Preventing Photosynthetic Pests in Reef Aquariums

1. Limit the introduction of pests in the first place. Use coral dips, clean & Rinse frags, use sterile dry rock, practice quarantine with fish, and don’t add fish-bag water to your tank. 
2. Establish a healthy biofilm on the rock to outcompete the uglies for space and resources.
3. Establish a population of micro predators – copepods, amphipods, and small snails that hunt and prey upon these pest algae.
4. Maintain a traditional clean-up crew in the way of mesopredators including crabs, snails, urchins, etc. 
5. Macro-predators like tangs, rabbitfish, and blennies will help reduce the spread of pest algae.

Successful prevention is more than a handful of hermit crabs and a few snails, it requires a network of organisms in addition to a disciplined approach to establishing the aquarium that will produce the desired results. 

Algae can enter your aquarium from introduced rocks, sand, frags, and even floating in the bag alongside a new fish.  While algae is a completely normal and healthy part of an aquatic ecosystem, when the conditions are right inside an aquarium algae can become quite problematic. Many types of algae will grow quickly and can outcompete corals for real estate, not to mention it looks pretty nasty if left unchecked.

The key to algae management is control and biodiversity. It’s important to “nip algae in the bud” so to speak and remove it as soon as you see it.  As a tank matures, it becomes increasingly more biodiverse which reduces the chances of any one species of bacteria and/or algae becoming dominant. Consequently, new aquariums are generally more susceptible to algae and pest outbreaks.

Nothing good happens quickly in a reef tank and just like it takes algae time to grow, it will take you time to clean it up. 

Diatoms

Diatoms are a major group of microalgae and although they can seem nice to look at when viewed under a microscope they can make your tank look horrible by covering it in “powdery brown slime”. Very prevalent in new reef tanks, diatoms are usually one of the first algae to colonize the surfaces of pristine rock and sand, turning a sparkling new aquarium into a brown swamp seemingly overnight.

Diatoms

These single-celled algae are highly competitive and show up as a light brown coating or “dust” that coats the surfaces inside your tank. They are often short-lived, coming and going inside of 7 days but can sometimes be much more explosive and stick around for much longer and in higher numbers.

Diatoms reproduce quickly and rely upon nitrogen, phosphorous, and light to survive. They have a unique silica-based cell wall which has led some hobbyists down the road of limiting silica in the aquarium but just like reducing nutrients, this approach is often not 100% effective for eliminating a pesky diatom bloom.

While diatoms can outcompete most anything in your tank if given an opportunity, they are also easy prey for a variety of other microorganisms including copepods!

Redundancy –  Beating diatoms may be less about starving them of nutrients and more about maintaining a redundant biome where competing organisms exist in harmony.

Cycling a new tank, diatoms are often the first sign of life.

HOW TO BEAT DIATOMS

• In new tanks, it’s best to just let the diatoms run their course.  After a couple of weeks, the diatom bloom should die off all on its own. Just be sure to keep up with water changes and maintenance.
• UV sterilizers will help reduce the spread of diatoms and may prevent an outbreak altogether.
• A natural method is the use of sailfin or black mollies (brackish fish that can be added to marine systems,) which are good at grazing it.
• Regular maintenance in the form of regular glass cleaning, water changes, and substrate vacuuming. Filter socks, pads, and sponges will help catch and remove any that you dislodge into the water, which should then be swapped out for a new filter.
• GFO or phosphate removal media can help control both phosphate and silicates which helps starve diatoms long term.

Cyanobacteria

Cyano isn’t algae. As the name suggests, it’s a special kind of bacteria, but a common nuisance all the same. While Cyano or “red slime” looks and behaves like algae, it is an opportunistic photosynthetic bacteria and thrives in fluctuating KH and pH conditions; it can even grow in systems with zero nitrate and phosphate or low-nutrient aquariums. It usually starts in the quiet areas of the tank where detritus accumulates and spreads from the substrate upwards.

Most hobbyists become familiar with cyano at some point which emerges as purple to deep red slime that coats the sand bed and rock surfaces in a saltwater aquarium. Microscopically, it’s a network of tight yet randomly woven filaments that easily crowds out the competition.

