Basic Rules For Discus?? Help Please..

[Tracey73]

Hi everyone =) I have just set up a tropical fish tank and have bought 2 small discus fish. I have read so so many different do's and don'ts that I do not know who or what to believe. One person says do something, the next says don't do it :?

Once and for all can someone please help me out with the basics of discus!

1.How many times should they be fed a day?
2.What Ph should their water be?
3.What colour should their poop be?
4.Should they be regularly wormed and if so with what?
5.How often should their water be changed and how much should be taken out?
6.Besides PH, what are important tests?


I do not want to breed them or have them perform circus tricks, I just simply want some nice looking fish in a nice looking tank and have them happy, healthy and give them the best home I can.
I have had my discus for 3 days now, they are bright, alert and eating.
Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks :D

[taksan]

1.How many times should they be fed a day?

Twice

2.What Ph should their water be?

6.5-6.8 for domestic Discus and 28-29c

3.What colour should their poop be?

Poo Brown of course ...

4.Should they be regularly wormed and if so with what?

Once when acquired then once per year afterwards... with Levimisol

5.How often should their water be changed and how much should be taken out?

30-50% Twice per week depending on tank size and stocking density and results of the testing.

6.Besides PH, what are important tests?

Ammonia (should always read zero), Nitrite(should always read zero), Nitrate(should always read less then 20ppm if not do water changes), General Hardness(2-5 with Melbourne water), Carbonate Hardness (2-5 with Melbourne water)

How long has your tank been setup? you said its JUST setup ??? If so how did you cycle the tank before adding fish?

[Tracey73]

Thanks for the reply! Much appreciated!
The tank was set up two weeks before we got the fish.
It is an 80 litre tank. We noticed yesterday that one of the discus had a white/redish coloured long thread hanging from his behind, would this be a case of worms? If so do we treat the fish for the worms in the primary tank or should they be put into another tank as we have a couple of suckers in the primary tank as well.
Being a smaller tank, do you think a weekly water change would be sufficient?

Thanks

[taksan]

Thanks for the reply! Much appreciated!
The tank was set up two weeks before we got the fish.
It is an 80 litre tank. We noticed yesterday that one of the discus had a white/redish coloured long thread hanging from his behind, would this be a case of worms? If so do we treat the fish for the worms in the primary tank or should they be put into another tank as we have a couple of suckers in the primary tank as well.
Being a smaller tank, do you think a weekly water change would be sufficient?

Thanks

2 weeks is FAR FAR FAR too early to introduce Discus to a uncycled tank.
80 liters is about the basic minimum size tank to support two discus anyhow and you would be doing more not less water changes in a smaller tank like yours.
You have a uncycled tank and before I'd be thinking about worms I'd be thinking about getting real levels for Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate PH and hardness levels.
Without this information further discussion is pointless.

[ILLUSN]

80L tank uncycled with 2 discus? general rule smaller tanks need more maintenance, not less, there is less capacity to buffer changes in water quality.

I'd be doing DAILY changes of 75% min for the next 6-8 weeks (aged dechlorinated water at a temp of 30C).

if the tank is bare bottom you can get away with removing uneaten food 20min after feeding and maybe a 50% change daily, if you've got gravel in there you'll have a much harder time, you'll have to do the BIG change.

If you can find a mate who can spare some mature filter media I'd be sticking that into the filter so as you dont poison the poor fish.

If you can get some mature media you wont have any problems with cycling an 2x weekly changes of 30%-50% will be fine.

[sponge2]

Hi happy new year,
I do daily water change on my holding tank but this is to increase groth
I use 50% ro as are water is 7.4 ph from the tap and then 50% hma and this means i do not need to load the water with minerals, it also hold the water at 6.7-6.9ph.
My water temp is 30C in breeding cube and in my 4 main tanks.
I feed on stenker beef heart as is screened and so do not have to worm as much but i do mix ruffage like spinage and tetras discus prima.
I also run on ppm more than anything and this i hold at 210-230ppm is my cubes but in my grow on tank it is up to 340ppm and this gives the smaller fish more in the water to absorb and the see to grow better and colour well.
Hope this helps....