discus tank pH and ammonia problem!! help me plz!!!

sg8501321 quote	subscribe [rss]	subscribe [email]	#1	Posted 04 May 2008, 9:15 pm
i have a concern about my new 56 gallon tank that ive just recently put up.(i put it up the 20th of april) i really want it to become a discus and a german ram tank! but anyways..i never tested the water before i put it into the tank originally...but, about 3 days later i noticed it got cloudy..and ive heard thats good due to the cycling process so i did a Ph test and ammonia test and come to find out that the ph is 7.0 and the ammonia was between 0.25-0.50!! there for i got worried because i didnt have any fish in it at the time so i didnt know what was causing the ammonia! come to find out it a reading of 0.50 of ammonia was coming from my tap water!!..but anyways the 4th day i got 5 starter fish..and they have been doing good so far...and today(day 8) i had an urge to take a water sample of my fridge spicket water which is filtered (due to the frustration about the sink tap water having ammonia in it!) and it was reading 0ppm for ammonia! and a Ph of 6.6!! (isnt that a good reading for a good discus and ram added with a gold nugget pleco tank!?!?) but now im kinda stuck!! i havent performed any water changes yet so i am thinking about doing a 30% water change every week with that good ammonia free filtered fridge water and just adding a few chlorine eliminating liquid substinces to it..would i be doing a good thing by doing so?? or should i keep putting the harmful 0.50 ammonia tap water in the tank?? and also would that be a good thing to add the fridge filtered water with a new ph of 6.6 to my original tank water when i proceed in future water changes?? becasue im not sure what the ph would be if it was 7.0 and i would be adding new fresh filtered 6.6 water to it!?!? i just dont want to risk loosing out on a few discus due to them being expensive! do i just go ahead and do a 30% water change adding the fresh filtered water to the tank?? please help me out!! thanks!! i really wanna get my tank to par for discus/german blue/gold rams,and a gold pleco! and if anyone is wondering..my starter fish are 2 x-ray tetras and 3 red eye tetras... please help! original post: April 29, 2008, 2:59 pm Sponsored links
sg8501321 quote			#2	Posted 04 May 2008, 9:16 pm
o sorry i forgot to give you my whole test results... nitrate - 0ppm nitrite - 0ppm ammonia - inbetween 0.25 - 0.50 ph - 7.0
mickey quote			#3	Posted 04 May 2008, 9:16 pm
first things,I would not recommend tap water for discus at all.I purchased an HMA filter , which are quite inexpensive and they will remove all of the chlorines in the water.I cannot understand why you are getting ammonia from tap water ?? If you are going to use the fridge water ,check the GH -it must be above 4 or you run the risk of PH crash which will wipe out your stock. My advise would be to drain out your tank and start again with either HMA water or a mix of RO/HMA .Do not add any discus until the tank is well matured-6 months is the norm but depending on water quality you might get away with 4 months http://www.fishtankforum.co.uk