It is photosynthetic bacteria meaning it does require light to survive and thrives in areas of lower flow. The low flow not only means the bacterial film cannot be blown away as easily but also happens to be where decaying organic waste settles as well. There is a long-standing belief that the direct cause of cyanobacteria is readily available nutrients from poor tank maintenance but this really only seems to be partially true because hobbyists can rarely get rid of cyanobacteria by simply reducing nutrients alone.

In our experiments, cyano showed up in all of the aquariums at some point but only became more prevalent in the aquariums that had an insufficient means of exporting decaying organic waste. Cyano also showed up in a big way immediately after another pest died off.

Competition – Can a healthy bacterial biofilm outcompete cyano? Will sufficient flow and an effective method of filtration along with a healthy biome prevent cyanobacteria altogether? 

HOW TO BEAT CYANOBACTERIA

• Increase circulation and minimize dead spots with extra wave pumps and fewer rocks.
• Vacuum the substrate regularly and thin the substrate if necessary. Remove all cyanobacteria manually as soon as it begins to grow with a siphon tube.
• If you have a nutrient imbalance, correct it.  Zero nutrients can be just as bad as elevated nutrients.
• Consider using a chemical cyanobacteria product, just follow the instructions carefully.

Green Algae

Hair algae, bubble algae, turf algae, bryopsis – all of these fall under the umbrella of green algae and have plagued aquarists for decades. While they are all unique in some ways, they share many of the same traits; green algae are photosynthetic, have very similar cell structures, and have almost identical environmental preferences. Common advice revolves around the physical removal of the growing algae, starving the aquarium of nutrients, and adding clean-up crew animals like herbivorous fish and invertebrates.

While the steps for eradication can be effective, the biggest part of avoiding a serious infestation of green algae is preventing it from dominating your aquarium.

It is important to understand that green algae must be introduced into the aquarium in order to show up. It doesn’t just materialize out of thin air which brings us to the conclusion where we discuss prevention and provide you with 5 easy ways to avoid an annoying outbreak of pest algae altogether.

Green Hair Algae

Green hair algae thrive in bright light and high phosphate levels. It prefers bare rock surfaces, ideally those like natural reef plates or reef bones which are leaching phosphate from previous die-offs. In severe cases, it grows long and stretches across the tank like green spider webs, but it can also be short like turf.  This is probably the most common pest algae that turns tanks into algae farms because once it dominates an aquascape, it can be very difficult to eliminate without removing all of the rocks.

HOW TO BEAT GREEN HAIR ALGAE

• Clean and remove hair algae at first sight.
• Unlike Diatoms and Cyano, hair algae have some nutritional value which means herbivorous invertebrates and fish might graze on it. A diverse clean-up crew of hermit crabs, assorted snails, urchins, or even sea hares can be very effective at preventing hair algae from becoming problematic because they will graze upon the new hair algae growth that pops up on any rock surfaces.
• For fish, use Zebrasoma or Ctenochaetus tangs, rabbitfish, or algae blennies. Be sure that your aquarium size is sufficient enough to house an appropriate amount of livestock if using this method.
• Phosphate control methods can be used to starve it, or introducing competing algae to the system via an algae scrubber or macroalgae refugium would also help to rid the system of spare nutrients, and fight the nuisance algae. Bottom line, if you have a nutrient imbalance where phosphates are elevated…correct it.
• If all else fails, remove the rocks from the tank and scrub them as clean as you possibly can. The problem with hair algae is it’s difficult to remove completely without bleaching the rock. While you can remove the long tufts, the tiniest little bit leftover can quickly grow back.
• Some hobbyists are having luck using hydrogen peroxide to kill the algae on the rock surfaces which is quicker and won’t completely kill your live rock.

Bubble Algae

Bubble algae is introduced on the base of corals or live rock and tends to manifest itself as the tank ages. If left, it can smother all the rocks in the tank, block pump inlets, and can even kill corals. A common characteristic of this algae is that it also traps detritus between its bubbles which fuels even more algae growth. Like hair algae, bubble algae can be tough to control if you let it get out of hand. It is also believed that crushing the hollow bubbles will release spores in to the tank, causing more algae to spring up.

