Best Water Parameters for Discus!! Talkin Discus Presented by KGTropicals!!

So you saw Discus at your local pet store or on one of MY videos and you really wanna start a Discus tank but you’ve heard they are really hard to keep because they are very picky about their water parameters, but are they? That’s coming up…. Hey everyone it’s Lisa with kgtropicals.com, Discus aren’t as picky about their water parameters as so many people make them out to be. Are they for the beginner fish keeper? Maybe not but they’re not as fragile as their reputation says they are. Wild Discus come from the Amazon river basins where the water is extremely soft and acidic and when they first made it into the hobby they were extremely fragile. They were fragile because they were either pulled straight from the river and sold to the hobby or they were only a generation or two away from wild fish. Because of this hobbyists back then would go to great lengths to get the water in their Discus aquariums as close to what they would be in in the wild. This isn’t exactly easy to do so the Discus being so finicky over their water conditions would get sick and die. This is where their reputation for being fragile came from. The reality is over the last few decades breeders all over the world have been developing these fish to be more tolerant to water conditions. They’ve been breeding their Discus in water that more closely resembles the water that comes out of our tap rather then the water in the Amazon. Because of this Discus Keepers don’t have to concentrate so hard on trying to match the same water parameters as the Amazon, instead, we focus on CLEAN water. This is why people still to this day label Discus as hard to keep but what really needs to be said is “Discus are hard for LAZY fish keepers to keep”. When you keep Discus you need to keep the water clean for them to thrive. Keeping the water clean doesn’t mean go out and buy a bigger filter, it means taking dirty water out and putting clean water in, how many water changes you need to do and how often you need to do them will totally depend on how many fish you have and how much you’re feeding them. So what does all of this mean. It means that with domestic Discus it’s more important to keep your water clean then it is to kill yourself trying to adjust the PH. If your tap water has a PH of anywhere from 6-7.5 you should be fine BUT check with your supplier and see what they were bred in, if their ph is close to yours you should be fine. If there’s a radical difference (like your tap water is a PH of 7.4 and your supplier says they were raised in a PH of 6.2) you might want to consider a different supplier. Not because they don’t have good fish but because you might struggle getting your fish to adjust to that big of a difference. What if you ask your supplier what type of water they were raised in and they say “I don’t know”? Turn around and run. What about temperature? Discus like warmer water, 82-86 so that’s easy enough but here is a big piece of advice. Discus can be pretty sensitive to temperature so it would be really smart to have a spare heater around cause you never know when yours might malfunction. It never seems to happen at 10 o'clock on a Saturday morning, it’s always more like 9 o'clock on a Sunday. If you are someone who is already keeping Discus I’d love for you to share your experiences with keeping them in the comment section below, maybe together we can talk the people who are scared to keep them off the ledge:-) Discus aren’t for a beginner fish keeper but you don’t need to be someone who has kept fish for 20 years to be able to keep them successfully. You need to have a good plan, know as much as possible about who you’re buying them from and you CAN’T be lazy. Keep their water clean and they will grow to be some of the most impressive fish you’ve ever seen and they’ll reward you every time you look at your tank:-) http://www.kgtropicals.com www.facebook.com/KGTropicals @kgtropicals on Twitter kg_tropicals on instagram Music: http://www.purple-planet.com

Best Water Parameters for Discus!! Talkin Discus Presented by KGTropicals!! sentiment_very_dissatisfied 15

