I am wanting to make my 75 gallon tank into a discus tank. I have been reading that they need therre ph at about 6.8. Is that true or would they be fine at 7.6 wich is what my water is? Also what other kinds of fish would I be able to keep with them? How many can I have? I also read that they water has to be very soft. If I add peat to my xb3 filter will that work? Or do I even need to lower it. All the info will be greatly appricated.
Discus help
- Thread starter SidRizal
- Start date
your water is just fine and i'd suggest that you not play chemist with it. While i've never kept Discus or angels, I know of a fellow ACA member in Sacramento that raises Discus -- some 80 breeding pairs, that he keeps in water which is generally 8.0+. He did a number of experiments many years ago, moving pairs from one pH to another (i.e., 6.8 to 7.6 then to 8.0) to determine viability, tolerances, etc. His fish continued to spawn; albeit with a differing hatch rate, but they continued to perform. He also did the same with temperature tolerances and breeding, though I don't recall the numbers there, except to say that he kept his fish lower than what the books call for, and they bred with regularity.
I read of an Angel and Discus breeder in Los Angeles who did not treat his water (ph a minimum of 7.8, with an average of 8.1 pH), but kept the building at 80°+, ran a drip irrigation method which changed 250% of the water daily on his fish, and he fed extremely well; he had between 15,000-20,000 angel fry a week going and a couple of hundred discus fry.
Since few Discus are 'wild caught' anymore, and what is out in the hobby has
acclimated itself to what 'is', you can see significant variation in ranges for fish. Same goes for the 'angel'. The 'scalare' are fairly adaptable, only not succeeding at real extremes, while the newer 'altum' angels require attention to detail in their environment.
It appears that the major driving force in being able to breed most cichlids, including those such as discus or angels, which are "known to be temperamental", in any water is the water quality (lots of water changes/reduced nitrate/nitrite issues) and lots of food. Translate all that to good care.
So, keeping 'soft water' cichlids in other than 'Amazonian water' can happen, and does, with more success than some would anticipate. To be sure, there are probably as many fish that cannot be spawned in other than their 'native' water chemistry as those that can ... but that number is decreasing every year.
I read of an Angel and Discus breeder in Los Angeles who did not treat his water (ph a minimum of 7.8, with an average of 8.1 pH), but kept the building at 80°+, ran a drip irrigation method which changed 250% of the water daily on his fish, and he fed extremely well; he had between 15,000-20,000 angel fry a week going and a couple of hundred discus fry.
Since few Discus are 'wild caught' anymore, and what is out in the hobby has
acclimated itself to what 'is', you can see significant variation in ranges for fish. Same goes for the 'angel'. The 'scalare' are fairly adaptable, only not succeeding at real extremes, while the newer 'altum' angels require attention to detail in their environment.
It appears that the major driving force in being able to breed most cichlids, including those such as discus or angels, which are "known to be temperamental", in any water is the water quality (lots of water changes/reduced nitrate/nitrite issues) and lots of food. Translate all that to good care.
So, keeping 'soft water' cichlids in other than 'Amazonian water' can happen, and does, with more success than some would anticipate. To be sure, there are probably as many fish that cannot be spawned in other than their 'native' water chemistry as those that can ... but that number is decreasing every year.
I have asked that question multiple times, and I also get the same answer - higher pH water is no problem. It almost all comes down water quality and food. Water changes of at least 30 to 50% twice a week. More if you feed them alot. Big water changes keep the water clean. And with a 75 gallon tank, that's like 40 gallons a water change. Also be sure to add water that's around the same temp +/- a degree. I guess for people with things like the python, water changes are no problem. But I have a 25 gallon storage tub that holds my water and acclimates it. With a 5 gallon bucket, I get a workout with every water change.
As for the number, 5 easily fit in a 55 gallon tank. I would venture 6 or 7 in a 75. Even more if you want to raise juvies to adulthood.
As for the number, 5 easily fit in a 55 gallon tank. I would venture 6 or 7 in a 75. Even more if you want to raise juvies to adulthood.