Ideal Tank Size For Discus?

[BobbyBray]

I'm in absolutely no rush, and in fact if I got a large tank right now, it'd probably have to sit around for a few months before I could do much with it, but I was curious what the 'ideal' tank size for a group of discus would be. Now I realize its hard to define ideal, so lets try to keep it within reason, ie no 300 gallon tanks.

Would a standard 55 gallon be sufficient for a group of discus, or would you guys highly recommend finding a 75 or 125 gallon instead? I'm hoping to find a good deal on a tank setup on craigslist, but wasn't sure what I should look for. I'm thinking a 125 is the largest I could manage at this point, but even that would be pushing it.

Not sure if it matters much, but I was hoping to get some dither fish in the tank as well, perhaps rainbowfish and some smaller schooling tetras or neons.

Thanks!

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

Here is my opinion,

A 55 is a minimum, so not really ideal. As big as possible is really ideal. If you can get the 125 go for it. More Discus means better spread aggression. You could fit up to 12-13 Discus in a 125 as long as you keep up with regular water changes. If you can't do daily water changes though, then stocking more lightly (ie 5-6 Discus) will mean you will pollute the tank less and could get away with less water changes. Juvy Discus normally need daily water changes at 50-100% and 5-8 feedings daily in order to get the best growth. Once fully grown you can get away with bi-weekly water changes and 3 feedings a day.

The only drawback is, if you go with juvy Discus (less then 3 or so inches) you will have to start them in a 30 gallon for grow out until they get around 3.5 inches before transferring them into the bigger 125g.

 

[BobbyBray]

Thanks for the info DiscusLove!

Wow, I've read that discus require more attention than the average fish, but 50-100% daily? I was under the impression that water changes that large actually aren't good. Guess I'll have to do a little more reading on them, but like I said this project will be a while out, so I've got the time do research these guys.

I've read something about investing in on a water purifier for a discuss tank, something like reverse osmosis. Is that a good idea, especially on a larger 75-125 gallon tank? And would you recommend any specific brands / setups?

 

[mixmaster jay]

bigger is always better get as big as you can afford (or not lol) even if secondhand

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

Thanks for the info DiscusLove!

Wow, I've read that discus require more attention than the average fish, but 50-100% daily? I was under the impression that water changes that large actually aren't good. Guess I'll have to do a little more reading on them, but like I said this project will be a while out, so I've got the time do research these guys.

I've read something about investing in on a water purifier for a discuss tank, something like reverse osmosis. Is that a good idea, especially on a larger 75-125 gallon tank? And would you recommend any specific brands / setups?

As long as water is aged and parameters/temperature matched then 100% is fine for the Discus. You may be able to get away with less water changes and feedings, especially if you stock lightly. Growing them out that way is like power growing them you should be able to accomplish 5-6in+ in 8-10 months.

I wouldn't feed anything less then 4 feedings a day or less then a 40% water change a day though, but that's just how I do things.

To be honest tap water should be fine. R/O is great for breeding if your tap is high in TDS. As long as your pH/Gh aren't through the roof then you can probably skip using R/O. I would though, invest in some sort of barrel/tank/tub that you can use to age your water.

 

[BobbyBray]

I guess I'll just keep an eye on craigslist and see if I can find a steal on a 125 from someone moving out of state. People moving out of Alaska are sometimes desperate to dump anything that can be shipped for dirt cheap, so maybe I'll get lucky in the next few months

Thanks again for the quick advice!