Water requirements for the discus
Water requirements for the discus
B ut why water is so important for our discus?
And well like good numbers of watery species, water is the environment of life of fish. Following the example of our air it contains oxygen, CO2, nitrogenizes and many other elements which influence their health condition.
Water this famous element source of life "bathes" our fish and the latter are closely related to it.
It as should be known as water is a very good solvent; it has good capacities to dissolve many substances.
Among those let us quote for example the gases (oxygen, CO2 etc.) minerals (Calcium, magnesium, sodium…) or metals (plumb, copper… )
And that will complicate the things somewhat because; these elements present in water can exploit a big role the physiology of the discus and even interact the ones with the others.
A s you know it the discus are originating in South America.
Water which saw being born these fish at the wild state is soft (it contain few minerals) and acid (pH lower than 7), Heiko Bleher in his book "Bleher's discus" measure for example north of Victoria do xingu in 2002 a pH of 6.5, a conductivity of 21 micro-siemens and a temperature of 28,5°C.
The discus thus adapted to the wire of its evolution to living in this kind of environment.
With the reading of this, numbers among you will wrinkle the eyebrows in this scraping the head…
"My discus does not live in such water parameters! And they go very well! "
I am entirely of agreement with you, but I think that certain facts remain however interesting to hear. Admittedly years of breeding and selections one returned our current pigeon blood and other red turquoises more tolerant as regards quality of water, it remains nevertheless that this fish keeps in party its natural requirements. In the same way, it is necessary to highlight made that human raises discus recently (before the 2nd worldwar) and that the real explosion of the varieties which we know to begin in the Eighties…
It is clear that each fish species has requirements and beaches of tolerances which are clean for him. The beach of tolerance of the discus is for example smaller than a innesi néon.
T he first parameter to be known is hardness. For the maintenance of discus of breeding, KH located between 2 and 4 German degrees is appropriate completely with a GH between 4 and 7 degrees.
Naturally, with such hardnesses, the pH of the aquarium was to be neutral with acid (7 and lower than 7).
With regard to the nitrogenized matters, the discus tolerates some specific variations, but not to inconvenience it I advise you not to go to the top of 25mg/nitrate L.
As regards ammonia and nitrites, zero values are imperative; their presence being toxic for fish.
The discus will be sensitive to the presence of pollutants in water such as heavy metals, chloramines and others. I do not have precise data on this subject but it is important to neutralize these elements before any water change carried out with tap water; and this thanks to a water contioner.
The use of a water conditioner is highly advised.
I do not count any more the number of not conditioned tap water users with which I could discuss which is one day confronted with problems of sudden mortalities following water changes…
With regard to the rhythm of the water changes, it is advised to once carry out a water change from approximately 30% minimum of the volume of the aquarium per week. (We speak here only about maintenance of discus out of "Community" vat and not of breeding.)
This frequency varies heard well according to the cases (reproduction, growing tank, population of aquarium etc…)
H ere from now on some particular cases that it seems to me interesting to approach:
The discus as of other fish can adapt to other parameters that those referred to above.
Thus one can encounter certain cases of figures or the conditions of maintenance and the management of the quality of water defy the known needs for this fish.
However, it is necessary well to take care not to regard these particular cases as methods to be reproduced. Because this remains very often isolated cases which is generally explained.
Here some examples which I could meet and they will undoubtedly not be the last which I will meet!
The first example is undoubtedly that which I heard the most…
Many a discus lovers which has a somewhat hazardous maintenance (no regular rhythm of water change, no adequate quality of water compared to the needs for the discus etc.) is astonished to see their any new acquisition not adapting to their aquarium.
A discus bought recently which does not go well; in the middle of other, present in the aquarium since many months leaves of them more ones perplexed…
After having drawn aside the tracks related to the problems of transport or acclimatization, I quite simply invite you to test the water of this tank… and you will often find some explanations!
It often arrives for lack of knowledge, by practice or negligence that the simple water tests is not made. However the water parameters of an aquarium are not fixed; they evolve more or less quickly in time.
