that's a good size tank
Discus are soft blackwater fishes from South America. There are 4 species, green, blue, brown and hequel. There are also hundreds of colour varieties. Most discus are captive bred in Asia.
They like warm water around 26-32C. I prefer to keep them at 26-28 so if they get sick you can up the temp to 28 or 30C.
If they are captive bred fish then they will tolerate a wide range in water conditions, otherwise keep them in water with a neutral to slightly acid PH and a hardness below 200ppm.
They will hang out in groups when young but once they mature they pr off and each pr will have a territory covering a couple of square feet. Adult discus can hit 8-10 inches but most are around 4-6inches. They mature between 1 & 2 yrs old and can live for 10yrs or more.
They will be fine in a planted tank and will eat most fish foods. In the wild they will eat small crustaceans, fish and insect larvae. I don't like feeding them on frozen bloodworms (Chirominid midge larvae) because it can cause internal problems, (mainly bacterial infections).
In good water quality they don't get sick but when stressed they often go dark and develop cloudy eyes. New fish are prone to internal Hexamita infections that can be treated with Flagyl (Metronidazole).
If the fish get fed lots of meat foods and the tank is kept spotlessly clean they can have problems with Hole in the Head disease, (also known as Head & Lateral Line disease). "Waterlife Octozin" usually clears this problem up. If the fish aren't treated soon enough they can end up with scarring from the disease.
A mature pr of discus will lay eggs on rocks or other hard surfaces. They guard them for several days before the eggs hatch. The fry are free swimming several days later and feed from the mucous coating on the adults. After a week the fry can be offered newly hatched brineshrimp. They are usually left with the parents until they start feeding on alternative foods and no longer go back to the parents for their mucous.
Good tank mates include most tetras and catfish. Corydoras will often lose their barbels in really warm water. Hoplos and small plecos are fine with them. Uaru amphiacamphoides are similar to discus and will live with them. Angelfish can be kept with them but make sure the angels are free or parasites before introducing them to the discus. Festivums work well as do the Apistogramma dwarf cichlids.
i would probably have about discus, sailfin plec, large angels, gold severums, clown loaches
/www.fishforums.net/content/forum/24...rumroll-Please/
I have trouble getting dead fish out of my 20" high tank