HOW TO BEAT BUBBLE ALGAE

• Clean and remove algae at first sight.
• Emerald crabs (Mithraculus sculptus) should be considered and are natural bubble algae specialists. They will help tackle and prevent future bubble algae outbreaks. For severe infestations, multiple crabs may be needed.
• Brightwell Razor Systemic Cleaner has proven to be effective on bubble algae. Brightwell Razor cleans the surface of the aquascape, making it harder for bubble algae to attach. Bubble algae begin to detach from surfaces and can be scooped, siphoned, or filtered out.
• Short of a hungry Emerald Crab, manual removal is the most effective approach with Bubble Algae. Take the rock out of the tank so you can be thorough and pry the colonies off of the rock with your fingers, forceps, or aquascaping tools.  It’s a good idea to rinse the newly cleaned rock in saltwater before placing it back into your display.  In theory, this will help rinse away “bubble algae spores” left on the surface of the rock and help to reduce a satellite infestation.

Macroalgae (seaweed)

Macroalgae is another name for seaweed, and many forms grow in the marine aquarium. We purposefully grow macroalgae like Chaetomorpha or Caulerpa inside refugiums to help reduce nutrients and compete with other nuisance algaes. That being said, if the macroalgae manages to escape the refugium and begin to grow in your display, it can be problematic. It can grow very fast and outcompete your corals for space in the display.

The invasion of macroalgae is usually only a threat if you choose any species of Caulerpa or Ulva (Sea lettuce). Chaetomorpha is a much safer option and exactly why it is the preferred algae to stock in refugium.

HOW TO BEAT MACROALGAE

• Harder to come by, but live rock taken from the ocean may be holding macroalgae hitchikers
• Rabbitfish, surgeonfish, angelfish, or a combination of these fish will constantly graze the rockwork and help to prevent it from growing.
• Manual removal is generally easy as the algae is large.
• Urchins are great at mowing down macroalgae too, cutting through to the base where the algae attaches to the rock.

Calcareous Algae – Coralline Algae

Coralline algae are red algae with hard cell walls that contain calcium carbonate. They are usually pink or red, but can also be purple, yellow, blue, white, or gray-green. Coralline algae are stiff, branched, plant-like protists that are photosynthetic, but are not considered plants. 

HOW TO BEAT CALCAREOUS ALGAE

• When growing on glass calcareous algae can be scraped off with an algae magnet equipped with a metal blade, like the Flipper Float Algae Scraper. Otherwise, a razor blade can be used very carefully so as not to scratch the glass or cut into the silicone holding the tank together.
• Urchins are one of the few invertebrates that can eat it, along with Asterina starfish, a common hitchhiker
• When growing on pumps and other equipment, a soak in citric acid pump cleaner followed by scrubbing with a soft bristle brush can clear out calcareous obstruction. A distilled vinegar-water (1:1) solution soak can be used too.  It is recommended that you soak and clean your pumps every 30-60 days to prevent damage due to Coralline Algae build up.

Dinoflagellates

Easily confused between diatoms and cyanobacteria, dinoflagellates tend to be on the browner side in color. They aren’t algae, but rather small marine plankton. This common aquarium nuisance forms a mat on sand and rock producing slime-like brown strings and trapped air bubbles. Dinoflagellates are a menace when they get out of control and can have many hobbyists scrambling to find ways to get rid of them.

Different species can show up and the popular approach is to start with identifying the particular species of dinos your dealing with.  From there, you can tailor your treatment based on the particulars species.

There are thousands of different types of dinoflagellates and the ones that show up in a saltwater aquarium are all quite difficult to overcome. The different types can take on different appearances but for the most part, they will show up as a brown, bubbly, snot-like substance that covers the surfaces inside your tank.

Dinoflagellates are dreaded by hobbyists because the solution that works for one species, may not work for another. Some dinos are photosynthetic, others are not. Some are motile while many others are not. Most hobbyists that overcome dinoflagellates employ a multipronged attack that focuses on the resources rather than eradicating the dinos themselves. Bacteria additives, biome sharing, a blackout period, and UV sterilizers are all effective treatments for dinos and it’s a combination of these solutions that most often prevails.

Cyano, diatoms, and dinos are easily confused and commonly misidentified by hobbyists because they do look somewhat similar and show up in seemingly similar situations. With that in mind, the solution to these pests may be more about prevention rather than eradication meaning proper identification will never be required. Maintaining multiple layers of protection via a healthy biome that doesn’t allow for any one pest to prevail.

