Just Been Given A Discus.... (Now With Pics)

[mattlee]

a friend of mine has closed his tank and given me a small 2 inch discus. i have put him/her in my com tank for now and it seems to be doing ok although its only been 24hrs. my issue is my water is about pH 8.0 and quite hard water.....
i dont think he has had it for long and bought from lfs and his water is similar to mine.
ive always wanted these fish but have been put off from all the rumours about keeping them. will the fish be ok or will it die in my water? i acclimatised the discus over about 2 and a half hours and it has settled ok.
its kept with 2 large angels, 3 polka dot loach, 3 platys, 2 sae and a spotted climbing perch. i know they do better in groups but dont want to buy anymore if they wont survive!
the tank is a 4 foot 240L, planted with 2 x externals running. also the tank is at 26C and i know they like warmer water.

it doesnt sound good but will it survive and should i buy a couple more?

 

[always4lora]

If the discus has been bred and brought up in hard water i'd of thought it'd be fine , wild discus would need soft water though

 

[mattlee]

If the discus has been bred and brought up in hard water i'd of thought it'd be fine , wild discus would need soft water though

im 99% sure it was bought from lfs so probably farm bred abroad somewhere. i have no idea about the history of the fish just that my friend has had it a few weeks only.

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

Although your water is pretty basic, I would say it should be okay. Not sure how the spotted perch would be with the Discus though? Make sure he isn't getting bullied. What temp. is your tank at? Discus need it warm (28-30C)

 

[mattlee]

Although your water is pretty basic, I would say it should be okay. Not sure how the spotted perch would be with the Discus though? Make sure he isn't getting bullied. What temp. is your tank at? Discus need it warm (28-30C)

the spotted perch is really small only about 1 and a half inches and doesnt bother anything.... yet! the temp is at 26C, would my other fish be ok at 28C?

should i get him a couple of mates to make him feel more secure? i do have room in the tank.

this could be the beginning of my discus dream......

also can you tell me what type of discus he/she is. its a blue/torquoise with red pattern, a dark stripe through the eye and dark stripes along the body... ill get a pic tomorrow if it helps

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

Although your water is pretty basic, I would say it should be okay. Not sure how the spotted perch would be with the Discus though? Make sure he isn't getting bullied. What temp. is your tank at? Discus need it warm (28-30C)

the spotted perch is really small only about 1 and a half inches and doesnt bother anything.... yet! the temp is at 26C, would my other fish be ok at 28C?

should i get him a couple of mates to make him feel more secure? i do have room in the tank.

this could be the beginning of my discus dream......

also can you tell me what type of discus he/she is. its a blue/torquoise with red pattern, a dark stripe through the eye and dark stripes along the body... ill get a pic tomorrow if it helps

My guess would be a red turq, but pictures would definitley help. All your fish should be fine with 28C, except the Platys, it might be a bit hot for them. What size is your tank? Adding more Discus will definitley help, as they like to be kept in groups (5+.) If you have a reputable LFS near you, that stocks Discus, ask if they keep them in tap water, and ask if anyone has problems keeping them in it. My water is quite high in pH too, I have heard people tell me up to 7.8, although I think it sits around 7.6 or so.

 

[mattlee]

Although your water is pretty basic, I would say it should be okay. Not sure how the spotted perch would be with the Discus though? Make sure he isn't getting bullied. What temp. is your tank at? Discus need it warm (28-30C)

the spotted perch is really small only about 1 and a half inches and doesnt bother anything.... yet! the temp is at 26C, would my other fish be ok at 28C?

should i get him a couple of mates to make him feel more secure? i do have room in the tank.

this could be the beginning of my discus dream......

also can you tell me what type of discus he/she is. its a blue/torquoise with red pattern, a dark stripe through the eye and dark stripes along the body... ill get a pic tomorrow if it helps

