Lookin For Discus

[Fadi]

I had a few questions about discus if anyone has had experience with them in the US.

Can I put them in a tank with gourami?

Are they hard to find??

Are they expensive.

I know I havn't seen them at any chain stores and just wanted some oppinions.

Also are they agressive??

 

[4ftguppy]

wow - quite a collection of gouramis there!

Discus and gouramis can get on, but I suspect tank size and stocking level may be an issue. The tank I am thinking of was huge and very well planted

As a general rule, chain store type aquatic shops are not as good as smaller enterprises where the staff are generally more in to their fish. Try and find a quality fish store in your area. Another option is to buy from a breeder in your area. There are discus on ebay and they seem cheap to me, but obviously final price is not reached yet, and you have to consider transportation

 

[Fadi]

thank you. I did search ebay, and found good prices, but all auctions wanted express shipping which ranges from 40-50 dollars.

I had another question, how big do these fish get??

Can I put them with Cichilids??

Are they agressive??

 

[Fadi]

anyone?

 

[annka5]

Well, they are cichlids. However, they don't like anything fast moving or aggressive with them. Better with cardinal or rummy nose tetra; cory.. maybe dwarf cichlids.
They should get to around 8 inches. Keep them in a group of 6 or more. keep water quality excellent. Allow around 10 galls per fish; a 55 gall tank would be the minimum really.
Expensive compared to other fish - I'd try a local breeder. You'll find that the smaller and younger they are the more fragile they are, so you could be better getting them at 3 or 4 inches and growing them from there.
You may well find that the e-bay ones are of poor quality and badly shipped - depends on the seller of course! But there are discus and discus - you should look for good round shape and avoid ones with overly large eyes, as these are typically signs of stunting.

 

[Fadi]

thank you, so you wouldn't reccomend ebay?

 

[SamUK]

i heard its good to try and find a local dealer cos then the water parameters are the same as yours which helps alot with discus.

 

[Fadi]

Hey guys i just called my local lfs, and they are really a great help. They said they have about a half dozen Tangerine Discus which the about 3 inches. The are 18.99 american, but 14.99 if i buy 3 or more. I was thinking buying 4 but I had a question I really needed help with.

If I have about 8 small gourami and abot 2-4 angels, how many discus can I put in my 60G tank

The diameters are..........48 inches wide, 20 inches in height, and 12 inches in width.

 

[Fadi]

anyone?