Acclimation:

You’ve invested valuable time and money researching the habitat requirements of your new fish. Naturally, you want to protect this investment by executing a proper acclimation process once the fish arrive at your door. The purpose of acclimation is simple: the water that the fish are packaged in has different temperature and pH parameters than your aquarium. Tropical fish are very sensitive to even minor changes in these parameters, so proper acclimation is the key to ensuring their successful relocation.

 There are two acclimation methods explained below, we recommend the Drop Method and wish to remind you the acclimation process should never be rushed. Also, remember to keep your aquarium lights off for at least four hours after the fish are introduced into the aquarium to help them further adjust. And do not feed your new fish for at least 24 hours after receiving them. They will beg you for food but it is best for them not to eat for 1 day after they are placed in their new home.

Drop method

1. Turn off aquarium lights.
2. Dim the lights in the room where the shipping box will be opened. Never open the box in bright light – severe stress or trauma may result from sudden exposure to bright light.
3. Float the sealed bag in the aquarium for no more 15 minutes. Never open the shipping bag at this time. This step allows the water in the shipping bag to adjust slowly to the temperature in the aquarium, while maintaining a high level of dissolved oxygen.
4. Lift the shipping bag from the aquarium
5. Use a very soft net to gently catch the fish from the bag and release them into your aquarium.
6. Remove the filled shipping bag from the aquarium and discard the water. Never release shipping water directly into the aquarium.

Drip Method

1. This method is used when a shipment were to arrive and the PH of your tank is much lower than the PH of the fish in thier shipping water (usually 6-6.5) You will need airline tubing and must be willing to monitor the entire process. Gather a clean 5 gallon bucket designated for aquarium use only that has never been used with any kind of cleaning agent or chemicals of any kind or if you have several fish to acclimate you can use the shipping box as long as it is one single mounded piece and water tight keep in mind holes are punched towards the top of the box for ventslation to allow air to the heat packs. If acclimating your new fish from different bags, use a separate bucket for each.
2. Carefully empty the contents of the bags (including the water) into the bucket or box. Depending on the amount of water in each bag, this may require tilting the bucket at a 45 degree angle to make sure the animals are fully submerged. You may need a prop or wedge to help hold the bucket in this position until there is enough liquid in the bucket to put it back to a level position.
3. Using airline tubing, set up and run a siphon drip line from the main aquarium to each bucket. You’ll need separate airline tubing for each bucket used. Tie several loose knots in the airline tubing, or use a plastic or other non-metal airline control valve to regulate flow from the aquarium. It is also a good idea to secure the airline tubing in place with an airline holder.
4. Begin a siphon by sucking on the end of the airline tubing you’ll be placing into each of the buckets. When water begins flowing through the tubing, adjust the drip (by tightening one of the knots or adjusting the control valve) to a rate of about 2-4 drips per second.
5. When the water volume in the bucket doubles, discard half and begin the drip again until the volume doubles once more in about one hour.
6. At this point, the fish can be transferred to the aquarium. Gently scoop them out of the drip bucket with the specimen bag, making sure they’re fully covered in water. Submerge the bag underwater in the aquarium and gently remove the specimen from the bag. Next, seal off the bag underwater by twisting the opening, and remove it from the aquarium. Discard both the bag and the enclosed water. A tiny amount of the diluted water will escape into the aquarium; this is O.K.

Important Facts

• Be patient – never rush the drip acclimation acclimation process. The total acclimation time for your new arrival should take no longer than one hour.
• NEVER place an air stone into the shipping bag when acclimating your new arrival. This will increase the pH of the shipping water too quickly and expose your new arrival to lethal ammonia.
• Keep aquarium lights off for at least four hours after the new arrival is introduced into the aquarium.
• Do not feed your fish right away. We suggest waiting at least 24 hours for them to settle down before feeding them. They will look like they are hungry, but it is best for them to wait a full day before their first feeding.
• Never pour the bag water into your aquarium.

Desired Water Parameters

Discus fish originate from the Amazon River and they make a bright, beautiful addition to an aquarium. They are interesting to watch, but they are tropical fish, so they do need to be kept in a tank that has appropriate conditions. Your Discus will thrive if you follow some basics for Discus fish care.

