can discus thrive in hard water?

[Magus]

I've heard conflicting opinions on whether discus can handle hard water. My tap water is around 300 ppm, pH 7.8, and I'm wondering if it's worth trying to adjust it or if they'll adapt. Tank is 75 gallons, planted with driftwood, sand substrate, and a Fluval FX4. Temp stays at 84°F. Anyone have experience with this?

[belleora]

They can adapt, but it's not ideal. I've kept them in hard water (250 ppm, pH 7.6) for a year, but growth was slower and colors less vibrant. Weekly 50% water changes with RO mix helped. What's your feeding routine? High protein diets might offset some stress.

[Dubson]

Yep, mine are chillin' in hard water too, around 280 ppm. They're not as flashy as soft water ones, but no health issues. I do 30% changes twice a week, feed beef heart mix daily, and keep 'em with cardinal tetras. Tank's got a sponge filter and LED lights, 12 hours a day.

[Foldo]

Yep, mine are chillin' in hard water too, around 280 ppm. They're not as flashy as soft water ones, but no health issues. I do 30% changes twice a week, feed beef heart mix daily, and keep 'em with cardinal tetras. Tank's got a sponge filter and LED lights, 12 hours a day.

Interesting. What's your KH and GH? Stability matters more than chasing perfect params. My group's in 200 ppm, KH 4, GH 8, and they spawn regularly. Key is avoiding sudden swings.

[turret]

Wild-caught discus struggle more with hard water than tank-bred. If yours are domestic strains, they'll likely tolerate it. Monitor for clamped fins or lethargy. My 120-gallon has a mix of wild and domestic, TDS 350, but I drip-acclimated the wild ones over 6 hours.

[sillyboy]

Mine died in hard water, but my buddy's are fine. Dunno why. Maybe my tap had weird stuff in it. I use RO now, remineralized to 150 ppm. Tank's 55 gallons, bare bottom, with a canister filter and temp at 86°F.

[maverick]

It's a gamble. Some lines are hardier than others. I'd start with juveniles—they adapt better. My current group's from a local breeder who raises them in 250 ppm water. They're in a 90-gallon, heavily planted, with Co2 injection. No issues so far.

[bowsar]

For real, it's a mixed bag. My crew's in 320 ppm, but I buffer with peat in the filter. They're cool with it, but I'd never try wilds in this setup. Tank's 100 gallons, blackwater style, with oak leaves and low light.

[novate]

Hard water's sketchy for 'em long-term. I lost a few before switching to RO. Now I mix 50/50 with tap, TDS around 200. Tank's 65 gallons, sand bottom, with a pair of Eheim 2217s. Feed 'em frozen bloodworms and pellets twice a day.

[Magus]

Thanks for the input, everyone. Sounds like it's possible but risky. I'll try a 50/50 RO mix and monitor their behavior. Appreciate the specifics on setups!