HOW TO BEAT DINOFLAGELLATES:

• Manual removal through water changes and siphoning sand lowers the infestation.
• Nutrient control helps prevent an outbreak so be sure to maintain water parameters accordingly. Test nitrates and phosphates and if undetectable, the imbalance may be the cause.
• Dosing nitrogen and phosphorus in low nutrient systems along with liquid carbon dosing has been reported to help by feeding beneficial bacteria to help regain balance of the nutrients in the tank.
• Since they are photosynthetic, blacking out your tank for a few days has also been reported as an effective means of control.
• UV sterilizers can help reduce the spread and prevent outbreaks.
• Consider regular addition of beneficial bacteria additives which can help outcompete the dinoflagellates for resources.  Using multiple different types of bacteria will further increase biodiversity, helping in your fight against dinos.

Chrysophytes

Most often called “gold or golden-brown algae”, there are thousands of different types of chrysophytes. They take on a variety of forms in new aquariums and can show up as light-colored fuzz, long filaments, or bulbous colonies of light brown growth.  Their cells have flagella meaning they are motile and will spread throughout your entire tank in a hurry.

Chrysophytes are a kind of algae meaning they are photosynthetic and thrive under light but what makes them especially unique is their ability to turn predatory. They can actually acquire nutrients by preying on microbes when light sources are not sufficient. It is rare for chrysophytes to share the tank with other pests and they tend to show up in only the most sterile approaches to cycling a tank (dry rock and dry sand) and when nitrate and phosphate are not abundant. Presumably, this ability to sequester nutrients via photosynthesis and predation allows for their prevalence in this environment.

Nutrients – Nitrate and phosphate play a major role throughout the Biome Series. Why are nutrients, or the lack thereof, both the cause and solution to many of these pests?

source

Taking the Hanna copper checker’s margin of error into consideration, we are now recommending 2.2-2.3 ppm for Copper Power. This ensures that the copper level is “just right” i.e. not too high, not too low. 

Copper treatment (updated 5-16-2023)

What It Treats: Marine Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans) and Marine Velvet Disease (Amyloodinium ocellatum). There is some anecdotal evidence that copper will sometimes suppress symptoms of Brooklynella and Flukes (Monogeneans); however copper is unlikely to completely eradicate either.

How To Treat: First, it is important to know what type of copper you are using. Below is a list of the most commonly available copper products, their therapeutic level and alternative copper test kit(s) that can be used if applicable. With all copper products, it is best to test using the Hanna High Range Copper Colorimeter HI702.

• Copper sulfate (0.20 ppm): Seachem or Salifert copper test kit
• Cuprion (0.20 ppm): Seachem or Salifert copper test kit
• Cupramine (0.5 ppm): Seachem or Salifert copper test kit
• Coppersafe (2.0 ppm): No suitable alternative – Only use the Hanna checker
• Copper Power* (2.2-2.3 ppm): No suitable alternative – Only use the Hanna checker

* Copper Power Dosing Calculators: calconic.com OR fishotel.com

Starting Point: Copper sulfate, Cuprion and Cupramine should all ideally be ramped up slowly, taking several days to reach therapeutic. (Obviously, this is not always practical when treating an active outbreak of Ich or Velvet.) However, with chelated copper (Coppersafe or Copper Power) you are able to drop most fish straight into 2.0 ppm.  I then recommend taking ~ 48 hours to reach 2.2-2.3 ppm when using Copper Power.

There is no “ramping down” period that is necessary with copper treatment. Meaning, a fish can go from full therapeutic to zero copper without experiencing any issues.

Treatment timeframes: The first thing you need to know is that the “copper clock” does not start until you have reached a therapeutic level (see above). It is also important to treat at “reef temperatures” (77-80F) so the lifecycle of the parasites proceed as expected. The traditional way of using copper is 30 days at a therapeutic level in a bare bottom QT. A therapeutic level must be maintained at all times during the 30 days, so testing often is important. If the level drops even slightly out of range, then the 30 day clock restarts. One reason your copper level may drop unexpectedly is if you are treating in a tank with rock or other material which absorbs copper. Conversely, if you exceed the therapeutic level then you risk killing the fish. At the end of 30 days, remove all copper via water changes, Cuprisorb, Polyfilter, etc. and observe the fish for 2-4 weeks to ensure treatment was successful.