My guess would be a red turq, but pictures would definitley help. All your fish should be fine with 28C, except the Platys, it might be a bit hot for them. What size is your tank? Adding more Discus will definitley help, as they like to be kept in groups (5+.) If you have a reputable LFS near you, that stocks Discus, ask if they keep them in tap water, and ask if anyone has problems keeping them in it. My water is quite high in pH too, I have heard people tell me up to 7.8, although I think it sits around 7.6 or so.

my tank is 240L 4 feet with 2 externals so has good filtration.
most lfs stock discus around here but they are all imported as far as i know. i could try and find a local breeder but not sure how long that will take... could i get 1 from the same lfs as this one to get him a mate then try and source a breeder locally....?
also what is the going rate for a small discus? i dont mind the price i just want a rough idea, from memory i have seen them at 2" from about £20+

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

Although your water is pretty basic, I would say it should be okay. Not sure how the spotted perch would be with the Discus though? Make sure he isn't getting bullied. What temp. is your tank at? Discus need it warm (28-30C)

the spotted perch is really small only about 1 and a half inches and doesnt bother anything.... yet! the temp is at 26C, would my other fish be ok at 28C?

should i get him a couple of mates to make him feel more secure? i do have room in the tank.

this could be the beginning of my discus dream......

also can you tell me what type of discus he/she is. its a blue/torquoise with red pattern, a dark stripe through the eye and dark stripes along the body... ill get a pic tomorrow if it helps

My guess would be a red turq, but pictures would definitley help. All your fish should be fine with 28C, except the Platys, it might be a bit hot for them. What size is your tank? Adding more Discus will definitley help, as they like to be kept in groups (5+.) If you have a reputable LFS near you, that stocks Discus, ask if they keep them in tap water, and ask if anyone has problems keeping them in it. My water is quite high in pH too, I have heard people tell me up to 7.8, although I think it sits around 7.6 or so.

my tank is 240L 4 feet with 2 externals so has good filtration.
most lfs stock discus around here but they are all imported as far as i know. i could try and find a local breeder but not sure how long that will take... could i get 1 from the same lfs as this one to get him a mate then try and source a breeder locally....?
also what is the going rate for a small discus? i dont mind the price i just want a rough idea, from memory i have seen them at 2" from about £20+

Yes, your tank can fit more Discus. It's not a huge deal if they are not bred locally, most Asian bred stock is raised in hard, basic water which should resemble yours or mine (all your LFS stock will be Asian.) The only Discus that I would worry about are as mentioned, wilds and German bred. As long as they are looking healthy in tap water at the LFS, then you really have nothing to worry about. As I said, your water sounds fine, but I thought I would mention you ask them just to be on the safe side. As far as finding a local breeder though, I would still say this is a good idea, chances are you will find much higher quality at the breeder compared to the LFS. As far as pricing go, I am not sure about the going rate in the UK, 2" fish would go for around 20-25 CND down here (slightly less then what you pay.) I'd imagine a breeder would be even more cost effective.

I would recommend that you get bigger sized fish for your first discus (4-5"+) unless you are willing to feed heavily and water change heavily on your tank.

Where exactly are you located? I would personally try to check out Chens Discus (http/www.chensdiscus.co.uk/) you are going to much higher quality then your LFS, and they have discus at 3-3.5" for 10-15£.

 

[mattlee]

thanks mate ill check them out. didnt realise you were in the US.... i will get him a friend at the weekend and look at other places like chens etc for a couple more. thanks again ive always wanted these fish but didnt think i could have them, i guess you dont know if you dont try!

 

[mattlee]

sorry no pics yet but the little discus has settled in really well and ive turned the heater up to 28C to suit him more, going to look at getting him a friend or 2 on saturday.
he doesnt seen to like prima which is what i feed the others but today he went mad for bloodworms.... is there anything else to feed him for a better variety?
also when looking for a couple of mates should i get similar size or will bigger be ok? i was thinking 2 larger and one more of similar size!
can you tell me anything else i need to know...?

