Discus

[backley420]

How many Discus can I fit in a 50g tank?

And what is the norm for the price of one, becuz only 1 LPS(in tucson AZ) has them right now and they are charging $30 for juveniles

 

[rdd1952]

$30 for a discus is dirt cheap. The lfs near me sells 2" ones for $80. Keep in mind that discus need perfect water and can require daily water changes.

 

[Lord Spooky]

They should be fine. Wow your getting a bargain everywhere i go they cost around 80 for two of thme

 

[backley420]

wondeful

how many can i fit in 50g?

 

[Aphotic Phoenix]

Discus are best kept in groups of 6 or more, and thus a minimum tank size of 75 Gal.

It's recommend that you have a Tall tank vs Long because of their height, 10-13 gallons per fish, and beware that like other cichlids they become aggressive while breeding. Discus are also considered a poor choice for beginning aquarists, because they are a more high maintance fish...often picky eaters, require pristine water, etc. Definitely do so serious research on them before you shell out the cash.

They can live in a 50 gallon...but I don't know of any serious Discus keepers that would recommend it.

 

[ArauraDiscus]

They are probably low grade discus however. The cheaper the more likely they are a common wild caught, or pigeon blood which no one will buy back for much, they would just be a community fish. But that depends on where you live. All the discus out here cost less than 40 dollars for juveniles. We have many discus hatcheries out here.

 

[jourdy288]

I know little about chiclids, but I Know discus water must be soft.

 

[backley420]

Well i live in the desert so I doubt they are wild caught. But The probbly are low grade as they don't have much color to them

 

[01edmn]

i'd say 5 should be fine normal recomendation is 5 in a 55gal so you should be ok just keep up with regular water changes and yes they need low ph but ask your lfs what ph theres are in should not be over 7


nathan

 

[backley420]

Thank you. and are they terriotal?

 

[Aphotic Phoenix]

Well i live in the desert so I doubt they are wild caught. But The probbly are low grade as they don't have much color to them

No matter where you live you will find several species of wild caught fish in your LFS. Discus come from the Amazon.

Juveniles are not as colorful as adults no matter what quality they are. The Discus that arrive in LFS's however are much more likely to have poor body shape, excessive "peppering" if they are pidgeon blood varieties, etc. It is far better to buy Discus from a breeder to make sure they are healthy and so you can ask questions about the water conditions they were kept in, what they were being fed, etc. Discus will often refuse to eat new foods right away, and although they can be starved into eating new foods, using such a method can stunt their growth.

 

[ArauraDiscus]

Just a concurring opinion. 3 inch discus have virtually none of their parental colors. They will grow into something fairly colorful, but what kind of discus, is the mystery. Do they have a lot of dark lines? The darker the lines on the body, the more of an indication of what they are. If they have pitch black lines, it means they are poor quality (ie. have been bred with wilds recently in their blood line), or are in fact wilds, so they will cost less. By poor quality I don't neccessarily mean they are bad fish, just not as sought after.