Can I Keep Discus?

[HHH]

I was wondering if i could keep discus. I have a moderatly planted 55 gallon with 4 rainbows 2 madagascan rainbows and 2 thread fins. I also have 3 angelicus botia loaches 3 kuhli loaches and a farlowella. I usualy do only top offs but i would be willing to do 50%s every week if it is neccessary. I know that discus prefer warmer temperatures but i dont know if my fish can handle them. My ph is a relatively high 7.8. if i can keep discus what is a good number to start off with? And are they really as demanding as people say? ( some say they do 50%s everyday and i just cannot afford that)

 

[ncguppy830]

i wouldnt reccomend it they like space and like friends you wouldnt be able to keep a happy one regardless of the water changes.

 

[Ninjouzata]

You should be doing a minimum of 25% a week, not just topping it off, imo.

 

[HHH]

Well as for the water changes i really dont need too becuase since it is a planted tank (low tech) my nirates are always zero. So i can get away with the top offs

 

[ncguppy830]

regardless you cant keep discus and IMHO you should do water changes regardless its for ammonia too

 

[Electric Warrior]

Hm, well the answer is yes, technically... I have an adult pair of discus in my 250L, so you could get a breeding pair of adults like I did if you really want to have discus. You will need to do way more wc's than what you described though, it doesn't matter if you are planted or not. I have a planted tank, and do okay with 50% wc's, twice a week, which is fine for adults. If you were to buy juveniles and try to grow them out, you really should be doing at least 90% changes everyday, and trying to grow out in a planted tank is extremely hard; not recommended. As for the other fish, I don't know much about them, but probably not as the temps will likely be an issue for one. Also 7.8 is a bit too high tbh. A lot of UK bred fish will do okay at closer to 7, but any higher than that will likely be an issue. My ph is 6, so I haven't had to deal with this issue, but I think it could eventually cause some health issues.

 

[hrtattk73]

my only opinion on discus is they are expensive and like(not require) soft water. 6.0-6.5  trial and error is part of the hobby. hopefully error doesn't cause loss of life, but if you want those fish, get them. after you get them a bigger tank

 

[TheTankMan]

You could keep a max of 6 Discus in that size tank, but they'd have to be by themselves

 

[Ninjouzata]

You could keep a max of 6 Discus in that size tank, but they'd have to be by themselves

I disagree. These guys get very large, the most I would do is a pair.

 

[ncguppy830]

yea even experienced discus keepers have troubles, bigger tanks are better.

 

[mrhidley]

regardless you cant keep discus and IMHO you should do water changes regardless its for ammonia too

 
Providing he's got a well cycled filter, he won't have any ammonia...

 

[TheTankMan]

 

You could keep a max of 6 Discus in that size tank, but they'd have to be by themselves

I disagree. These guys get very large, the most I would do is a pair.

 

 
http/www.fishlore.com/fishforum/aquarium-stocking-questions/40165-work-progress-freshwater-community-stocking-list.html
 
I used that ^ as a rough guide and it said it was okay on the fish stocking calculator, but they're probably not that reliable anyway...

 

[Ch4rlie]

There seems to be a fair amount of conflicting information out there on internet regarding care and tank sizes for Discus.
 
Now, I am going by 2 different websites about Discus - Seriously Fish and Fishkeeping.co.uk.
Both have very similar information and I have used both of these sites for previous researches and seem to be knowledgable about a lot of aspect of fish keeping.
 
A basic breakdown of the general consensus for Discus care:
 
Minimum tank volumes - 255 to 260 litres / 67 to 69 US gals
 
Minimum tank size - 120 x 45 x 45 cm / 48 x 18 x 18 inches
 
Water temperature range - 26 to 32 C / 72 to 90 F
 
Water pH range - 5.0 to 7.0
 
Water Hardness : 0 to 5 dGH
 
These are recommended for a PAIR of breeding adults. (certainly not for 5 or 6 discus unless very young juveniles which will then need to be re-homed or transferred to a much larger tank would be required. IMO)
 
SeriouslyFish Quote - "Many Discus fanatics choose to go down the heavily planted route which can be particularly beneficial to Symphysodon aequifasciatus due to the amount of cover afforded by such a setup. Discus are very shy, skittish fish and require as much cover as possible to feel comfortable."
 
And also, Discus are not for beginners and do need pristine water care. LOTS of water changes daily.
 
 
And lastly, 
 

Well as for the water changes i really dont need too becuase since it is a planted tank (low tech) my nirates are always zero. So i can get away with the top offs

 
Hmm, I always would recommend having daily water changes, not just topping up water levels. 
 
For several reasons, this helps to give a decent control over ammonia and water parameters regardless of what filter you have and how good you think it controls water parameters.
 
Ok, you might always get 0 readings for nitrates, means nothing really to me and low tech plants is beneficial for a tank but it all boils down to how you look after the tank water, and that means changing water on a daily basis to keep everything ticking over nicely, otherwise think you WILL have a breakdown in water parameters eventually and your stocking will suffer for that.
 
 
 

 

regardless you cant keep discus and IMHO you should do water changes regardless its for ammonia too

 
Providing he's got a well cycled filter, he won't have any ammonia...
 

 
That is true to an extent but doing water changes will also help to keep ammonia to a manageable levels for the bacteria otherwise may get a build up of ammonia in which case the filter may not be able to cope with a built up of ammonia and the end result would be damage and/or death to your stocking.
 
All of this are my ideas and opinions, since I am still a new fish keeper, I am in no way particularly experienced or knowledgable about fish keeping, however I do a fair amount of research and homework basically and just giving you my ideas based on my research on fairly dependable websites. 

 
Not conclusive or nor should be regarded as such, fishkeeping is a ongoing learning process and even experts will differ in certain areas of fish keeping. A healthy debate should be a learning process for everyone involved. 

 

[wrightt3]

Ch4rlies advice is good advice! proper water changes should be carried out frequently regardless of whether you have plants or not ESPECIALLY with discus. When you consider the fact that they are sociable fish and need small groups to be truly happy, they shouldn't really be kept in something smaller than a 5-6ft tank anyway.

 

[ncguppy830]

 

regardless you cant keep discus and IMHO you should do water changes regardless its for ammonia too

 
Providing he's got a well cycled filter, he won't have any ammonia...
 

But if he doesnt do water changes ammonia will build up.