Questions about discus...

It should not be an issue. They are usually only used for saltwater aquariums so it is a little different. You may want to use it like its ideal use in saltwater, as in maybe once a month run it for a little while, and after adding fish. Are you going to be quarantining fish before you add them to this tank?
 
Yes, I am planning on setting up an eclipse 12 for quarantining new fish.

Is there anmything that you see i am overlooking? Planning on installing 2 300 watt heaters to maintain 85degree water for the discus.
 
The Zigman said:
Also, i read alot about fish spawning in tanks, and was just looking for a generalized summary of:
1 How do you know when your fish (discus) are going to spawn?
2 How do I transfer the eggs / fry into the quarantine tank
3 Do I wait till they hatch and attempt to move the fry? or do you move the eggs?

the tank is 125 gallons, plan to use 2 - 500 watt titanium heaters to maintain the 82 degrees or so.
Click to expand...

1) They lay eggs. Usually not fertile till about age 2. It will take the parents a few times to get it right.

2) Best way is to separate mated pairs before spawning. Can use a breeding cone.

3) Always let Discus raise their fry till they are eating on their own. They need to feed off the parents.

The heater issue is only relevant to the amount you wish to raise tank temps compared to the environment it is in. If you want to raise the tank temps 30 Degrees I would use more heaters, if you want to raise it 2 degrees I would use less. I use 2 200 watt stealths in my 55 gallon to raise it 20 degrees from room temps overwinter here. Tank temps around 82-84.

I think Stealth heaters are cheaper than titanium and just as reliable.
 
FYI

UV sterilizers work.. in either FW or marine tanks.
they are limited on efficiency tho as to be effective they need a flow rate to match the uv light power. it is the exposure time to the UV that kills bacteria.
if set up correctly they will kill most of the bacteria that runs thru them..this includes beneficial bacteria too.
they can be used during outbreaks of infestation and when run in conjunction with meds they are effective.
you should not have to run them continually. nor is that advised..
 
If you can find one that will work with your tubing, an in-line heater may be a better option than two or three in-tank heaters. They hookup in the same line as your filter tubing, just like you have your UV sterilizer setup.
 
I use a hydor in-line heater on my 96g and I gotta tell you it's the best heater I've EVER used. No more worry about shattering, no more unsightly heater hanging in your tank....less things in the actual tank the better in my opinion.
 
I looked at the HYDOR inline heaters. I thought the 300 watt unit would only do an 80 gallon tank. This is what I originally wanted. You run just 1 on a 96 with discus, and it keeps the temp at 85ish? I even thought of running 2 of them side by side ...
 
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You could run one after the other. The first will probably always be on and the second will pick up the slack.
 
Poor water quality and inadaquate diet are the biggest causes of Hole In The Head disease...as well as many other fish ailments. HITH can be reversed with increased frequent water changes and an improved diet enriched with vitamins. Improper nutrition and environment are just as harmful to fish as they are to humans. Carbon will not harm fish or the tank or the plants or strip the water of minerals. It clarifies the water. It has a useful life of between 2-4 weeks then becomes an additional media for beneficial bacteria. Now, if you leave your carbon or carbon cartridge in the tank for months on end to just sit there to accumulate disgusting gunk and you don't do regular frequent water changes to keep the nitrates low, and you do not feed your particular fish the diet that they need to keep them healthy and growing it is only a matter of time before your fish succumb to disease/ill health and premature death.
 
Water quality and diet are the most important issues, but carbon can have the negative effects described. Many people who have plants who stop using carbon notice an improvement. Carbon won't kill your fish or plants, but without it they can do noticeably better. Water clarity should not be an issue with adequate filtration (not including carbon) and water changes, the same goes for any smell.

And yes, there have been cases where carbon has been shown to be associated with HLLE. When the carbon was in, the HLLE developed. When carbon was removed, it went away. When it was returned, so did the HLLE. Every case is different. Most are not associated with carbon, at least not as a significant cause. But sometimes it does make a difference.

Carbon does not just remove smell, discoloration, and medications. It removes all sorts of chemicals in the water column. This does include things like trace elements and micronutrients.

I don't use it and have seen an improvement. I have not had any problems and have had less issues with illness. Maybe others have a lot of reason to keep using carbon, but I do not see any. In my opinion and experience the same benefits you can get from carbon can be achieved with cheaper or free water water changes without running the risks of the consequences of carbon. Water changes are needed and good no matter what, why waste money on carbon?

Diet is not just what they eat, the major nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, and fats. It includes many other things like the vitamins mentioned as well as micronutrients and trace elements. Some of these are provided in the water, from which carbon will remove them.

Please note that I am making a distinction between HITH and HLLE as in HLLE does not include Hexamita spp. or Spironucleus vortens infestations as the only or main cause as opposed to HITH where these parasites are present (and the only or main cause of the ailment). However carbon can contribute to both.
 
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