discus and phosphate levels

wickerman

wickerman

AC Members
Mar 12, 2005
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Hi
Im thinking of getting discus at some point...im reading lots on the internet and not rushing things.
we have soft tap water,but it has phosphate levels of 4.0ppm.
is this level of p04 too high for discus?
 
IME, phosphates are as big a deal as water softness and constant pH along with other levels. Discus are hardier than most people think. As long as things are constant most of the time they will be okay and adapt. Mine for instance have been doing fine and i cant keep the pH under about 6.8. Acclimation is another big key in starting to keep discus...i take about 2-3 hours to acclimate each of my discus when i got them. I think if I were you I would keep reading but always be skeptical about what you read on the internet. And as far as the PO4 goes i might would get something like phosguard....excessive phosphates create algae....and most of the time lots of it.
 
I know in seattle the breeder adds phosphates since the water is acidic. and lacks buffers.

I just found out from him last weekend :idea:
 
I don't think 4 ppm PO4 will be harmful. My PO4 level in my 125g swings between 2 and 4 ppm, depending on source water, and my discus are having no problems with it that I can see.

Mark
 
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