How many discus in 250 litre tank?

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Abzdot

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Hi, I want to put some discus into a 68cm tall 250L tank (66 US gallon tank or 55 Imperial gallon, no clue what people actually use) with an Aqua one 1400 UV ocellaris which is rated up to 400L tanks so I will have very good filtration and I will also have quite a lot of plants. I will also be putting my 2 angelfish into the tank which I've heard is fine if the discus get their food. I know this is asked a lot but I hear loads of different answers, I have heard that up to 18 is okay whereas others say don't go over 6! That's why I'm asking.
Thanks :)
 
Hi,
I also always hear different things about these kind of questions...
I've never had discus fish, but from what I've read I think 5 or 6 is a good number.
I think it really matters of their size...how many cm are they? :)
 
Hi,
I also always hear different things about these kind of questions...
I've never had discus fish, but from what I've read I think 5 or 6 is a good number.
I think it really matters of their size...how many cm are they? :)
well i'm not sure how big they'll be but I'm referring to the adult size
 
Are you intending a permanent home for the mature discus, as in a display tank; or just a temporary step-up for younger fish that will move to larger tanks later? Just need to be clear.

By the way, discus and angelfish should never be housed together. Jack Wattley wrote this many times, and no one knows/knew more about discus than Jack. :fish:
 
Are you intending a permanent home for the mature discus, as in a display tank; or just a temporary step-up for younger fish that will move to larger tanks later? Just need to be clear.

By the way, discus and angelfish should never be housed together. Jack Wattley wrote this many times, and no one knows/knew more about discus than Jack. :fish:
it would be permanent as a display tank
 
OK, then preparing for mature discus to live their lives in this tank, five or six is the max you should consider. A larger group of juveniles to grow out with most removed as they do, leaving the five to six mature fish. And no angelfish obviously.
 
What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?
you only put down the height.

A single pair of adult discus will be fine in a tank that is 4 foot long. If you want more discus then you need a longer tank.

To get a pair of discus, buy a group of 6-10 young fish (3-4 inches in diameter) and put them in the tank together. Let them grow up and pair off. Remove the pairs as they form, and remove any fish being picked on or bullied.

Adult discus can reach 10 inches in diameter and need a big tank. They are also highly territorial towards other discus and it is best to only keep 1 adult pair in each tank, unless the tank is huge (10 foot or bigger).
 
Most advice I have seen are "8-10 gallons per Discus" though some will stick to 10 gallons per Discus.

So, around 6-8 Discus for your 66 gallons, though I am not sure what will happen when they grow to full size as what Colin mentioned. They can be territorial.
Probably the bigger the tank, the better.

Is your Angels fish smaller or bigger than the Discus?
Angels fish are more aggressive than the Discus and may definitely bully the Discus unless they are smaller.
Also, I have heard that Angel fish may carry some disease that may infect the Discus and which Discus are not immune to.

As for the filter, it's better to have two than a single super large one for the following reasons:
1)Two filters can provide backup in case one is down.

2)Discus don't like strong current(flow of water).
Some Discus breeders even suggest using a few big Sponge filters as the flow of water will be minimal.

However, I don't suggest Sponge filters as I feel that they are not as effective as External Canister filters which contains many filter medias.

If I were you, I will get two Aqua One 850 Ocellaris UV filters.
Install one on the left side and one on the right side.
 

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