An alternative way to use copper is to treat for just 2 weeks and then transfer the fish to a different observation tank. However, adhering to the following “rules” is very important if you wish to try this:

1. Copper level must be at FULL THERAPEUTIC (2.2-2.3 ppm if using Copper Power) for the entire 14 days (very important).
2. QT water temp should stay consistently between 77-80F.
3. Nothing from the QT can be reused to setup the observation tank. Transfer just the fish, nothing else!
4. The two tanks should be at least 10 feet apart, to avoid any possibility of aerosol transmission. Also be careful to avoid cross contamination via wet hands, feeding apparatus, anything wet really…
5. Do not lower the copper level prior to transferring. The observation tank should be copper free, so you can observe to ensure treatment was successful. You can, however, treat with other medications (e.g. Praziquantel if you need to deworm) during observation.

The above strategy works because after 14 days any ich/velvet trophonts should have dropped off a fish, and were unable to reattach… Provided you treated: a) With therapeutic copper the entire time b) At “reef temperatures” (77-80F). The presence of therapeutic copper in the water shields your fish from reinfection from any unhatched tomonts (which release free swimmers). It’s these unhatched tomonts you are transferring your fish away from by utilizing this method. Therefore, understand that the QT is still possibly contaminated with ich and/or velvet tomonts even after all the fish have been transferred out. Which is why sterilizing your QT in-between batches of fish is always a good idea.

Pros: Readily available, proven treatment.

Cons/Side Effects: Copper is a poison, pure and simple. It only works because most fish are able to withstand being in it longer than the parasites. Appetite suppression and lethargy are common side effects. If a fish’s appetite lessens, that is usually OK. But when a fish stops eating entirely this means that you’ve likely encountered a “copper sensitive” fish and an alternative treatment should be used instead. source

More info: Use of Copper in Marine Aquaculture and Aquarium Systems

The most notable update is I am now recommending a therapeutic level of 2.5 ppm when using Copper Power. This is in line with the manufacturer’s recommendation for combating “copper resistant parasites”.

14 days in copper method

Basically, you treat a fish for 14 days at a therapeutic copper level (VERY IMPORTANT DETAIL) and then transfer the fish into a different (non-medicated) observation tank. The devil is in the details with this method, so please observe the following “rules” whenever using this approach:

1. Only the fish gets transferred, nothing else. Meaning, do not use ANYTHING from the treatment tank to setup the observation tank. You must use a new tank + all new equipment to setup the observation tank to avoid cross contamination. (Specifically, unhatched tomonts.)
2. DO NOT lower the copper level prior to transferring. Fish can safely be transferred from full therapeutic to no copper in the water. The small amount of copper water on the fish or net is negligible.
3. The observation tank must be at least 10 feet away from the QT/treatment tank, Display Tank and all other saltwater aquariums. This is to avoid aerosol transmission: Aerosol transmission
4. The 14 day countdown does not begin until copper has reached therapeutic, and has been maintained at therapeutic throughout (very important!) for the 14 days. So, it is wise to test your copper level daily. The following are therapeutic copper levels for various products:

• Copper sulfate or Cuprion: 0.20 ppm
• Cupramine: 0.5 ppm
• Coppersafe*: 2.0 ppm
• Copper Power*: 2.0 – 2.5 ppm

* Read this regarding Copper Power/Coppersafe and also click here for a Copper Power Dosing Calculator.

One last thing: Prior to transfer, the fish should not be showing any signs of ich, Velvet, Brooklynella or Uronema. If the fish does, DO NOT do the transfer!

How do I test my copper level?

Nowadays, everyone using copper should invest in an accurate Hanna High Range Copper Colorimeter (HI702): High Range Copper Colorimeter – Checker® HC HI702

The other copper test kits are inaccurate and rely too much on the subjectivity of you being able to read a color chart. (Some of us are colorblind and don’t even realize it!)

How does the 14 days in copper method work??

Copper only treats two parasites: Ich & Velvet. Velvet has a much shorter lifecycle than Marine Ich, so let’s focus on Ich’s lifecycle:

So, once all the trophonts have dropped off a fish the therapeutic copper in the water is acting like a shield to protect the fish from reinfection. Contact with therapeutic copper water either kills or disables/sterilizes any free swimmers in the water. The free swimmers will die before infecting a fish or even if they do manage to latch on for a few hours they are essentially doomed. They cannot reproduce and continue on with the parasite’s lifecycle. Therefore, by keeping a fish in therapeutic copper for 14 days and then transferring into an observation tank there is minimal chance of free swimmers being able to reinfect the fish. The primary benefit of this approach (vs. 30 days in copper) is to get the fish out of copper (a liquid poison) as soon as possible.

