Please Help...

[EQ]

Hi guys, I newbie in discus after doing quite a bit of reaserch. I am spinning with all the info on the net.

I am wondering if anyone there may help me in this adventure.

Myconcern are:

will I be able to keep discus if my PH is 7.6
Nitrite is 0
Amonia is 0
GH is 100 mg/L or dh is 5.6
KH is 60 mg/L or dh is 3.360


Also at what temperature should I set my heater?
thanx

[weird]

I don't think you will have any problems.

Set your temp at 29-30 degrees. :D

Also if your starting out with discus, you may wish to consider bare bottom and discus only tank to start with.

Also IMHO, I would use sterilized frozen foods only, good example Hikari until you have confidence that other available foods are problem free. A good beef heart mix, unless you want to make your own is Discus Dinner.

[EQ]

Thanxs for your advise Dave. I appriciate that.

[chris]

Maybe lower your Tank Ph to around 6.8,
and also make sure your tank is cycled properly :idea:

[EQ]

I've just brought down the ph to 7.0 using a ph down powder.
I believe it's a sodium biphosphate.
what u guys think bout this powder any side effects etc...?

[weird]

I personally don't like buffers. Usually has a bad effect on plants, stimulates algae growth and IMHO makes the water less stable than more stable. And also it is expensive.

I would naturally lower the ph. Get a 100 litre plastic bucket, throw in an airstone attached to pump, heater, your water ager and let it prepare for 24 hours or longer.

[skoom]

how about a piece of drift wood... i think it makes the water more acidic.

any difference between beefheart mixes discus dinner vs. Posaqua?

[EQ]

I already hv a piece of bog wood and that doesn't seems to lower down the ph value at all.

Also, today I found that my ph has bounce back up to 7.4...

will a box of ehiem peat will temper the ph?
I believe it's a litre in the box.

how am I suppose to use it?

thanx....

[ctvu]

Hi

I never play around with PH with peat or buffer at all, it should go down naturally like mine one it was 7.7 initially then it went down slowly currently 6.6. I am not worried too much about PH as long as it does not swing too much.
More important factors is that keep Nitrite and Nitrate ZERO all the time.

HTH

ctvu

[weird]

Mate I only reckon a ph of 7.4 is fine, and they might even breed at that PH ... have seen it before and seeing it more often. :wink:

Also I want to clarify my previous comment was in regards to acid buffers only - phosphate. As PH alkaline buffers are usually just sodium bicard which you can get from your shopping centre.

[wyldchyld01]

hi eq,

personally i use phosphoric acid, cheap to buy and in liquid form so adds well to water, also use a little peat extract to add the tanins to the water,
now this is actually added to stored water about 24 hours before i change it into the tanks, which allows me to check the ph before hand (has taken a while but i now know how much to add to the 200ltr storage tanks so i get the right ph, bicarb soda can bring it back up if need be).

storing the water first also allows me to make sure any impurities are out (settle) before i add it.

drift wood looks nice but depending on how much it has been cured you might find that it has no effect on the tank or it may release heaps of tanins causing the ph to drop.

i do agree with ctvu in not using buffers (i know i know this stuff kinda is) but i like to get the ph to the tank settings before adding it so as to reduce shock to the fish stock

hth

brenton

[EQ]

Thank for all your support guys, I really appriciate all the advise....
cheez