely loaded with good bacterial and will really jumpstart your tank. And its commonly for an aquarium to completely 'skip' cycling if a seasoned sponge filter is placed in the tank.

As far as the varieties to start with I suppose that depends upon their availability. The rarer ones probably aren't the best choice because they'd be more expensive and if you are a beginner, it'd be a huge loss if they proved to be too sensitive. Stick to the common varieties or ask about the ones your pet-shop carries.

Substrates for planted tanks vary. 'Flourite' has been highly recommended for planted discus tanks and is overall a very popular planted tank substrate. But I feel its best you visit the many articles available on the internet and in magazines about setting up a planted discus aquarium and compare opinions and suggestions. Everybody has their own method and really there is no "golden rule"

With the pH stability. It's really best not to try to adjust your pH or add chemicals to your water to keep the pH at a certain level, unless absolutely necessary. But even then, commonly chemicals will only raise or lower the pH for a short time and the alkalinity of your water (which buffers the pH) will cause it to go back exactly as it was before within a short time.

So if your water has good alkalinity and seems to remain well and stable. I wouldn't worry too much about the pH fluctuating.

I feel its very important when trying to keep discus is to first keep a shoal of Cardinals or Rummy-nose tetras in the discus tank so they may be the 'indicators' on if the water quality is good or bad. If they are doing well then the water should be safe for your discus. I'm sure your rainbows could also play the same role as well.

I hope this helps and best of luck!
Here are some articles that may interest you-

http://aquaticconcepts.thekrib.com/Articles/PAM_Discus.htm

http://article.discusnews.com/cat-04/plantsetup.shtml

http://www.aquariumhobbyist.com/discus/main.html

Karen~