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

sorry no pics yet but the little discus has settled in really well and ive turned the heater up to 28C to suit him more, going to look at getting him a friend or 2 on saturday.
he doesnt seen to like prima which is what i feed the others but today he went mad for bloodworms.... is there anything else to feed him for a better variety?
also when looking for a couple of mates should i get similar size or will bigger be ok? i was thinking 2 larger and one more of similar size!
can you tell me anything else i need to know...?

He should be good with most frozen foods (depending on what the previous owner has been feeding him.) Start trying brine shrimp and mysis along with the blood worms. If you like you can feed tetra prima in the mornings, first feeding. He will be most hungry at that time, and more willing to eat the tetra prima. It may take a little bit of work (for instance mixing foods, and fasting) but you should be able to get him eating tetra prima and other foods after time.

A lot of times similar size fish get along a little bit better, it helps to stop any extreme dominant behavior. It really depends if you have the time to be doing big frequent water changes or not. How often are you changing water? Minimum for young Discus really should be twice a week (personally no less 40-50% each), and three or more feedings a day when they are young (this may depend on how much water you are changing.) Ideally young fish should be fed 5-6 times a day, and receive a 100% daily water change using aged and dechlorinated water . Adults are easier to take care of, a large weekly water change and twice feedings daily is fine.

 

[mattlee]

sorry no pics yet but the little discus has settled in really well and ive turned the heater up to 28C to suit him more, going to look at getting him a friend or 2 on saturday.
he doesnt seen to like prima which is what i feed the others but today he went mad for bloodworms.... is there anything else to feed him for a better variety?
also when looking for a couple of mates should i get similar size or will bigger be ok? i was thinking 2 larger and one more of similar size!
can you tell me anything else i need to know...?

He should be good with most frozen foods (depending on what the previous owner has been feeding him.) Start trying brine shrimp and mysis along with the blood worms. If you like you can feed tetra prima in the mornings, first feeding. He will be most hungry at that time, and more willing to eat the tetra prima. It may take a little bit of work (for instance mixing foods, and fasting) but you should be able to get him eating tetra prima and other foods after time.

A lot of times similar size fish get along a little bit better, it helps to stop any extreme dominant behavior. It really depends if you have the time to be doing big frequent water changes or not. How often are you changing water? Minimum for young Discus really should be twice a week (personally no less 40-50% each), and three or more feedings a day when they are young (this may depend on how much water you are changing.) Ideally young fish should be fed 5-6 times a day, and receive a 100% daily water change using aged and dechlorinated water . Adults are easier to take care of, a large weekly water change and twice feedings daily is fine.

i currently do 30% changes per week with my current stock...... at what size are they classed as adults? i think this is the best route for me for now

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

i currently do 30% changes per week with my current stock...... at what size are they classed as adults? i think this is the best route for me for now

Around 4.5-5" would be fine. IMO it's better to start with adults when you are starting Discus keeping anyways (as you can see, easier to take care of.)

 

[mattlee]

i currently do 30% changes per week with my current stock...... at what size are they classed as adults? i think this is the best route for me for now

Around 4.5-5" would be fine. IMO it's better to start with adults when you are starting Discus keeping anyways (as you can see, easier to take care of.)

ok thanks for your help and advice. ill look for the largest i can find and maybe get 1 more smaller sized to keep any bullying down....
when the fish shows its stripes is that a good or a bad thing? as he sometimes has really dark stripes and sometimes really faint!
im so tempted to rehome all my fish and just have discus...... im hooked already

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

ok thanks for your help and advice. ill look for the largest i can find and maybe get 1 more smaller sized to keep any bullying down....
when the fish shows its stripes is that a good or a bad thing? as he sometimes has really dark stripes and sometimes really faint!
im so tempted to rehome all my fish and just have discus...... im hooked already

I started out with a 50 gallon, now I have a 90 gallon, 45 gallon, and a 29g QT/Breeding tank (when the time comes) and I could easily get more if time and space allowed. LOL. Amazingly addictive fish.

The stripes you are talking about are stress bars. As long as they are not really dark all the time, it's not a huge issue. Sometimes mine show their stress bars more predominantly when I skip or miss a water change.