Can the 14 days in copper approach fail??

Sure it can! After all, no treatment or quarantine protocol is 100% foolproof! However, reasons for failure are usually one of the following:

1. Failure to maintain therapeutic copper for 14 continuous days! People get lazy, stop testing, assume the copper is at therapeutic, but something in the QT is absorbing the copper and it drops below therapeutic. Subtherapeutic copper does not have a 100% kill rate!
2. Cross contamination (e.g. water hoses, equipment, feeding apparatus) between the observation tank and the QT, or another infected aquarium like your frag tank. Also, aerosol transmission is sometimes to blame: Aerosol transmission
3. Trying to reuse equipment from the QT to setup the observation tank. This is a risk not worth taking. Just buy all new equipment for the observation tank.
4. Encountering so-called copper resistant parasites, which is still unproven at this time of writing. In theory, parasites which have spent years in subtherapeutic copper could build up a resistance to even therapeutic copper. However, a failure from this would likely happen in both a 14 or 30 day copper QT environment. The only option would be to treat using a different method: Chloroquine for Ich/Velvet, or Tank Transfer Method or Hyposalinity for Marine Ich only. Also look into “Hybrid” Tank Transfer Method: Hybrid TTM to treat all parasites!
5. Therapeutic copper does not kill or disable ALL of the free swimmers in a single pass / following just one exposure. Copper gets the rest on the second pass. Again, another unproven theory. Basically, the belief is that copper only weakens (but doesn’t outright kill) some of the free swimmers, but these “damaged but still viable” parasites become more susceptible to copper during the next encounter. After they’ve fed, dropped off the fish, formed tomonts and released (weaker) free swimmers into the water. I don’t even know what to think about this, or how you would ever know for sure that such parasites would eventually be killed off. 

What’s wrong with treating for 30 days in copper??

Nothing really! Except some fish cannot last in copper for that long, AND there have been at least a couple of studies (below) where it took longer than 30 days for all of the theronts to be released from their tomonts. So, 42-45 days in therapeutic copper would actually be a safer number if using just 1 QT (no transfer).

Post treatment observation is King!

Whether you are treating with copper for 14 days, 30 days or even 45 days… You should always observe the fish in non-medicated water for 2 to 4 weeks before placing in your DT! No treatment is bulletproof, mistakes can and will happen, Murphy’s law and all that jazz. The biggest mistake I see people make is transferring fish straight from a medicated QT into their DT. You have no idea whether or not the treatment(s) you applied were successful. Also, copper DOES NOT TREAT Brooklynella, Uronema, Flukes, Turbellarians, bacterial diseases, etc. So, you’ll want to either prophetically treat for these in the observation tank or at least watch for symptoms of these diseases. I highly recommend using black mollies in observation to aid with detecting diseases: Black Molly Quarantine

Some say black mollies don’t work, but I don’t know what the downside is of having more fish to watch for diseases in observation.

P.S. The 14 day and transfer method should also work with Chloroquine IF you maintain a therapeutic level (at least 40mg/gal) throughout: Chloroquine Phosphate
source

some prefer 14 days and transfer for a couple of reasons:

1. Some fish struggle in copper from Day 1. Or start showing signs of copper intolerance at some point along the way. From my way of thinking, those fish are much more likely to survive 14 days vs. 30 days in copper.
2. I feel 14 days is more effective because you are transferring the fish away from any unhatched tomonts in the original QT. As previously noted, in some rare cases 42-45 days worth of therapeutic copper may be necessary to be completely sure all Ich tomonts are no longer viable in the QT. 45 days in copper?!? F that.

caution with 14 days

there is a good chance that parasite tomonts may still be encysted somewhere in the tank after only 2 weeks. If wanting to use a single aquarium for both QT + observation, the best strategy is to treat with therapeutic copper (or chloroquine) for 30 days before lowering it.

14 days only works if you have a second completely sterile tank to transfer the fish into after 14 days in copper. I do prefer the 14 day method as copper is an immunosuppressant. So the quicker you can get them out of copper the better.

