Discus Living Requirements.

[dcj38]

Ok here is the deal, I have a 90 gallon that will be getting set up in the new year, but I want a planted tank with discus. First of all, I would be grateful if someone can tell me the requirements for a discus, and what I would have to do everyday to make sure they stay alive. Also how many could I put in a 90 gallon with about 20 neons.T he dimension are 48"x18"x24", and yes this is US gallons, I will be using an emperor 400 made for 80 gallons, and a penguin bio wheel which is made for 75 gallons. They are both external filters that you hang on the back. So 750 gph.

 

[simonbrown403]

Temp 28'C/82.4'F to 30'C/86'F

PH 6.4 to 7.5 some where in between (discus will live in higher PH so remember a stable PH is more important than a low PH)

GH and KH around 3' to 11'

Nitrite and ammonia needs to be zero

Nitrate and phosphate as low as possible, plants will help (keeping young discus in a planted tank can be problematic due to levels of nutrients, many discus keepers will advise you to keep young discus in a bare bottom tank)

As a rule of thumb work on about 1 adult discus per 10 gals, so for you tank i would say 6 discus, with your tetras and corys giving you leeway.

Daily check temp of tank, make sure all equipment is working, feed (a balanced diet bloodworm, special flakes, mysis shrimp, beefheart mix (if feeding beefheart you will need ti remove any uneaten food as it will pollute water if left (high protein content) brineshrimp as treat).
Try to feed little and often as this is the way they feed naturally and to make sure all food is eaten.
While doing this you should take time out to watch your fish check for any signs of poor health ( dark colour, thin, white stringie poop, abrasions/cuts white patches of slime on skin, the usual).

Water changes, first of you need to determine the quality of your tapwater if you intend on using it.
personally i opt for r/o water as i have had problems, with high levels of phosphate and heavy metals and fluctuations in PH that will do your fish no good
Water parameters are easier to control with r/o IMO.

I change 1/3 of my water every week, no less than 30% a week (the longer you leave it in between water changes the more chance there is of fluctuations in water parameters).
Make sure when doing water changes that you match PH to within .5 and water temp within 1'C (discus require a water of a constant high quality as they do not fair well if the parameters are constantly changing)

 

[dcj38]

Temp 28'C/82.4'F to 30'C/86'F
(keeping young discus in a planted tank can be problematic due to levels of nutrients, many discus keepers will advise you to keep young discus in a bare bottom tank)

Is it ok to have laterite at the bottom of the tank as a plant fertilizer? And why is having a substrate a problem? Sinse i am going to be new at keeping discus, please tell me is it very time consuming? Also did you ever make any expensive mistakes?

 

[Spyderdf]

Hello,

Discus are a very demanding fish, really should not be for any beginners or people who have not done research on the fish. (Not saying you havent)


I have kept alot of discus befor, and found that they were very time consuming when little, but not as much when grown. When little the discus are far more delicate and need daily water changes, or every other day. Their can be NOTHING wrong with the water at all. Best kept in bare bottom tanks, young discus can be kept in planted tanks, they just do not seem to grow as fast or healthy.

I have not hundreds of $$ worth of discus befor, i went on vacation for a week, and the person that was in charge of my fish did not to any water changes and over fed. BOOM, came home to sick and dieing discus, which were all gone soon after that. Once discus get sick, the odds arent too good for them, they are way to delicate.

ALL that being said, they are well worth it. They seem to get along with other fish fine, as long as they are kept in their own group, 4+. And look stunning in aquariums. Id say it is worth the money and the time, just make sure you are willing to stay on top of everything, constantly reading the water parameters and doing water changes and healthy diets for the discus.


Good luck

 

[dcj38]

Since The tank will be planted, and I will be using laterite as a substrate fertilizer, also I will be adding liquid fertilizer. Will these fertilizer harm the discus?

Because I will be buying young discus, should I do water changes everyday or every other day? Also do I need to use a vacum wen doing water changes?

Another question is, what should consist in there diet?

 

[simonbrown403]

Heigh levels of nutrints are know to stunt discus growth, and sometimes carse health problem, which can lead to death.

Through personal exsperance i,ve had trouble raising discus in planted tanks.
Most of the young fish i had died, which at the time puzeled me, as i was doing 30% water changes every 3 days.
After talking to my lfs i found out that my local tap water was high in phosphates and heavy metals, which will weaken there imuin systems and open them up to seconday infection.

If you have to keep your young discus in a planted tank, regular water changes and gravel vacs every two days would be the key to keeping nutriants level to a min, but this might ot be the best thing for the plants.

I feed my discus on beefheart mix which i buy from my local dealer, and then bloodworm, mlysis shrimp (river shrimp) chiclicd mix, brine shrimp as a treat, in between.