Discus

[Deano]

Ive heard a lot about Discus being very difficult to care for and even the slightest increase / decrease in water perameters can lead to death

Are they really that difficult?

Also shortly im going to be getting a bigger tank for my current fish

Could i put a pair of Discus in my 30 Gallon?

 

[fishing4exotics]

Ive heard a lot about Discus being very difficult to care for and even the slightest increase / decrease in water perameters can lead to death

Are they really that difficult?

They do require more maintenance than most other species of fish (more water changes). But, if you do your routine maintenance you won't have too much trouble with them.

Also shortly im going to be getting a bigger tank for my current fish
Could i put a pair of Discus in my 30 Gallon?

I have bred discus in 20 gallon tall. I would think a 30 gallon for a bonded pair would work. It has to be a bonded pair or the most dominant can kill the other.

 

[Kopix Nation]

They are not hard fish to keep... If you know what you are doing.... Diet is one of the biggest things to worry about.

claire

 

[a.d.wood]

They are not hard fish to keep... If you know what you are doing.... Diet is one of the biggest things to worry about.

claire

Sorry Claire,

Have to disagree on this one, diet is important, but it's important for all fish. As long as you are using a good variety of dried and frozen foods then you should have no problems (problems will arise though if you only use 1 food type, eg Beefheart) feeding you fish.

I would say that the most critical point for discus are the water parameters, there must be minimal nitrate pollution (if the filters are working correctly and the tank is maintained correctly nitrites/ammonia should not be present at detectable levels). Discus are members of the cichlid family and can be fairly messy eaters (especially if you use meaty foods), hence the requirement for increased water changes and tank/filter maintenance.

One other thing to think about, discus prefer calmer water conditions, if you have powerheads/filters etc giving a lot of water turbulence in the tank then you'll probably find the discus aren't at their best.

Andrew

 

[weathermen]

Hi There,

I’m looking at moving over and having Discus in a 55 g tank, are we saying that under gravel filters are not good for this breed? I have an Eheim Pro 2224 ready for the new tank, will this suffice as the one and only filtration? In the past I have run under gravels and external filter together!

All comments appreciated,

This game does get confusing!

 

[a.d.wood]

Hi there,

It's difficult to say if both the undergravel and external run together will cause problems in terms of water movement as conditions will be specific to your tank (depends on how decor etc is placed).

If you go back a good few years then undergravel filters were regarded as one of the best filters for tropical tanks, however technology (and peoples views) change over time!!

Personally, my discus tanks use a combination of external and internal (air driven foam) filters, as my discus tanks are bare bottom though, then undergravel filters aren't even considered.

Andrew

 

[weathermen]

a few people I speak to who have tanks don't like under gravel filters because after a year or so you have to strip the tank down to clean under the filter,

I've run mine for three years with no problem, the tests are fine and the gravel still looks good, but then again I water change every week and get right down in there to clean it out, The only comments I have seen is that Discus are not to keen on power heads because of strong currents, a still water current is preferred so external on it's own is better suited I guess?

 

[Deano]

Thanks guys

I think i will give them a go when i get my new tank

Is there a way of telling the males from the females?

 

[a.d.wood]

Hi Deano,

Most reliable method is the female is the one laying the eggs and you know you have a pair when you end up with fry

There are a number of 'methods' for sexing but I would say the best thing to do is get a number of young fish and let a pair form naturally.

Andrew

 

[Kenliz]

Discus IMO are not Difficult to keep as long as you know what your doing and or have a good specialist dealer or supplier of good Quality discus. remembering to follow their Advice. As for water conditions the most important thing is to keep the pH stable with a KH of around 3dkh. as for breeding a 30g would be fine i like to use a 36"x15"x18" though after the Discus have done there stuff your better of lowering the water level to about 10" then build up to 18" over the next few months.
I'm another Discus Keeper who does not like UGF's but with some of the reversible power heads it should work just remember to treat your tank with an anti Bacterial med every so often plus keep up the worming ever months or so. Just my humble opinion and others opinion are just as valid.

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

What do you mean by worming them?

Dan

 

[Kenliz]

Me's must have been partly pissed when i posted the other night. Personally I worm my discus every 6 months. Most fish have various parasitic organisms in their guts and intestines. With Discus they thrive better when gentle dewormed every so often. Personally i use Plymouth Discus's worming powder and Inter-pets No 9 anti bacterial. along with plenty of water changes my fish tend to be fine.
Discus can be spooked quite easily and can be affected by stress. This allows the Parasites to multiply and affect the Fish. so I tend to like to keep the Parasites to a minim.
Hope this answers your question.

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

Cheers for that mate
Discus are another type of fish that i will own when i'm older, so it's always good to get extra information on them
Thanks
Dan

 

[aardvarkfromspace]

What are the dimensions of the 30g tank... I don't know if I would put 2 discus in a 30g tank...

and about them being hard to take care of... they're not as easy as most cichlids.. their water needs to be clean all the time or you're going to run into problems.