Discus

[pandacichlid]

Hello, guys.

I was wondering about owning discus in the future and was wondering how many fish to keep in a 40 gallon aquarium.
Is one discus not a good idea, or maybe a pair?

cheers!

 

[kev_kb]

Research, research, research...

Please search the forums there's plenty of good info here.

In short:

40 gallon may be too small depending on dimensions, 50 and up would be better.
They should not be kept alone.
They can be kept in pairs but only as bonded breeding pairs, IMO not for the beginner and a waste of money unless you want them to breed.
They should be kept in groups of min 5, 4 can sometimes work out... Allow 10g per adult discus with a min size of around 55g.
Buy fish around 4", they will settle better and are less prone to stunting.
Keep a bare bottom tank and do partial water changes frequently.

Discus require a lot of commitment and good quality fish can be expensive. Do some research on the water parameters required and decide if they are right for you, if so post up any other questions.

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

Yep, going to be too small.


You may get away with 4 depending on the dimensions, this may be a little risky, because it is a smaller group, but some people can get away with it.


You would need to do loads of water changes, these guys are high maintenance... Are you ready??

 

[pandacichlid]

thanks for your information
I don't think I will have discus, I like them, but I prefer my oddballs really.
I already have two keyholes
thanks for replying anyway.
I reckon my water quality is good enough, and I know a bit about discus