Discus Facts...

[paul-discus]

I have been over to Tony Saults in Barnsley (advertizes in Practical Fishkeeper) who imports German bred Discus and i've seen some of his breeding pairs and believe me they are big fish. Give the fish the right conditions and the right food and they'll grow in my opinion. I can remember years back when discus cost a heck of a lot more than they do today, infact you could pay £1,000 and more for a pair of fish and i went in to Aquatica i think they called it in Wakefield where the guy there at that time used to breed them in the back of the shop. He took me through to see his breeding stock and they were like dinner plates, they were some of the biggest and most beautiful discus i think i have ever seen and they took my breath away and i said to myself then that at some point i would keep discus myself. I was that much in awe of them. And by the way earthworms are probably some of the best food you can give them, but i never seem to hear anyone mention them except perhaps me, surely someone else feeds them. These are not hard fish to keep if the person keeping them is commited to their welfare.

 

[kev_kb]

For anyone who thinks discus only get to 5" here is Chens Discus current stocklist featuring upto 7" fish:

http/www.chensdiscus.co.uk/stocklist/

And yes, I do keep Discus, my largest is probably just over 5" right now, but its still growing.

 

[paulf]

For anyone who thinks discus only get to 5" here is Chens Discus current stocklist featuring upto 7" fish:

http/www.chensdiscus.co.uk/stocklist/

And yes, I do keep Discus, my largest is probably just over 5" right now, but its still growing.

I dont have chens discus, I have Stendkers and I have a 18cm discus, I have to agree.

Instead of arguing like little children in the playground, why dont some of you go and find the correct info at discus specialist sites/forums/from experience and then come back here and post advice when you have experience and the knowledge?

JMO

 

[angelmouse]

For anyone who thinks discus only get to 5" here is Chens Discus current stocklist featuring upto 7" fish:

http/www.chensdiscus.co.uk/stocklist/

And yes, I do keep Discus, my largest is probably just over 5" right now, but its still growing.

I dont have chens discus, I have Stendkers and I have a 18cm discus, I have to agree.

Instead of arguing like little children in the playground, why dont some of you go and find the correct info at discus specialist sites/forums/from experience and then come back here and post advice when you have experience and the knowledge?

JMO

Well said Angel

 

[DiscusAngel]

Here is someinformation i have decided to look through my books and on the internet and this is the overall outcome.

Wild caught discus (Brown discus) grow to 8"
Tank Bred discus (Red, blue etc) Grow to 5"

Tank sizes (for 5 discus on there own this is)
Wild caught discus at 8" need 40 gal MIN as 8" x 5 discus make 40 gal.
Tank bred discus at 5" need 25 gal MIN as 5" x 5 discus make 25 gal
(Only min stated upgrade more sufficient.)
Temps
Both at 28 - 32c

Feeding
Bloodworms flake and brineshrimp

Filteration
double what is needed for the tank

This is what info is in my books and on the internet that i have researched of there is any thing that anyone thinks is wrong please post that. but this is what i have found. so dont rant and rave at me this is what the experts say.

If you look at my post read the 1st line i never said my fish are 5" etc this is wat i have been looking at. What my point is unless you have a rather large tank like 200 gallon with 6 discus in then they oculd reach there size of 8" also someone said poor genes and years and years of breeding have made some discus smaller than others. so i tryied to start this thread off so everyone post a fact or two etc to help people who wants to start discus and thats what i found so dont have a go at me

 

[LisaLQ]

They didn't have a go really though - they said you need to research properly and learn more before you hand out the "facts".

If discus get big in a big tank, that's what they should be in - it means they're reaching their full potential. If they're not reaching their proper size in a small tank, by that I mean smaller than the recommended 10-20g per discus, then they're stunted. It's not as much bad breeding as improper care.

And yes, I speak as a non-discus owning person. But even I know fish + small tank = stunted fish. Fish + ample sized tank = reaching full potential with right care.

I'd take the advice you've been offered by Paul with thanks - he's a member of a discus association and really knows what he's talking about. He knows the facts, and if he says yours aren't right and you need to research more, he's probably right

 

[jayjay]

I know fish + small tank = stunted fish

Not necessarily. Hope Neale doesn't mind me doing this.