Discus 8 years ago 33,517 views

So you saw Discus at your local pet store or on one of MY videos and you really wanna start a Discus tank but you’ve heard they are really hard to keep because they are very picky about their water parameters, but are they? That’s coming up…. Hey everyone it’s Lisa with kgtropicals.com, Discus aren’t as picky about their water parameters as so many people make them out to be. Are they for the beginner fish keeper? Maybe not but they’re not as fragile as their reputation says they are. Wild Discus come from the Amazon river basins where the water is extremely soft and acidic and when they first made it into the hobby they were extremely fragile. They were fragile because they were either pulled straight from the river and sold to the hobby or they were only a generation or two away from wild fish. Because of this hobbyists back then would go to great lengths to get the water in their Discus aquariums as close to what they would be in in the wild. This isn’t exactly easy to do so the Discus being so finicky over their water conditions would get sick and die. This is where their reputation for being fragile came from. The reality is over the last few decades breeders all over the world have been developing these fish to be more tolerant to water conditions. They’ve been breeding their Discus in water that more closely resembles the water that comes out of our tap rather then the water in the Amazon. Because of this Discus Keepers don’t have to concentrate so hard on trying to match the same water parameters as the Amazon, instead, we focus on CLEAN water. This is why people still to this day label Discus as hard to keep but what really needs to be said is “Discus are hard for LAZY fish keepers to keep”. When you keep Discus you need to keep the water clean for them to thrive. Keeping the water clean doesn’t mean go out and buy a bigger filter, it means taking dirty water out and putting clean water in, how many water changes you need to do and how often you need to do them will totally depend on how many fish you have and how much you’re feeding them. So what does all of this mean. It means that with domestic Discus it’s more important to keep your water clean then it is to kill yourself trying to adjust the PH. If your tap water has a PH of anywhere from 6-7.5 you should be fine BUT check with your supplier and see what they were bred in, if their ph is close to yours you should be fine. If there’s a radical difference (like your tap water is a PH of 7.4 and your supplier says they were raised in a PH of 6.2) you might want to consider a different supplier. Not because they don’t have good fish but because you might struggle getting your fish to adjust to that big of a difference. What if you ask your supplier what type of water they were raised in and they say “I don’t know”? Turn around and run. What about temperature? Discus like warmer water, 82-86 so that’s easy enough but here is a big piece of advice. Discus can be pretty sensitive to temperature so it would be really smart to have a spare heater around cause you never know when yours might malfunction. It never seems to happen at 10 o'clock on a Saturday morning, it’s always more like 9 o'clock on a Sunday. If you are someone who is already keeping Discus I’d love for you to share your experiences with keeping them in the comment section below, maybe together we can talk the people who are scared to keep them off the ledge:-) Discus aren’t for a beginner fish keeper but you don’t need to be someone who has kept fish for 20 years to be able to keep them successfully. You need to have a good plan, know as much as possible about who you’re buying them from and you CAN’T be lazy. Keep their water clean and they will grow to be some of the most impressive fish you’ve ever seen and they’ll reward you every time you look at your tank:-) http://www.kgtropicals.com www.facebook.com/KGTropicals @kgtropicals on Twitter kg_tropicals on instagram Music: http://www.purple-planet.com

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Most popular comments
for Best Water Parameters for Discus!! Talkin Discus Presented by KGTropicals!!

Diana Wolfe
Diana Wolfe - 6 years ago
I enjoyed your video. I have had a 150 gallon discus tank for a few years now, with a couple of ryukin and oranda goldfish . I have had people boo-boo this but they acclimated, get along ,and work well as tankmates. I saw some warm climate countries where fishkeepers were doing this successfully. I just love it and wanted to share.
njnaz13
njnaz13 - 6 years ago
Can thinning discus be cure 100%? Tried everything but failed
Manoj Sinha
Manoj Sinha - 6 years ago
Lisa, kindly tell how to remove black spots from diskus and treat black fins. Thanks.
Manoj Sinha
Manoj Sinha - 6 years ago
Very logical and reassuring description Madam
shuja dar
shuja dar - 6 years ago
thanks lisa keep the water clean got it im gonna buy discus soon but one other thing can i put them kois and gold ill kepp the water clean is there any chance?
Martha Berman
Martha Berman - 6 years ago
Where can i buy a tall breeding cone Thanks
George Calderon
George Calderon - 6 years ago
thanks for sharing such a good info
littlejohn1314
littlejohn1314 - 7 years ago
I am thinking about getting discus. I am looking for their needs, thanks for the tips!
Lixi Lineas
Lixi Lineas - 7 years ago
Hello what's the right water flow for discus ??

