Discus Tank

[shortymet55]

I only have a 10 gallon tank, but i take good care of it. I want to upgrade now. I mean keep my old tank, but get a brand new one, a lot bigger, and put new fish in. I love the look of Discuses. I want some sooo badly. First of all, how many can be kept at once. What is the minimum tank size for this many (would like to breed if this comes into consideration)? Ive looked on the internet, but their is so much stuff, some contradictions, i would like it more clearly presented. I read they will do fine with Cardinal Tetras, which is my favorite fish I have now, so Ill add some of them too. Thanks

Recap
Number of Discuses (and m/f ratio)
Minimum tank size
Any other things to keep in mind, if i get them.

Thanks again

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

I only have a 10 gallon tank, but i take good care of it. I want to upgrade now. I mean keep my old tank, but get a brand new one, a lot bigger, and put new fish in. I love the look of Discuses. I want some sooo badly. First of all, how many can be kept at once. What is the minimum tank size for this many (would like to breed if this comes into consideration)? Ive looked on the internet, but their is so much stuff, some contradictions, i would like it more clearly presented. I read they will do fine with Cardinal Tetras, which is my favorite fish I have now, so Ill add some of them too. Thanks

Recap
Number of Discuses (and m/f ratio)
Minimum tank size
Any other things to keep in mind, if i get them.

Thanks again

If you choose Discus you are in for a lot of work. I suggest getting a good book from a local store, most printed material I have read has pretty accurate writing.

The minimum set up you will need for your Discus is a 50 gallon tank, holding 5 Discus (Discus need to be in groups to spread aggression around, they also need 10 gallons per Discus.)

Discus can be pretty picky fish. Juvenile Discus (under 5 inches) need daily water changes and need to be fed a variety of foods 3-4 times a day. Adults need a water change at least once a week, but I recommend twice weekly. You can feed adults a minimum of twice day. It will also be good to know your water parameters (Ph= acidity of the water, Kh/Gh= hardness) find this out by contacting a good locally owned pet store or buy a few kits yourself.

Cardinals will be a fine addition, but make sure they aren't small enough to fit into your fishes mouthes. Discus sometimes have a habit of eating them

MAKE SURE YOU CYCLE THE NEW TANK.


Keep reading up on things, if you have any questions feel free to post them or PM me.


DL

 

[freerunner416]

Hiya,

I changed from a cichlid tank to discus not that long ago. It isn't as hard as everybody says it is but be prepared to spend a lot of money!!

The fish are costly to buy and if something goes wrong in your tank you can lose the fish quickly. I made an error with the PH and lost 5!! You cant slip up with them at all.

I do 3 (try to get 5) water changes a week 1/4 tank each time. As long as you can keep your tank stable you will be fine with them. The key to keeping discus is research before you buy.

They are really great fish to have. Colourful, good personalities, vibrant. Check out the following links for places to get fish. I have used essex, chens but would strongly recommed KDC Aquatics. They have provided me with the best fish and have been the most helpful.

http/www.kdcaquatics.com/
http/www.chensdiscus.co.uk/
http/www.essexdiscus.co.uk/discus
http/leicesterdiscus.com/
http/www.simplydiscus.com/library/index.shtml

Any way if you choose to go with the discus goodluck.

 

[rabbut]

People find discus hard to keep, for the same reason my neibors found chickens hard to keep in an open topped pen...we have lots of foxes in our area and they diden't realise that chicken was becoming part of the foxes dinner menu when they added their new pets..... It's all down to the environment you give them.

Research like crazy untill you can answer any discus question without thinking. Then, forget the reserch and copy an existing set-up, with the equipment used, filter media, water peramiters and maintanance regime. If it works, don't fiddle, just run it If it doesn't work, you will get a gut feeling due to your reserch, that you should follow to get the tank to work

As stated, stability is key, and I'd recomend a mature tank before you try them. I'd wait untill your tank is 6 months old before adding any

German origin, or locally bread discus are the hardyest to water conditions, so try to get these. If you get wild or Singapore discus, you will need soft acidic water.

My system has about 8X an hour flow through my filters, but with minimal flow in the tank. If has arround a 30-50% weekly waterchange and contains ATM 4 discus, soon to be upped to 6. discus get large, about 9 inches diameter, but are highly intelligent fish. When I approach the tank, my fish come to greet me. When my brother/mother/farther approach the tank, you won't see them for the sand that was kicked up.... They can also tell if I'm approaching to feed, clean or just watch and position themselves accordingly after greeting me

In short, get the set-up right and they will be one of the most rewarding fish you have ever kept. Get the wrong set-up and it will flop

50g is minimum, with 1 discus per 10g as above. Obviously the larger the tank, and the more discus the better. A 50g will hold 5 comfortably. Discus are hard to sex, even when breeding, so you anrn't going to be able to get a ratio of male-to-female. They need good quality food and a clean tank. They settle best into a busy room apparenty

HTH
Rabbut