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We got this article from our friends at Michael’s Happy Fish

 https://michaelshappyfish.com/

you can learn about fish there, buy fresh bred fish and purchase a couple care products

Whether you’re a newcomer to the world of discus-keeping or a seasoned veteran, you might fancy yourself as a patron of the arts. By maintaining the right conditions for the health and well-being of these beauties, you are rewarded with moving masterpieces of color combinations and shifting patterns. Great painters who experimented with vivid colors, such as Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, and the Fauvists (les fauves, “the wild beasts”) took inspiration from nature — and the discus are themselves boldly colorful emissaries from the natural world. The specimens you put together create their own “schools” of art as they respond to the environment you provide them.

Discus colors and varieties

There are many different colors and varieties of Discus to choose among, and to add to the confusion, the same fish can be referred to by many different names by different sellers. Sometimes a commonly occurring variant will even be given a more “interesting” name to become more appealing to potential customers. It is also important to keep in mind that how we perceive colors are affected by lighting and surroundings. A fish that look greenish turquoise in the shop may look more bluish turquoise in your aquarium and so on.

Selecting Discus

Size
Buying really young Discus is the most inexpensive alternative, but it will on the other hand take a long time before they become old enough to breed. It can also be hard to determine color and quality at this stage. Young Discus fish are normally sold when they are roughly the size of a 50 cent coin, and at this size they all look like Brown Discus since they have not developed their adult coloration yet. For some variants, the adult coloration will not begin to show until the fish is at least a year old. When buying really young Discus, keep in mind that some of them may die before they reach adulthood and some may not grow to full Discus size. If you are planning to set up a show aquarium with close to perfect specimens you should therefore buy more Discus than what you plan to house in your future show aquarium. At this age, a Discus fish normally cost no more than 1/8 of the adult price.

At six months of age, well-kept juvenile discus fish will be half grown and have reached roughly the same diameter as a tennis ball. Most varieties will show at least hints of their adult coloration, but as mentioned above, some variants do not show their colors until they are over 12 months of age. Six month old Discus fish will be significantly more expensive than 50-cent sized Discus fish since the breeder will have housed and cared for them for six months. They will normally cost around 30-50% of the adult price.

If you plan on breeding Discus, the easiest method of obtaining a pair is to buy at least half a dozen young or juvenile fishes and let them grow up together. If you get 8-10 fishes, you will normally get at least two pairs. If you eventually find it hard to house all these big adult fishes, you can always sell the superfluous ones as soon as a pair has raised their first batch of fry and proven to be of good quality.

If your aim is a show aquarium rather than breeding, you can buy adult specimens instead of raising immature fishes. Adult Discus fish are however quite expensive, so most fish keepers prefer to purchase smaller ones even if they do not plan to breed Discus.

What to look for when selecting specimens
Start by looking at the behavior of the Discus fishes you are interested in. A healthy Discus is alert and fairly bold, and should not spend all its time hiding in a corner of the aquarium. (If the fish just arrived to the fish store they can however be dark, shy and clamp their fins until they have adjusted to their new home.) It is normal for Discus to be a bit aggressive towards each other when kept in a group, but be careful with specimens that are really violent and cause injury to other fish.

Secondly, check for any visible signs of disease or other problems, such as ragged or torn fins, abnormal skin etcetera. A Discus should not look dark or clamp its fins since this is a sign of stress. A healthy adult Discus will breathe around 60-80 times per minute, while really young specimens breathe a little faster than this. If the breathing rate is abnormal, the fish is ill or is kept in unsuitable conditions that will gradually weaken it.

Adults should show good color for their type, and juvenile specimens should at least have started to develop their adult coloration (there are however a few variants that do not color until they are at least 12 months of age). If you buy really young Discus, it will be impossible to know for sure which type of coloration they will develop and choosing a reputable breeder/seller becomes even more important. The sellers do not only have to be honest, they must also know what they are selling. Misinformed or ignorant sellers are unfortunately quite common.

You can derive a lot of information about a Discus fish by looking at its head. When you look at the fish head-on, the part of the head found above the eyes should be convex. If it is concave, the fish has not received sufficient amounts of nutrition. It can for instance have been kept on an unsuitable diet or be infested with gut parasites. Poor water quality can also cause a Discus to stop eating.