The whole issue of "stunted fish" is far from accepted within the hobby, and the science behind the idea is shaky, at best. Essentially, a stunted fish is one that is relatively small for its age. But just as with humans there are multiple reasons why someone might be small for his age, so it is with fish. While the size of the aquarium may be one factor, diet, genetics, exercise, and so on could also be issues as well. In lab experiments, only certain types of fish "stunt" when overcrowded in tanks, goldfish being one example. Other fish, such as cichlids, will reach full size regardless.

The issue with stunting is that experimental evidence doesn't support the assumption that fish stunt in small tanks. There was a nice article about this in TFH magazine last year that reported how water changes -- not aquarium size -- are the key.They massively overstocked tanks containing things like discus and oscars, but performed complete water changes daily. Result: fully grown, healthy fish. Is this a good way to keep fish? Probably not, but it does make it clear that fish grow to their maximum size irrespective of the aquarium size if the water quality and diet provided are adequate. My own experiences of laboratory species such as Clarias catfish and tilapias supports their point, as I have seen plenty of big fish in small tanks. The species that stunt are usually cyprinids (goldfish, for example) which have a very specific set of reactions to metabolites produced by other members of their species kept in close proximity.

 

[LisaLQ]

Ok, re-read stunt as "wont be as healthy or as big unless you are utterly anal about water quality, dont mind doing daily or even more (as some breeders do) water changes". Never mind the experience and spare tanks you'd need to pull off that kind of stock level.

Ie. a fish keeper with previous nitrite issues due to overstocking in their 30g tank, 7 discus, 4 angels, a black ghost knife and two butterfly fishes, as well as cories, will likely not be able to keep up with the maintenance required (if there is a level of maintenance that covers that level of overstocking). I did read somewhere there's going to be a tank upgrade to a 70g I think, yet in another thread they said they couldn't get a bigger tank.

I think folks should read people's other posts before they take any "facts". Check out their experience. The posts below are all within the last month. This is not an experienced discus keeper, this is someone who's had them for a couple of months max, made several mistakes, ignored previous advice about tank size and stocking, and yet is here saying they know the "facts" about discus keeping?

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=178464&hl=

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=175262&hl=

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=174130&hl=

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=173178&hl=

I'm sorry DA, I really am, as I'm sick of all the bickering lately - but you've got to realise - we're all beginners once, instead of handing out advice, you should be listening to it and learning. I know how easy it is to feel like you know it all so early on, but unless you've got your problems sorted - you shouldn't be trying to tell folks how to do it.

 

[jayjay]

Yeah, I do think that unless you seriously have a large amount of time on your hands, then you'd do best to under stock with discus. You never know when you might need that margin for error with the larger tank.

 

[Ferris]

OK - i've deleted the irrelevant posts to get this thread back on topic. Please use PM if you want to argue amongst yourselves.

 

[cheesy feet]

Ok right i would like to correct myself,i ment 6 inches ,as my two oldest ones are abut 6 inches atm.IMO giving discus daily water changes and loads of beet heart(although they eat only microscopic things in the wild) to make them grow fast isn't natural.Has anyone got a growth chart for discus.Just curious ,atm i'm waiting to get my 6ft x 2ft x 2ft tank(should of got it a week ago now,but got a 5ft x18 x 18 instead) and put my 7 smaller discus in it,at the moment they're in a 40 gallon and havn't grown much! I couldn't keep up on the water changes along with my other fish and reps so i'll think they will be a bit stunted .Anyone got any tips to get them to have a growth spurt?I'm going to try feed them 5x a day and do water changes more regulary...

 

[angelmouse]

I feed mine 5x a mix of 2 meals beefheart and others tetra prima, freeze dried brine shrimp and diskusin. Freeze dried brine shrimp which i stick to the glass seems to be their favorite if i put a mixture in the tank they will always eat that first, i did try them with live brine shrimp but the tetras eat them before the discus even realize that their in there.
I do my water changes every other day when i can. I got mine at end of november at 3-4 inches and they have grown lots, i`ve been worried about stunting mine and have been told good quality water and regular water changes + 5 meals with lots of high protein food is good for growth, but feel a mix of food might be better for their health.
Good luck with growing yours Angel

 

[Don Trinko]

Back in the 1960's it was rare for anyone but an expert breeded to successfully bread Discus. I had 3 discus in a 20 g tank with other fish. Many of the early books said this was OK.
There seems to be a trend to give fish a lot more water and more frequent water changes today.
I think fish will SURVIVE with smalled tanks but the IDEAL conditions require more water. Don T.