Water Temperature
84-86 (Adults) 86-88 (Juveniles)

pH: 6.0 – 7.6 (target ~6.5)
Discus will live in a fairly large pH range however, it has been our experience that they prefer much softer water. For beginners it is safer to stick with the pH of your tap water (if it tests within the safe range) as fluctuations in pH are very harmful to Discus. If you feel experienced enough to confidently and safely manipulate pH levels in your tank, our preferred target range is ~6.5

GH (General Hardness):
A higher GH is preferred in juveniles as higher calcium levels in the water allow for quicker and healthier development.

Ammonia: 0
Even the slightest hint of ammonia in your aquarium is extremely harmful to Discus and is one of the leading causes for sickness and health issues in fish. Another advantage to keeping a low pH in your aquarium is that ammonia becomes less toxic or even non toxic as the water gets softer.

Nitrite: 0
While nitrite is less toxic than ammonia, it is still extremely harmful to fish and should be kept non existent at all times.

Nitrate: 0 – 10
Nitrates should be kept as low as possible, preferably 0. Nitrates aren’t necessarily toxic except in extremely high levels, however they can be an indication of high DOC’s (dissolved organic compounds) in your aquarium which can cause numerous diseases and health issues.

Heavy metals & other contaminates
When using tap water, the composition can drastically vary based on where the water source is currently drawing from. Tap Water can also be high in metals, organic and in-organic contaminates, toxins, and can drastically change in short periods of time in regards to pH and GH. Here in Northern California, water can be pulled from several different sources which makes consistency in water composition very difficult, unfortunately this inconsistency can have damaging effects on your fish. The best way to combat this issue is to invest in a quality RODI system that can consistently deliver Reverse Osmosis and De-Ionized filters water with the same chemical makeup every time.

Water Changes

Discus love large consistent water changes and a new supply of fresh water as much as possible. There are several variables at play in deciding exactly how much water you should change but a general rule of thumb is to change enough water to constantly keep your nitrates under 10ppm.

Tank Requirements

Discus fish need a lot of room and they prefer to live with other Discus fish, so buy a large tank to hold them all. A general rule of thumb is that Discus prefer to live in groups of 6, one adult Discus per 10 gallons. A substrate of light colored sand or gravel will be sufficient for your Discus fish, especially if keeping certain Discus such as Pigeon Bloods, as a darker substrate or tank backing may cause your Discus to pepper. If keeping plants in a Discus tank is something that interests you, consider going with potted plants instead of plants rooted into the actual substrate. Discus prefer rich, high protein, meaty foods that may get stuck in plants and gravel. Potted plants and or a bare bottom system will allow you to manually remove the excess food and waste before it has a chance to contribute to high DOC’s in your aquarium. Many experienced Discus keepers have moved to this style of tank. Another important aspect of Discus fish care is lighting. In their natural habitat, their water is full of tannins and is darker, so they do not like bright lighting. They also do not like noise and they can become agitated if there are loud sounds around them. Discus need plenty of clean warm water, so please consider placing your tank away from any open windows or anything that may effect temperature or contaminate the water.

Feeding

2 – 3 times a day (Adults) 4 – 5 times a day (Juveniles)
Discus fish are omnivores, so they will eat both plants and meat. They also have a grazer eating style consisting of small amounts of food throughout the day. Large feedings can actually be very harmful to Discus and cause bloat which is almost always fatal. For proper Discus fish care, feed them small amounts of assorted highly nutritious foods several times a day. Specific foods we recommend are beef heart and other high protein frozen foods, high quality pelleted, flaked and freeze dried foods such as Omega One brand. Soak dry foods prior to feeding to make digestion easier on the Discus.

Tank Mates

Discus can do well in a group with other Discus fish. They will live peacefully with most fish, but for their safety, you should only add non-aggressive fish that are smaller than the Discus. For a successful tank, you should always consider the needs of the Discus before any other tank mates.

For even more information on the care of Discus please check out this highly recommended video packed with information that should get you off to a really great start.