Maintaining PH level

[MFG]

Hi Folks,

I have 2 pairs of discus that often breed. Never can the baby survive. I never check my PH cos i'm too busy.

What is the best way to maintain my PH level?

Does using a PH controller helps? if so, what are the best out there? do i have to use co2 tank in order to use a PH controller?

Thanks

Scott

[Hollowman]

Hi Folks,

Never can the baby survive. I never check my PH cos i'm too busy.

Thanks

Scott

I would say that discus are not for you. If you are 'too busy' to check your Ph, then throwing chemicals at your tank to get levels right will only make things worse.

Proper care is needed to show off these beautiful fish , how would you like to live in a house that is filled with smoke all day?

jmo

Hollowman

[Matt15]

Time...??? Testing PH takes 5 seconds. 5ml of tank water + 4 drops from a PH test kit. Easy...;)

[ILLUSN]

digital tester takes even less time, i check mine 3x daily, when i fill the aging barrel (b4 bed) in the morning b4 work and again at night just before a water change.

[samir]

I look at the rose reds and depending on their shade go hmmm ph looks a bit low/ok and then i change the water. :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Hollowman]

Hi Folks,

Never can the baby survive. I never check my PH cos i'm too busy.

Thanks

Scott

I would say that discus are not for you.

jmo

Hollowman

Thats all I have to say :x

[MFG]

Thank you folk,

i have been having them for nearly 2 years and some of them even pair up. i will try my best to alter their PH.

what is the cost eff way to lower PH?

cheers
Scott

[ozarowana]

Do you know what your pH is now?

I don't think changing it will keep the babies alive.

[MFG]

Hi,

PH is at 6.8.

i had done a bit of searching in the net and there are pple who raise fry at >7 PH. I know that my water is soft - i have a big log in the tank.

ozarowana - indeed the babies not alive now.

:(

[zar]

Your tap water is probably soft already, the log wouldn't make a big difference if any. 6.8 is pretty good. You don't need to tamper with that ph.

maybe once you explain at what age your fry starts dying off, people will be able to help you.

Also raising fry will take you a lot more time than just checking ph..you'll have to sacrifice time if you're to raise any fry, especially discus.

[taksan]

I never check my PH cos i'm too busy.




:stupid

[Hollowman]

:lol: :lol: :roll: :roll: :lol: :lol:

[tomahawk]

Hi Folks,

I have 2 pairs of discus that often breed. Never can the baby survive. I never check my PH cos i'm too busy.

What is the best way to maintain my PH level?

Does using a PH controller helps? if so, what are the best out there? do i have to use co2 tank in order to use a PH controller?

Thanks

Scott

If you don't have time for checking your pH, you should take some time out to "Not" to keep Discus.. my 2 cents worth of advice though !!

[MFG]

Oh,

by the way, since my breeding pairs (3 pairs) are all in my main display tank. and i tried to raise them artifically. only manage to get the fry to day 5 and all died.

i feed them bbs. but still.. .. .. i do 90% water change 3 times a day. i follow the rules... ...

Thanks Tomahawk, i will be doing my testing more regularly.

regards
Scott

[ILLUSN]

YOU NEED VERY LOW BUBBLE RATE IN THE RAISING BOWL TO RAISE FRY ARTIFICIALLY, 1 bubble every 2-2.5 seconds is sufficient, you also need nice shallow water 3 inches deep max and a small light around 2.5-3w running 24/7, i had better results covering the bowl on top of the tank with a black teatowel, so as all the light is focuses in 1 spot and therefore so are all the bbs and discus fry, when you change water, use some airline to siphon the bottom of the bowl, to remove any poo and dead bbs, then just tip them into a very fine sieve over a new clean bowl (bowl(2)), they can sit in the sieve in the new bowl (so long as they are covered with around 8mm or more of water), while you wipedown and dry the raising bowl, then just back flush them out of the sieve in bowl 2 back into the raising bowl and you've done a 100% change in under 3min. you'll need to this around 30min-4hrs (where possible) after each feed of bbs for the first 2 weeks by then they will be big enough for very finely grated beefheart mix and you can do a change 20-30 min after each feed.

[MFG]

Thanks ILLUSN,

i had heavy air bubbles beeping and eventually all died. i will try the method you prescribe.

can i confirm your water change method again.

1) place the fry in nice shallow water. add light 24/7

2) add bbs and cover top of bowl with black tea towel and place bowl on top of tank.

3) small airline to siphon bottom of bowl

4) using 2nd bowl, place a sieve

5) tip water and fry into 2nd bowl

6) clean rising bowl

7) tip back into rising bowl.

How do you maintain the temperature for the fry?

regards
MFG

[MFG]

Thanks ILLUSN,

i had heavy air bubbles beeping and eventually all died. i will try the method you prescribe.

can i confirm your water change method again.

1) place the fry in nice shallow water. add light 24/7

2) add bbs and cover top of bowl with black tea towel and place bowl on top of tank.

3) small airline to siphon bottom of bowl

4) using 2nd bowl, place a sieve

5) tip water and fry into 2nd bowl

6) clean rising bowl

7) tip back into rising bowl.

How do you maintain the temperature for the fry?

regards
MFG

[ILLUSN]

1. Get a small tank around 20L, add a 25w heater and set the temp to 28C. fill with water from your spawning tank.

2. float a white bowl in the tank and add around 2-3 inches in the water from the tank.

3. add an airline with an inline valve, set your bubble rate at 1 bubble per 2-2.5 sec (VERY important)

4. set your light above the bowl so it shines into it, try and get a focused light so there is only 1 bright spot shining into the bowl ( a bright spot around 2.5cm in diameter is good).

5. add your fry, they will sit on the bottom untill they become free swiming, once they become free swimming they will swim towards the bright spot (from the light) at this point begin feeding the brineshrimp.

6. after each feed remove the dead bbs and waste with an airline tube, remove the bowl from the tank, get a second clean bowl and a fine sive pour the fry and water through the sieve into the bowl, the fry will be caught by the seive.

7. use water from the tank the bowl was in to wash any remaining fry from the bowl into the sieve.

8. clean the bowl well, i like to wipe it with paper towel, using a clean cup scoop water from the tank and back flush the fry back into the 1st bowl, return to the bowl to the tank and top up the tank with aged water preheated to the same temp (28C).

i got better results covering the bowl and top of tank with a black tea towel and having a small gap for the light to shine through (more focused).

if you get a chance have a read of trophy discus or just google "artificially raising discus fry". This method has been sourced from heaps of sources and worked well for me on 3 batches of fry. There is plenty of info out there if you look hard enough.

[MFG]

Hi ILLUSN,

I just had some eggs last night. I will try your method.

Regarding the BBS, how is it prepared, ie at day 1 of hatch? and when do you prepare the 2nd BBS? i read that most pple have a system which runs 2 BBS hatchery bottles at seperate timing so that there is new BBS food everyday.

Another qn, now it is winter in adelaide. If you place one heater in the 20L tank, the top layer of the water will be hotter than the bottom of the tabk - not movement of water. and the water in the white bowl will also be slightly less hot than the main 20L tank. changing 100%, will the fry get temp shock?

Thanks for sharing!

regards
Scott

[ILLUSN]

i start hatching bbs when the fry hatch, i run 2 bottles 24 -36hrs appart.

when you scoop the water from the tank to to bowl, scoop from the top, its the same temp as the water in the bowl (no temp shock), AFTER youve done your water change top up NOT BEFORE!!!!!!

[MFG]

Thanks a million ILLUSN.

i will keep you posted of my progress for this batch.

regards,
Scott