Discus

[littlenemo]

Are they aressive? Will they go in a community tank? Want some big fish

 

[thereverendturtle]

They don't typically do well in a general community. They aren't really aggressive and pretty passive at meal time often not getting enough to eat. Angels tend to bully them sometimes as well. Check with devotedtodiscus on here see what they think about your current stock and if discus would do well.

 

[DevotedToDiscus]

I have never had them be aggressive to any other fish, except each other. However, they don't like hanging out with fish that might push them around or unsettle them, as they can get very timid and easily suffer stress. Angels can be quite bossy depending on their size and temperament. Discus need to be kept in a good sized group(or a confirmed breeding pair), and can grow pretty big, so be sure you have the space. If you are running a 4 foot sump with your 4 foot tank you have good volume, but what depth do you have in the main tank?

I am not going to say you should, or shouldn't keep them, but just be sure you can give them everything they need. They are great fish, but do require a bit more attention than most fish. It isn't hard, just a little time consuming to make sure everything is perfect for them, so they are happy and healthy.

 

[littlenemo]

hey mate its a 4 foot by 2foot dept i got one its a blue one he looks ok now he is swimming about was not doing much for most of a day. my angels are pretty small. im going to go get another one tomoz so he has a friend called him bertie. amazing fish. so what extra stuff should i do for him.

 

[DevotedToDiscus]

2 foot depth is very good. How big is the Discus? If you are only planning 2 then you need to try hard to get one of the opposite sex. If you end up with 2 males they will most likely knock the heck out of each other. They are not easy to sex, but if it is an adult fish and you can post a good picture, side on with its fins erect, I can have a fair chance of telling you if it is a guy or a girl. If it is a young fish, then it is impossible to tell. Did you get it from your LFS, or a specialist breeder?

 

[littlenemo]

have a look mate see what you think.

 

[mark2109111]

Nice discus. Like said before you will need to get more of them. Or like i have get a breeding pair. good luck

 

[DevotedToDiscus]

Perfect pics mate. I am guessing that this guy came from your LFS? Now please don't take this in a bad light(as you have saved this fish), but that Discus needs some bringing back to full health. It does not look sick, just unloved

. Give it some good food to get some vitamins in its body and it will be shinny and bright. You can see that it's fins are a bit beat and it lacks some shine. This is nothing to do with you, as you have just saved it. I have done the same many a time. I have bought Discus I did not need just to get them back to health. So good on you mate

OK, let's get to it. It looks about 8-11 months old, and I would say it is a male. If you want to read about how to sex Discus you will see many keepers saying it is not possible, and some talking about pointy dorsal and anal fins. All true..... however, I have some close friends at a Discus farm, that has been in operation for 25+ years....... and they can sex Discus in a heart beat! I cannot, but I have asked them many a question. So here is what I know;

For sure many fully grown males have the very distinctive elongated dorsal and anal fin, which taper to a point and do not dissect the tail. However, males also have a dorsal fin that looks a lot like a cockerel hackle and starts further froward than the females dorsal.

Your Discus looks very male to me. If you can do your best to find a female then you will have less problems. Otherwise you will need at least another 5-8 discus, and you will be pushing your stocking levels with that many.

I am more than happy to share any knowledge I may have with you, but at the same time I am not going to dictate from a far on how to run your aquarium

 

[littlenemo]

thank you for your help. ok so what can i give him to eat to get him health i have flake o nips wafers blood worm mixed brineshrimp daphnia and moina. i do feel mreally sorry for him i love him he is a great fish and i want to help him so please advise me on what i should do. i dont have much experience but like u said i wanted to save him.

also the lfs i got him from dont no to much as i asked about sex and they said to hard to tell so i need to find a female.

i have put diffrent foods in and all other fish love it and eat but he seems to not bother to much

 

[DevotedToDiscus]

Your LFS should have packs of frozen blood worm. He should really enjoy eating them. If you have a health food store nearby see if they have Spirulina powder, and sprinkle a little on the frozen blood worms before feeding and let them defrost. As they defrost the spirulina will stick to the worms. That will really help him grow nice and fit

 

[littlenemo]

ebay
Pure Organic Spirulina Tablets 100 x 500 mg Powder Tabs Tab Blue Green Algae

or they have powder, i have plenty of bloodworm. thing is when i put it in i defrost it then use a turkey paster and squezze it in so everyone gets some he does not seem to swim to get any. just lets every one else eat it

 

[DevotedToDiscus]

Spirulina powder is good for all your fish, you can order from amazon and you only need a small tub. 200g should only cost about 5-8 quid. Take a look on line(ebay) and see if you can find a feeding cone. I feed my fish this way as it stops any uneaten food staying in the tank. Discus are very smart at getting food out of the cone.

Here's a pic of the feeding cones I use:

Here you go mate... http/www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BN-WORM-CONE-FEEDER-WITH-SUCTION-PAD-/110856656161?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item19cf925521#ht_500wt_1287