How Hard Are Discus To Keep

[snowflake311]

hi there i have a 252ltr corner tank that has my L182bristlenose in so thought of getting some is it ok to keep them with bristlenose i have 3xm and 9x f
plus i have a ro water unit that i just brought
plus how do i set up a tank to run with them in any help wld be good !!!!

The Bristlenose should be okay. Keep an eye on them though, as they may acquire a taste for Discus slime coat!!

Tank works out to be about 65 gallon, so a group of 5 or 6 would be a good number to start with.

If you are going to get juvenile Discus, the tank will need to be bare bottom. Discus will need daily water changes and fed 3-4 times a day of a variety of foods.

If you are going to get adult Discus (5+ inches), then the tank can be either grave/sand or bare bottom. Adult discus require a minimum of twice a week water changes. More is never a bad thing. Feed them 2-3 times a day.

Temperature at 28-30C. Keep the tank at low current.

You are on the right start asking questions, keep asking them, and keep researching!

What about PH? I read they need a low Ph and are very picky about it. Is this true? Because now that they are pretty much all bred in tanks does the Ph matter much, are the tank bred fish more tolerant of different ph? So basically they need a large tank and extra clean water? They are not picky eaters? Is the fact that tank maintenance is so important with these fish that people say they are hard to keep? I always thought that keeping the Ph low would be the hard part when your tap water is 7.5 . Would a ph of 7.5 be ok for them?

I'm always tempted by the Discus I see. I can't have any now but I am thinking in the future I would want to get some. So I had to check this question out and ask my own questions.

 

[rabbut]

Mine are in a pH of 7.5 and are thriving GH of 8, and not tested the KH for donkey's years, the kits arround here appear to have all gone

People that call Discus hard to keep generaly do so because they diden't research first and then blamed to ailing fish on the fish species, instead of their ignorance (I was guilty myself for a while )... Research them as much as possibe before purchace and you'll be fine, but remember that these fish cannot read, so you cannot expect them to behave "by the book" the whole time A collegue at work kept them in a 4ft tank by the book, warm pH 6.5 and well fed and clean. They struggled. A neibour added them to a coldwater goldfish tank and they had spawned next day. Perfect example of the fish not reading the textbook. Expect the un-expected and you won't go far wrong.

Set-up arround the Discus and you'll be fine

My 5 rules for Discus keeping;

Keep them warm; 28-32c, I go with 30c personally
Keep them in a group; 5+
Keep them overfiltered; Aim for 8X an hour turn-over through filters. Flow does not appear to bother mine
Make sure they have the right diet; Mix a good dried staple with frozen foods and veg.
Keep them clean; I aim for twice weekly 50% on mine past 4", that daily under.

All the best
Rabbut

 

[snowflake311]

Mine are in a pH of 7.5 and are thriving GH of 8, and not tested the KH for donkey's years, the kits arround here appear to have all gone

People that call Discus hard to keep generaly do so because they diden't research first and then blamed to ailing fish on the fish species, instead of their ignorance (I was guilty myself for a while )... Research them as much as possibe before purchace and you'll be fine, but remember that these fish cannot read, so you cannot expect them to behave "by the book" the whole time A collegue at work kept them in a 4ft tank by the book, warm pH 6.5 and well fed and clean. They struggled. A neibour added them to a coldwater goldfish tank and they had spawned next day. Perfect example of the fish not reading the textbook. Expect the un-expected and you won't go far wrong.

Set-up arround the Discus and you'll be fine

My 5 rules for Discus keeping;

Keep them warm; 28-32c, I go with 30c personally
Keep them in a group; 5+
Keep them overfiltered; Aim for 8X an hour turn-over through filters. Flow does not appear to bother mine
Make sure they have the right diet; Mix a good dried staple with frozen foods and veg.
Keep them clean; I aim for twice weekly 50% on mine past 4", that daily under.

All the best
Rabbut

Thanks. It's always nice to hear from people that actually keep the fish to get a good idea of what their needs are.

 

[seanie112]

i thought off keeping them i know they are hard to look after some people say they are and not
i am still thinking wot to keep in my corner tank i know wot i am keeping in my 77x17x18 going bk to mbuna's brought the sand to day well 4 bags of 15kg's

anyway ill keep u lot informed wot i will be keeping in the tank

 

[calsonic]

i have never had any trouble mixing them with l numbers apart from when they laid eggs and the l134 eat them thebest advice i have had is that if they dont look well or go really dark thenwack the heating flat out