10. comment for Best Water Parameters for Discus!! Talkin Discus Presented by KGTropicals!!

wichid cichlid
wichid cichlid - 7 years ago
peace out✌girl scout! ..... thanks for info Lisa! very informative!
George Calderon
George Calderon - 7 years ago
great video thanks so much for sharing
Pit Kok
Pit Kok - 7 years ago
I kept Discus back in 1977 and it was a real pain to keep them but i bought four from a breeder and turned out to be 2 breeding pairs and they were happily breeding after about 1.5 years . They were 2nd generation wild Discus.
gabe beaucage
gabe beaucage - 7 years ago
I think your hot
Golden State Warriors Fan
Golden State Warriors Fan - 7 years ago
great video Lisa
Wayne D
Wayne D - 7 years ago
Once they breed how do you know who th parents are. Do they stick with the mother? Should you separate them into another tank with the mother asap?
Jenny Nehir
Jenny Nehir - 7 years ago
Parents will guard the eggs. The fry (newly hatched fish) will feed off of their parent's slime coat. Parents will take turns with the fry. Other fish love to eat small fish so it is a good idea to separate them, often when they have the eggs.
uziel herrera
uziel herrera - 7 years ago
Would two discus feel too lonely? And would a 40g be ok for a pair?
Richard Gale
Richard Gale - 7 years ago
Been keeping Discus in my 7.5 ph water for 35 +years. I have found it best to purchase at least 6 small discus and adapt them with a drip to your water. I do 25% water changes almost every day because i breed angels and raise my discus up with them. They seem to like the angelfish company.
Aaron Le
Aaron Le - 7 years ago
Hi, my ph crash in my 20 gallon tank, all my discus floating and swimming upward, what should I do? I used all R/O water, any help would be appreciated? I wanted to saved my fish but don't know what to do, I did used the Acidic Buffer for this 20 gallon tank.
tomas dx
tomas dx - 7 years ago
Are the discus sold on your website used to regular tap water? Also what do you feed them?
Thank you for the video.

20. comment for Best Water Parameters for Discus!! Talkin Discus Presented by KGTropicals!!

magicaquarium
magicaquarium - 7 years ago
In an Amazon they live in very dirty water and They are fine.
Mr Hyde
Mr Hyde - 7 years ago
stop smoking shit. amazon water is very clean. don't let the tannins fool you fool
Mr Hyde
Mr Hyde - 7 years ago
stop smoking shit. amazon water is very clean. don't let the tannins fool you fool
dvdfrnzwbr
dvdfrnzwbr - 8 years ago
These selectively bred mutations appear less appealing compared to what nature attended Discus to look like.
Jordan Varner
Jordan Varner - 8 years ago
my tap water ph is 8.... :/ african cichlids love it, not a whole lot else does :/
jorge sanchez
jorge sanchez - 6 years ago
Jordan Varner I️ keep all my fish in 8.3 including discus
David Lewis
David Lewis - 8 years ago
i got pair of discus love em to bits male was a bit aggressive at first but after makeing a roomie tank now there swimming happy so room is a big factor
Jose Feliciano
Jose Feliciano - 8 years ago
great video very informative, doing all the research I can and preparing myself to keep discus, you guys are awesome!!
NotinThisTown7
NotinThisTown7 - 8 years ago
I was thinking of getting them and now I'm convinced.
josh's aquariums
josh's aquariums - 8 years ago
I just got my first discus its copper and aqua blue it was 60 dollars at my local pet store but I could not pass it up if any of you are in this situation don't think of it just get it
Aaron Lewis
Aaron Lewis - 8 years ago
Love discus, I've always wanted them but there so damn expensive!

I subbed, maybe you could sub back!
Farhan B
Farhan B - 8 years ago
good video.
however in London UK, they sell these little shits for £75 each to £120 for big Orange red ones!
so if I use tap water and water conditioner, and maybe that ph water softner will they be ok.

I have a 800L aquarium but doing a water change 2 times a week is extreme, how about once a week or every 2 weeks. I want 8 discus, and a few tetras.
FishTanks704
FishTanks704 - 8 years ago
great video im looking into getting in to discus very soon.

30. comment for Best Water Parameters for Discus!! Talkin Discus Presented by KGTropicals!!

