Can Discus Fish Live In Hard Water?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Discus prefer warm, soft, acidic water. pH should be between 6.0 and 7.0, with

hardness between 1° and 4° dKH (18 to 70 ppm)

. Temperature should be kept between 82° and 86° F, although wild Heckel discus prefer water near 90° F.

How do you soften water for discus fish?

You can soften aquarium water by

reducing the concentration of dissolved calcium and magnesium

. This process involves either deionization, chemical filtration, or peat moss/driftwood water softening.

Are fish OK in hard water?


Most aquarium fish will adapt to moderately hard to hard water provided they are acclimated properly

. Ask your local aquarium shop about the hardness and pH in their tanks and compare it to the water in your aquarium. The greater the difference, the more gradually fish should be acclimated when you bring them home.

Can I use tap water for discus fish?


The fish are bred in soft-water, but raised in German tap water

and have been so since 1966. You can of course if you live in a soft water area or want to use RO water also keep them in soft water. Stendker Discus will acclimatise to any ph between 5 and 8, 7 to 7.

Do discus like soft or hard water?

Discus Water Requirements

Discus prefer

warm, soft, acidic water

. pH should be between 6.0 and 7.0, with hardness between 1° and 4° dKH (18 to 70 ppm). Temperature should be kept between 82° and 86° F, although wild Heckel discus prefer water near 90° F.

How many discus Can I put in a 55 gallon tank?

3-5 discus should be doable in a 55gal aquarium as long as water changes are kept up with. A general rule you can follow is

one discus per 10 gallons

. Since these fish are tall, do not keep them in shallow tanks.

Can you keep soft water fish in hard water?

Many livebearing species also come from Central America so

Guppies, Platies, Swordtails and Mollies all do well in hard water

. Mollies even appreciate salt in their water and can suffer if kept in soft freshwater with a low pH.

How do I lower the hardness in my fish tank?

The best way to introduce water with a low GH is to

fill the aquarium with Reverse Osmosis water

. This tap water purification process removes nitrates, phosphates, chlorine and minerals, and produces water that is pure. Treat the pure RO with a remineralizer for RO and you will have perfect aquarium water.

Do tannins soften water?


Tannins also soften the water

. This can be handy if you’re in a hard water area. Many fish, such as tetra prefer soft water, so softening the water naturally is great for them.

Do discus really need daily water changes?


Discus fish don’t require daily water changes unless they are juveniles

, and you want to grow them to their maximum potential. However, they still need frequent water changes, and you should certainly do it if you want to raise a healthy, big, and beautiful fish.

What should I put in my discus tank?

How do you make aged water?

One is to

place water in a clean bucket or water jug (with the cap off) and allow it to sit for several days

. This method takes a bit longer but doesn’t require any additional equipment. It’s often used to age smaller quantities of water, either for a small tank or for topping off a larger tank.

What is the lifespan of a discus fish?

In home aquariums, discus live for

an average of 10 years, but can live up to 15 years

, and can grow up to 8 inches.

Are discus fish cold water?

WATER PARAMETERS:

Discus requires warm water

. Low water temperatures are stressful, and the discus will suffer overtime, being especially prone to intestinal parasites. Best temperature range for discus is 28C-30C. Tap water should be treated to remove CHLORINE and CHLORAMINE and the pH adjusted.

Can angelfish live with discus?

Angelfish are usually peaceful, but they can be aggressive when feeding and breeding. Discus fish are docile and may be deprived of food by angelfish.

You can put them together but make sure the discus fish is eating

.

How fast does discus grow?

They are fully grown at the age of approximately

2 to 2.5 years

! To ensure the steady and stable growth of our discus fish, we recommend continuing to feed 3 daily meals of our STENDKER Discus Feed.

How do you make discus fish happy?

The easiest trick for keeping happy discus is to

raise the water temperature

. We highly recommend 85 to 86°F. The reason is because the discus farms we get them from usually keep their waters at these temperatures, and when we try to force them to cool down, it becomes a source of discomfort.

Can Plecos live with discus?


Bristlenose Plecos, Zebra Plecos and Orange Spot Plecos stay quite small and actually make great tank mates for Discus

. Although Dristlenoses are often reported to prefer cooler temperatures, Discus keepers have found they will tolerate Discus temperatures as long as things don’t get too toasty.

Does water softener hurt fish?

Commercial Water Softeners

While this water has no effect on humans,

it can prove deadly to fish

. Unlike reverse osmosis, this produces water that is still mineral-rich, but saturated with an unusual combination of minerals, including salt, that fish would not encounter in nature.

What fish do well in hard water?

  • Livebearers such as Guppies, Mollies, Platies, and Swordtails.
  • Paradise Fish.
  • African and some Central American Cichlids.
  • Brackish fish such as Archers, Monos, and Scats.

How can we remove the hardness of water?

The presence of magnesium and calcium carbonates in water makes it temporarily hard. In this case, the hardness in water can be removed by

boiling the water

. When we boil water the soluble salts of Mg(HCO

3

)

2

is converted to Mg(OH)

2

which is insoluble and hence gets precipitated and is removed.

How can we remove hardness of water naturally?

  1. Install an ion exchange shower head filter.
  2. Install an ion exchange softener for your entire water supply.
  3. Boil away impurities.
  4. Use baking soda in your cooking water.
  5. Add washing soda to your laundry.
  6. Use a reverse osmosis filter in aquariums.
Emily Lee
Author
Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.