Let us take the case of nitrates; those accumulate in the course of time in the aquarium. To avoid too high values, it is necessary to ensure of the regular and rather consequent water changes. If these water changes are not correctly carried out, the value nitrates of the aquarium tends to surely increase slowly but with the wire of the months.
The fish present in the aquarium adapt because this change takes place gradually.
I already observed discus having a sharp behavior with appetites of ogres in a tank with more than 100mg/L nitrates. However, such a situation could not last and it is absolutely disadvised acclimatizing new a discus in this kind of water even if those already present go well!
Because with the stresses of transport, the acclimatization, the competition to fit within a new group of discus; will be added an environmental stress. The chances of adaptation then are minimized!
Of course, many other parameters evolve and can cause problems of adaptation for new fish. I voluntarily took the example of nitrates because it is in my eyes most explicit.
The second example of particular case can be that of the use of tap water.
Some are lucky to live in area or the tap water has ideal characteristics for the maintenance of the discus (lucky devils!!!)
Can one for saying as much that the discus is maintained easily in water leaving directly the tap?
My answer is quite simply "not", because the quality of water which runs with the tap can be different from one area to another, city to another, district to another or even from a block of houses to the other!
Today, there exists little of place or the water of the network is ideal for the discus; but there are some and essence is to test this water and especially not to forget to prepare it. From there to affirm that the discus live in tap water, there is a margin…
Personally I prefer to read or to hear my discus live in the water of my tap. You will say it to me it can be a detail, but it has its importance when this kind of information arrives at new discus lovers.
The tap water can be use for discus on condition that taking a minimum of précautions!
Always related to water, let us take the example of 3 breeders:
The first breed discus in a fairly hard water (harder than water usually used for the maintenance of the discus), the second in a very soft water (Much softer than water frequently used for maintenance discus), the third as for him raises his fish in a water resulting from a domestic water-softener.
*The discus of the first breeder will be relatively not very demanding with regard to the water hardness (GH/KH) tolerant without problem of the values higher than the average. You will find at his place a good quantity of varieties known as "old hand" (first selected by human)
*The second breeder will have fish which will require the best followed to the level of the water hardness, and will approach a more traditional maintenance. Certain varieties which it breeds will be very recent and even more demanding.
*As for the third breeder, these fish will be almost a curiosity as well one can read in all the handbooks as water resulting from a domestic softener is "unsuitable" with an aquarist use. This breeder raises only one and single variety and its fish will adapt in many environments.
This example stresses two particular cases:
First is related to the lineage. The breeder indeed proposes with his lineage a certain kind of environment which it is important to know. Discus raise since many generations in somewhat particular water characteristics will be able to develop a beach of tolerance different from that proposed in this article or the specialized literature.
There is strong chance that the first results of breeding of the first and third breeder were not very good; but the making work of selection, these lineages today developed features of adaptation to their environment.
However we cannot advise with all discus keepers to pass their fish to hard water or left straight of a softener.
To get information about the quality of water which the breeder or the pet store uses is paramount before the purchase.
The second case interesting to underline is related to the variety. Indeed the varieties called "older" such cobalts, pigeon blood, turquoises are generally more tolerant as for the quality of water. More recent varieties (or resulting from crossing with wild forms) remaining generally more demanding.
The recent varieties generally require more an great attention.
T o finish this chapter, I will want to put a point of honor on the environmental quality of the animal.
As you have just seen it, water is an essential component which conditions the life and the health of fish.
To ensure a good environment your discus (to ensure a good quality of water) will be best preventions against the appearance of diseases; an environmental stress being often the first stress to which the discus must face. In a healthy environment, the organism of the discus is able to only fight against a good amount of pathogenic agents (of diseases).
Moreover, as we saw, by the way do not draw from too hasty conclusions of particular maintenances which you will be able to meet. Be regular in your maintenance in order to propose with your discus a quality of stable water in adequacy with their needs. To move away from the needs for the discus, it is to take the risk to expose itself to a problem "X" or "Y".
H ere, you have just finished reading the 1st chapter! Find the next month the article on the water parameters and their significances. While waiting, if you wish it, you can post constantly your remarks or questions in the heading "comment" (commentaires in French) at the end of the page.
Yann
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