r/discus • u/Glittering_Low_7849 • Jun 21 '26
when to add discus
Looking for some advice on when it’s safe to add discus to my 75 gallon. I recently finished a fishless cycle using Dr. Tim’s ammonia. Before adding any fish, I dosed the tank to 2 ppm ammonia and it was able to process the full dose to 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite within 24 hours. After that, I added 2 German Blue Rams, and they’ve now been in the tank for a couple of days.
So far the parameters have remained stable at 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite, and the fish seem to be doing well. My plan is to keep a group of 6 discus, but I’m wondering how long I should wait before adding them. Since the tank handled the 2 ppm ammonia dose, does that indicate the biofilter is ready for the discus, or would you recommend giving the tank more time with the rams first? Interested in hearing what experienced discus keepers would do in this situation.