Discus

[dcarmor927]

I am really interested in getting 5 or 6 discus for a 55 gallon tank (48"x13"x20"H) I was wondering how hard they were to take care of...i've heard they are rather difficult and i've only been keeping fish for about 3 months...would i be able to do this? also does anyone know a place in the US where i could get them as cheap as possible? maybe a breeder or something? any help would be greatly appreciated!! thanks in advance!

 

[Jim Curtis]

Didnt you already start a thread like this? They are not difficult per se. That are just a lot of work and require that you are home a lot to feed, and dont mind doing large daily water changes. I have 5 discus and I spend about $10 a week on food for them. Compare that to a standard community tank where a $4 can of flake will last you a year.

Really cheap = really poor quality. With discus you always get what you pay for. I seriously hope this isn't going to be your only stop for research before you buy, because there is more to learn about these fish than anyone here can tell you without typing a 100 pages. Go to some of the dedicted discus forums and read until you feel you have a good understanding. Barebottom tank is practically a must if you want thriving discus.

Heres an example of a cheap PB discus..
http/listverse.com/wp-content/uploads/20...dour-discus.jpg

Heres an example of a good PB discus..
http/fins.actwin.com/fresh-pics/pigeonblood-discus2.jpg

Make sure you study photos so that you know exactly what to look for when buying. If you start out with poor quality juvi's you have no chance. With discus quality varies big time. Moreso than with any other cichlid, perhaps any other fish of any species. Some of the discus sites have really good reviews of vendors. I live on the other coast so I can't really give you any recommendations as to who to buy from. I know my next order is going to be from Discus Hans but he is in Maryland. I think postage to CA might make it unfeasable for you to buy from him.

 

[dcarmor927]

Thanks for the answer! yea i had another topic but after a while people stop answering my questions...so i decided to start a new one...i have been looking around on the internet and no this was not going to be my only source of info...if im going to buy a fish as expensive as discus i want to do it right...ill look into it a little more...i didnt realize that they were that expensive just to feed...im only 19 so the cost doesnt help...i appreciate the reply and the links, thanks alot

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

There was a website called www.angelsplus.com that was selling juvy discus for something like 5 or 10 dollars each! Doesn't look like they still have it them, they may have got rid of their pairs. Might still be worth a quick e-mail to them?


As others said, you take the risk of getting some bad fish. Stunted, from poor parents, ect.

The younger you buy the fish, the cheaper they are going to be, but keep in mind you will need to keep up with water changes and feeding in order to keep them from stunting!

Heres an example of a cheap PB discus..
[URL="http/listverse.com/wp-content/uploads/20...dour-discus.jpg"]http/listverse.com/wp-content/uploads/20...dour-discus.jpg[/URL]

Heres an example of a good PB discus..
[URL="http/fins.actwin.com/fresh-pics/pigeonblood-discus2.jpg"]http/fins.actwin.com/fresh-pics/pigeonblood-discus2.jpg[/URL]

Only problem is you are comparing full grown adults, to a Discus that looks no more then 2 inches. Who knows what that Discus could look like when its older. The color seems alright, and at that size I am sure you could reverse the stunting it has.

 

[Jim Curtis]

In any case, dont buy a fish that looks like the one in the first picture. You cant reverse stunting. If you start treating them properly they will start to grow again, but you cant get back lost time.

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

In any case, dont buy a fish that looks like the one in the first picture. You cant reverse stunting. If you start treating them properly they will start to grow again, but you cant get back lost time.

Not in the sense you are thinking, but isn't getting the fish back to proper shape essentially "reversing" the damage?

 

[Jim Curtis]

When you say proper shape are you referring to health or that fish's actual shape, as in round? Because I've never heared of the latter happening...

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

When you say proper shape are you referring to health or that fish's actual shape, as in round? Because I've never heared of the latter happening...

The shape of the fish. Stunting damage in a fish can be reversed, health and shape can come back, as long as the fish is young and hasn't had too much damage, as I have stated before. If the fish has been stunted over a long period of time, then no matter how much work you put into him, he will always look stunted.