Discus

[Rorie]

I would like to add some discus to my big new tank once it is all up and running and established. But, all i ever hear about is how difficult they are to keep. With the price tag that i see in the shops, i'd like to get it right.

So, are they that difficult to keep, and if so, why?

 

[Biddles95]

well i don't think the struggle is keeping the fish, its keeping the water parameters perfect!
and you will have to see if the tankmates have the same water parameters as the discus
so technically they arent hard to keep if you can keep the water perfect

 

[SensesFail]

I would like to add some discus to my big new tank once it is all up and running and established. But, all i ever hear about is how difficult they are to keep. With the price tag that i see in the shops, i'd like to get it right.

So, are they that difficult to keep, and if so, why?

Thats what i had my heart set on before i ended u getting malawi cichlids. When i was researching them again it was mainly the water conditions and making sure they are spot on as they cost alot of money and seem to be quite sensitive. All said if your willing to put the time and effort in with water changes etc im sure it will be very rewarding as they are beautiful fish IMO. Another problem with me was tank size i was pushing only being able to have 4 due to my tank being small. maybe one day!

Suppose once you have the foundations set, (Ph etc) its just a case of maintaining things.

 

[Vin Swords]

7 discus 3'' to 6''
ph 7.6 ( london tapwater with blackwater extract )
temp 28c ( so i can keep synos and pictus )

i dont know the rest as i dont have a test kit.


my new discus setup is about 8 month old,i have kept in ro and salts, ro and tap water, tapwater.. tap and blackwater works verywell. fish seems to be very healthy.

its not hard to keep if u have enough experience with tropical fish keeping.

 

[SensesFail]

7 discus 3'' to 6''
ph 7.6 ( london tapwater with blackwater extract )
temp 28c ( so i can keep synos and pictus )

i dont know the rest as i dont have a test kit.


my new discus setup is about 8 month old,i have kept in ro and salts, ro and tap water, tapwater.. tap and blackwater works verywell. fish seems to be very healthy.

its not hard to keep if u have enough experience with tropical fish keeping.

What do you feed your sinos with? I have 3 syno petricolas and i went out and bought some sera catfish chips or crisps they seem quite big for them as they are tiny, will this food be ok? they are lying on the floor in the tank the other fish keep picking them up but then sometimes the catfish get them. but they are little cadbury button size?

Are synos sucker mouth or rasp mouth? thats what it says on the chips bottle for those kind of catfish.

 

[simonas]

Vins advice is spot on

I keep them now and I;ve kept them 10 yrs ago or so. I don;t think they are any more difficult than other fish and don;t understand the reputation. They require the same level of care as others with regular feeding, regular water changes, adequate tank mates that aren;t aggressive and plenty of space

The battle is half won if you buy healthy stock. Some of the discus for sale are in terrible shape especially when they are babies
Good luck

 

[Vin Swords]

What do you feed your sinos with? I have 3 syno petricolas and i went out and bought some sera catfish chips or crisps they seem quite big for them as they are tiny, will this food be ok? they are lying on the floor in the tank the other fish keep picking them up but then sometimes the catfish get them. but they are little cadbury button size?

Are synos sucker mouth or rasp mouth? thats what it says on the chips bottle for those kind of catfish.

my synos loves mussels, prowns, nutrafin flakes, and peas.. they put show of strength during the feeding frenzy...
when they were young, they never come out from behind the plants.. i have to put blood worms and pallats near the mouths and off the lights and all.

other then that, i dont know much about synos mate...

 

[Vin Swords]

The battle is half won if you buy healthy stock. Some of the discus for sale are in terrible shape especially when they are babies

best size to buy is around 3 inches.. round body big fins and fat head, is always turn out be a nice looking adult.

 

[Gilli]

They need a very high quality of water - not a good idea either with a new tank or inexperienced fishkeepers because of the cost!

 

[snowflake311]

Get domestic bred fish and do large weekly WC and they will be fine. If you want to grow out monters show fish you will need to put in a little extra work like feeding young fish 3 times a day and there for doing daily wc.

If you have kept fish before and understand the needs they are not hard. if you don't understand fish or what they need to be healthy then yes you might have a harder time.I love my discus and think they are almost perfect fish. I am hooked on them but still not a discus snob.

 

[Rorie]

Well currently I do a 10% water change weekly and my aquarium has been running perfectly for about a year now. I have an API water testing kit which checks the usual - Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite, PH

I have seen a few times, kits that are for checking the chorine and various other things in the water, but i have never worked out when i would need to use them?

What parameters do discus need? And what is blackwater? I hear it every now and again but never know what it is!

 

[simonas]

If you keep discus I would suggest larger water changes than 10%. I think most fish you keep would benefit from larger than 10% water changes weekly. I do about 25% weekly but I also have 708 litres in my tank so easier to keep stable params

I don;t test my freshwater tank but I did last week after I hadn;t changed for 2 weeks over xmas and new year and ph was 7 nitrate 5 and nitrite, ammonia 0 and my discus that were only £!5 each are growing quickly and displaying lovely colours

All I would say is they are not as fragile as people who have never kept them would have you believe. They are cichlids

 

[markandhisfish]

just to add my 2 pence worth . no they are not as hard as their repeutation, but a few points to consider. juveniles require a lot more care than adults/subadults . also if you want an active tank with a lot going on discus arent for you.

they are also not forgiving of mistakes , so if this new tank is your 1st tank id suggest that you get some general fishkeeping experience 1st and make the inevitable mistakes ith cheaper fish.

what size tank are you working with? if you are dead set on discus you want a minimum 55g tank ( altho imo 75 is better) and a group of at least 6 , all added at the same time.

 

[Rorie]

This is going to be my second tank, going from a 90L to a 360L planted tank. I have had success in keeping my 90L with nothing going wrong....though i guess if i have not had any problems, then it also means i have no experience of solving problems if then when they occur!

I am going to be setting up the planted aquarium with my cardinals first, and then i guess i can try keeping the water at a suitable level for the discus (without them being there) and if i manage, then i may go and spend some pennies

Thanks for the help!

 

[markandhisfish]

thats a good way to do it . also while the tank is running with the cardinlas and being monitored it gives you time to do some more research .

heres a really good guide on what to lookfor/avoid when choosing your discus .

http/www.aquariumhobbyist.com/discus/beginner/index.html