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lilgoldy lilgoldy
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  • Posted on: 24/2/2009 3:57
TDS and Discus fish #1
Does anyone know if a really low TDS will have health effects on discus fish? My meter is telling me it is 12ppm in my 100litre tank and 51ppm in my 325litre tank. I beleive the results as I have just changed the water and we have had massive amounts of rain recently so my tanks are full to the brim with fresh water, usuually the TDS is around 100.

I am now adding flex discus minerals when I do a water change but I notice the fish lag, for want of a better word after wc's. So I am wondering if this could have this effect.

PH 6.4
Ammon 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5 (usually 10 but as I said just done wc.)

Any opinions?
jonnyunlimited jonnyunlimited
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  • Posted on: 24/2/2009 8:09
Re: TDS and Discus fish #2
Hey LG. After months of experimentation trying to remineralise RO with my tapwater I've given up an now just use Pure RO + Kent RO Right. I was just having too many problems with the unstability of the tap water. Once Mixed the new water usually has a TDS of around 50 and tank water gets upto around 80. I think this is still actually a little low (should be apx 120, anyone?) but at least it is consistant and I know anything nasty in the water has to have come from the something in the tank. I'm no chemist but sounds like your rainwater is a little too pure and remineralisation is a good idea. Have you tried testing for GH and KH as well? TDS of just 12 surely can't be good for your fish long term - very interested to see what other folks think about this.

Also I'm considering using something like this to top off the water but I'm not sure exacly what is in it. If it truely does have antibacterial qualities without harmful side effects then sounds good, especially for raising fry etc.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dl ... ROMOBOX:NEWLIST#SLIDESHOW
lilgoldy lilgoldy
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  • Posted on: 24/2/2009 10:52
Re: TDS and Discus fish #3
They sound interesting! Let me know if you try them. Kath
jonnyunlimited jonnyunlimited
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  • Posted on: 24/2/2009 12:13
Re: TDS and Discus fish #4
I do like the idea of them, seems much cheeper than other black water tonics that are out there an much more controled than pete in the filter or almond leaves in the tank etc. It's just that they are an unbranded product and no mention of the ingredients so bit nervous of them. I may try them purely for raising fry outside of the main tank.
lilgoldy lilgoldy
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  • Posted on: 24/2/2009 12:34
Re: TDS and Discus fish #5
Use some fish you are prepared to lose if you have to. That way your tank and better fish will not be effected in any way. I have a couple of angel fish that are my heroes so to speak they live in QT all the time and if I get new fish and then something goes wrong with them I know straight away. Try something like that perhaps?
jonnyunlimited jonnyunlimited
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  • Posted on: 24/2/2009 12:58
Re: TDS and Discus fish #6
What I ment was that I might try the blackwater teabags next time I remove a spawn from the aquarium into a hatchery tank. Hopefully the 'natural' anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties of the tonic will eliminate having to use hydrogen peroxied to stop fungus on the eggs. If the fry hatch and survive then perhaps it's ok. Still dubious though. We are still non the wiser on the TDS issue though. Anyone?
Goldnugget Goldnugget
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  • Posted on: 24/2/2009 14:05
Re: TDS and Discus fish #7
Quote:

lilgoldy wrote:
Use some fish you are prepared to lose if you have to. That way your tank and better fish will not be effected in any way. I have a couple of angel fish that are my heroes so to speak they live in QT all the time and if I get new fish and then something goes wrong with them I know straight away. Try something like that perhaps?


Please try not to experiment on fish if you don't have to, there's no such thing as 'better' or more expendable fish, they're all lives.

When you say you keep some angels in qt all the time what do you mean? How big is the tank???
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jonnyunlimited jonnyunlimited
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  • Posted on: 24/2/2009 14:15
Re: TDS and Discus fish #8
I didn't like to say anything but yes the whole reason I'm unsure about using this product is I don't treat my livestock as lab rats! Lillygold I'm a bit confused do you mean you have angels in QT then you add new fish and if the angels get sick you sumise there is something wrong with the new fish? Or do you just mean you had some angels in QT to keep an eye on them? If the former is true then aside from being cruel I don't see the logic in it?!
lilgoldy lilgoldy
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  • Posted on: 24/2/2009 22:10
Re: TDS and Discus fish #9
It may seem cruel and I suppose it is but the discus community use this as a tool, I have been struggling with water quality issues and while I agree with you until I get it sorted I cannot buy $200 fish to see if the water is ok.

My TDS is very low perhaps you have not dealt with this before and do not understand the impact this has been having on ALL of my fish. I think they are all being affected by osmotic shock which is why I posed the question, but apparently no here has experience in this. I am not going to get into a debate of whether this is right or wrong. The bottom line is ALL my fish are suffering and many have died so yes I expend one life to save many, and I think if you are really honest and think about it you would do the same, I never said I liked doing it just that at the moment I have been advised to try it. With the recent rains we have had here my TDS has plummeted I didn't realise what an effect this could have on my aquarium and I was at wits end so before you cast a stone perhaps think of the position all my fish are in and the fact I am trying to fix something.
Goldnugget Goldnugget
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  • Posted on: 24/2/2009 22:32
Re: TDS and Discus fish #10
I'm not throwing stones lilgoldy, but you said yourself earlier that you use the angels to gauge whether or not new fish have diseases in quarantine. This has nothing to do with water quality and to be honest if that is what your doing then I can't help but find the act somewhat deplorable.

We've come along way from using canaries in mines...

I can understand the need to save fish lives and sacrificing one for many but this does not explain why, knowing the risks that keeping fish poses for you, you would still go ahead and buy new fish willingly putting fish in the firing line, all in the name of saving a more expensive breed. If it's that risky is it really worth running the risk of keeping these animals? Knowing 100% that some will die along the way, for the sacrifice of others?

I'm not sure you can really justify that for me.
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