New discus nerves....

[newfish]

New to discus but great to see all the chat and excitement on the net. :D

3' tank is looking like home to a mix of mandarin passion, snakeskin, san merah and chequerboard although think my nerves are already getting the better of me!!

These guys had settled in a couple of weeks ago, few routine waterchanges, nitrates all fine, 29 / 30* and they seem happy except the chequerboard who is getting darker by the day. He is not rushing to eat but will eat. The San Merah is also a bit timid (even though he is the larger fish) but sure he will come round

Is this just a bit of stress or should I be looking for other signs?

[flukes]

Best thing you can do is observe when i started out it was a med cocktail of a tank, i was dumping meds in there so much they became junkies.

In the end i cured nothing. Best to get a sign of something wrong,.

[Merrilyn]

Hi newfish, and welcome to the forum. It sounds like your tank may be just three or four weeks old - is that right. If so this is a critical time in the settling of any new tank, and you may be experiencing spikes in ammonia or nitrite.
This is also the time that the buildup of uneaten food hidden behind plants etc will begin to cause an ammonia problem. Check your water for ammonia (this should read zero) and nitrites (also zero). What is your pH now. Has it slowly dropped? If so, the remedy is daily 30% water changes and daily gravel vacuuming before you reach for ANY medications. Most problems with discus can be related to water quality. Hope that helps, but do let us know how you get on. We all started where you are now.

[newfish]

Hi,

A waiting game it may be and thanks for the comments. Just a shame I have to introduce my self in the Illness forum....

I ran the tank for two months with full filtration, some corys, congo tetras and cardinals before putting the discuss in so nitrates and amonia ok. PH is at 6.5

Water changes every two days at the moment.

The tank is a bit busy with plants and driftwood - not sure if that makes any difference. I have only just added salt to the tank so wil watch what impact that has.

Cheers,

Craig

[Merrilyn]

Hi Craig, the corys and tetras would have put a very light bio load on your filter, and adding the discus would have increased the load quite a lot. So it is possible you are experiencing spikes at this stage with your filter going through another mini cycle. Your regular water changes would have minimized any problems, but as a precaution just keep an eye on your ammonia and nitrites. Discus become stressed with even a slight trace of ammonia in the water. Nitrites can also be deadly and nitrates should read below 10, (preferably below 6). HTH

[kalebjarrod]

sounds like a great tank with all the trimmings

is it in a high traffic area?

what are the tanks specs (water)

[newfish]

Hi,

Merrilyn - thanks for the hints, I will keep monitoring and get a test kit for amonia.

It is not a high traffic area, tank specs to follow but got home last night to find the chequerbord looking amazing, very happy with full colour.

Is there an ideal balance for the tank specs I should be aiming for (got the nitrates tks merrilyn)?

Craig

[Merrilyn]

Hi Craig - thats really good news about the chequerboard. I think it's really just settling in jitters. You are doing everything right. Your ammonia should come up with a reading of zero. Depending on the test kit that usually means the test tube water should remain clear - no trace of colour at all. Any ammonia is distressing for discus. The nitrites are a by product of your good bacteria digesting ammonia, and are also toxic to fish, so that reading should also be zero. Luckily another type of bacteria digest the nitrite and turn it into nitrate, which is not toxic to fish. A mature filter will always show a reading of nitrate, but it should be less than 10. If any of your readings are less than perfect, the solution is daily water changes to dilute the toxins till your bio filter catches up.
Sit back and enjoy your fish. Discus really are tough as nails.