Last but certainly not least, it is important to avoid stunted specimens, at least if you want your fish to grow big as adults. Just like many other animals, humans included, Discus fish grow fastest when they are really young and their growth rate will then gradually slow down during adolescence. If the Discus fish is not provided with a suitable environment and nutritious food from the start, it will not grow enough during its childhood and it will remain stunted for the rest of its life. If you purchase stunted Discus fish, it doesn’t matter how much you feed them, they will never grow as tall as other Discus. You may be able to get them to grow a bit taller, but they will never reach the full potential of a Discus fish. Once they have stopped growing completely, the only thing you can achieve by over-feeding them is to make them obese.

So, how can you recognize a stunted Discus? A six month old Discus fish should be of roughly the same size as a tennis ball. If it is smaller, be aware. They same thing is naturally true for older Discus; a 16 month old Discus that is still tennis ball sized is not a recommended purchase and so on. Sometimes dishonest breeders will lie about the age of their fish to make them easier to sell, but fortunately there are ways of recognizing that something is wrong. Eyes that look abnormally big in relation to the size of the body is for instance a clear warning sign, and so is an unusually elongated body (a body where they length of the fish is significantly bigger than the height of the body without fins). A non-stunted Discus will have a nicely rounded body with small eyes.

Keeping Discus

Discus should only be kept by aquarists willing to devote time and energy to their aquarium. This is naturally true for all fish, but Discus fish are much more demanding than, let’s say, Danios and Rasboras. A Discus fish will not tolerate being neglected just because you have a stressful week at work or feel a bit under the weather.

The Discus has developed a reputation of being extremely sensitive, hunger strike prone and disease ridden, but the truth is that you can avoid most of these problems by keeping a well maintained aquarium. By devoting your self to preventing problems, you will spend a lot less time trying to combat illness, boats of anorexia etcetera. You should be prepared to spend at least 15-20 minutes a day on maintenance work and feedings, and about one hour a week on major maintenance such as large water changes and cleanings.

Housing Discus

How many Discus fish you can keep will greatly depended on the size of your aquarium and your skills when it comes to keeping the levels of nitrogenous waste down. If you want to set up display aquarium with adult 8-10 Discus, you will need an aquarium that measures at least 5′ x 2′ x 2′ and is equipped with powerful filtration. If you want to be on the safe side when it comes to nitrogenous waste, decrease the number of Discus down to 6-8 instead. To avoid overloading your aquarium, you can introduce a few Discus fish at a time. Quarantining each newcomer is very important, since one single diseased specimen can wipe out an entire Discus aquarium.

Discus fish are often kept in species aquariums, but they can be housed with other species if you want to. Quarantining is naturally obligatory here as well. Avoid aggressive fish, fish that will consider your Discus prey (especially important when keeping young Discus) and fish that will nip the Discus. Sucking catfish are also a very bad choice.

Water conditions

Most Discus fishes prefer a water temperature of 28-30 degrees C, but there are exceptions and researching your particular species is therefore recommended. The water should be soft and slightly acidic. The ideal pH-value for a show aquarium is 6.0-7.0, but Discus can tolerate conditions down to pH 5.5. Decreasing the pH-value from its normal level can induce breeding.

It is extremely important to keep the levels of nitrogenous waste down in a Discus aquarium. The Discus is especially sensitive to ammonia and nitrite, but the amount of nitrate must naturally also be kept in check. The levels of potentially dangerous bacteria must also be kept under control. If you have a problem keeping the water quality up despite vigorous filtration and frequent water changes, refrain from feeding food types that will rapidly disperse over the entire aquarium. It can also be a good idea to add scavengers to the aquarium that will help you remove left over food.

Feeding

Discus fish needs a varied diet to stay healthy and a monotonous diet will not only make them weaker, it can actually cause them to stop eating completely. Watch you Discus carefully during feedings to find out how much they normally eat, and do not give them more than this since overfeeding will foul the water. Knowing how much your fish normally eats will also allow you to spot problems at an early stage.

To prevent food from ending up all over the aquarium, you can use cone shaped worm feeders. Once your Discus has realized that food is to be found inside these feeders, it is actually very easy to feed them. Live food, e.g live Tubifex worms, is commended when you try to make your Discus understand how the feeders work, since live food is more enticing than dead food. Once they get the hang of it, they will happily eat frozen foods as well. cited

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When Do Baby Discus Fish Get Their Color?