David tropical aquariums
David tropical aquariums - 8 years ago
looking forward to getting discus everyone please subscribe to me David captain cool i am a fish keeper!
Gaina
Gaina - 8 years ago
Thank you for demystifying Discus! You've definitely made me consider them more seriously for when I get a bit more experience under my belt.
Gaina
Gaina - 8 years ago
High praise indeed! Thank you.
KGTropicals
KGTropicals - 8 years ago
Your welcome! From what I've seen on Facebook and Instagram, I think you would do great with Discus:) I think you take very good care of your current fish and tanks :) Lisa
luis garces
luis garces - 8 years ago
hey love your videos. I have a question though about the striped raphael catfish. I just set up a beautiful 16 bowfront dirted and planted tank. my catfish decided to dig a huge hole and wreck the water and aquarium. any tips?
Scuba Steve
Scuba Steve - 8 years ago
This was a very good video. I believe that discus are a lot of hard work for a big payoff! I also completely agree with keeping the discus in as close to the breeders water parameters as possible. Clean water is key as they are susceptible to bacterial infections in alkaline water that is dirty. Acidic water keeps bacteria counts very low so you can get away with less water changing which keeps the water parameters more stable. Clean water is a must in either case. Great video!
kyle Poteete
kyle Poteete - 8 years ago
Hey john,
The past few days I've been unable to listen to your podcast (which I love and I'm sad you stopped. I hope you pick it up again soon.) did you disable your podcast channel or something?
Discus Hans
Discus Hans - 8 years ago
http://diskuszucht-stendker.de/plugins_en/pdfs/3.3_Wasserwerte_und_Wasserchemie_en.pdf Here is some extra information about water parameters.

Hans
KGTropicals
KGTropicals - 8 years ago
Thank you for sharing Hans :) Lisa
Rich's Fishes
Rich's Fishes - 8 years ago
Nice one Lisa. You and John definitely got a good group on your hands! I think its important to note that no discus are "bred to handle tap water". Fish might get accustomed to the tap water that a particular breeder is using; but Tap water can vary greatly from place to place. No particular breeder can guarantee that their fish will be able to handle ANY tap water. Yes discus are a bit hardier than what was earlier thought/experienced but that doesn't mean they'll thrive in everyone's tap water. Ph values actually seem to be the least important compared to things like KH, GH, TDS, conductivity, etc. Also important to note that "keeping discus successfully" and "Keeping successful discus" are two different things as well!
colinbarsby
colinbarsby - 8 years ago
+Rich's Fishes Agree very much.
Discus Hans
Discus Hans - 8 years ago
paulone65
paulone65 - 8 years ago
once again great video,Thanks for all the info on keeping discus.
TheMrZanshin
TheMrZanshin - 8 years ago
Why on earth would someone "thumbs down" this video? So silly.
BolivianFishKeeper
BolivianFishKeeper - 8 years ago
Definitely telling my LFS "peace out boys scout"✌
Sky's Fishroom
Sky's Fishroom - 8 years ago
I had discus, they died. The end...
yaoming yen
yaoming yen - 8 years ago
Me too. One die and i sold the other 2.
Duck4cvr
Duck4cvr - 8 years ago
Great Job Lisa! You are getting so much more comfortable in front of the camera. You're making me want to get discus! I'm my wife only allows two tanks in the house and I'm so in love with African Cichlids.
KGTropicals
KGTropicals - 8 years ago
Thank you! Maybe you should introduce Discus to your wife :) she may OK a 3rd tank if she knew how beautiful they were :) Lisa
Ivory Queen
Ivory Queen - 8 years ago
Good video!
Daniel goldney
Daniel goldney - 8 years ago
Can you keep two discus on their own?
KGTropicals
KGTropicals - 8 years ago
Discus really should be kept in groups of 8 or more, unless you are breeding them. They are very similar to Africans as far as behavioral characteristics. In some cases small groups of discus tend to have that dominant fish in the group that will attack other fish in the group and prevent the weakest one from eating. You end up with a weak fish hiding in a corner of the tank with weight loss, dark in color and eventually dying. Stocking your discus tank with the appropriate amount of discus will help keep the aggression down and you will have a more peaceful tank :) Lisa
NYCity Cichlids
NYCity Cichlids - 8 years ago
Thanks for the info
IFG
IFG - 8 years ago
Good video Lisa. Looking forward to your next episode!
KGTropicals
KGTropicals - 8 years ago
Thank you :) Lisa
Avery Stephens- Da Fightn' Fish
Avery Stephens- Da Fightn' Fish - 8 years ago
Agreed. :)
Sparky Minor
Sparky Minor - 8 years ago
so what about keeping a planted tank with discus is there anything I need to know about...?
KGTropicals
KGTropicals - 8 years ago
I will be doing a video on this subject in the future. My tank has sword plants and they're doing good. The Discus love spawning on them too :) Lisa

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