New To Discus

[flyhawk]

i have been going at tanks for a little while now,a nd i intrested in discus.
( that does not mean i will buy any) ive been kind of scared of it because i hate losing fish and im afraid that i would
anyways, i have a 55 gallon aquarium. the one thing im not worried about is water changes, and even with easy fish i'll do changes every day or every other day. the big thing for me is being able to keep the tank free of waste. so would it be ok or bad to have an undergravel filter? is a penguin bio- wheel ok for these fish. for decor i didnt want to do live plants because im afraid that it would intefear with being able to clean the tank.i have driftwood, and i was thinking of some plastic plants,and a thin layer of gravel. i do not use "h ot colors" for plantts and i stay to the natural looks to try to keep from scaring the fish. so what do you think. ami cut out to be adiscus owner?

 

[cheesy feet]

i have been going at tanks for a little while now,a nd i intrested in discus.
( that does not mean i will buy any) ive been kind of scared of it because i hate losing fish and im afraid that i would
anyways, i have a 55 gallon aquarium. the one thing im not worried about is water changes, and even with easy fish i'll do changes every day or every other day. the big thing for me is being able to keep the tank free of waste. so would it be ok or bad to have an undergravel filter? is a penguin bio- wheel ok for these fish. for decor i didnt want to do live plants because im afraid that it would intefear with being able to clean the tank.i have driftwood, and i was thinking of some plastic plants,and a thin layer of gravel. i do not use "h ot colors" for plantts and i stay to the natural looks to try to keep from scaring the fish. so what do you think. ami cut out to be adiscus owner?

IME undergravel filters trap waste...Don't bother with one...If you had a thin layer of gravel you could simply use a gravel vac.
A decent sized sponge filter and air pump is the cheapest and just as good as any other filter.It depends what the bio wheel is rated for
Tank bred discus are overated somewhat in care imo, but they still require a lot of maintenance and are especially fragile when young.
Live plants would be fine, amazon swords are good since they provide lots of shade for them.
Be sure to buy discus over 4" to prevent stunting them, it's much easier this way, and you can get an idea of what they'll look like when they're older.
Provide cover with bodwood, driftwood, mopani roots etc
Try and find a local breeder so you can get some hardy good looking discus, they're also usually much, much more cheaper than shops.

 

[rabbut]

With discus, research, research and research some more untill you are very knowlageable about them, and able to competantly answer any discus question on the forum. At this point you will be ready to give some a go. You need 5 minimum and peaceful tank mates. The tank will need to be 6+ months old with very good filtration. Idealy this would mean exturnal canisters, but sponge filters can be made to work with little gravel, as with HOBs or internals. UGF can also work if you also put in the work. UGF systems are nitrate and DO (Disolved Organics) factorise, two thigs discus don't like. With regular gravel cleans and large waterhcanges, you can get away with it, but it's far from recomended.

Once you are reasearched, forget the research and copy an existing set-up. If it works, don't fix it. If it dosn't work, you will get a gut feeling that you should follow to fix the problem. Discus are hard work when young, but get better with age.

These fish are considered advanced for a reason, but IMO they are not hard to keep if you research. Do the research and you won't have problems. Many people will tell you thet are hard in their experience, because they were too ignorant to research the fish properly before purchase, and then when the fish die due to their errors, they blame the fish Don't fall into the trap of buying without research and you will make a good keeper. To do adiquate research though, you will IMO need to venture away from the forums and cast a very wide net. These are fish with a cult and there are many ways of keeping them. Look at the different methods and then try to find a set-up that will match well with your needs, in readyness for copying it Don't turn a blind eye to any material you find, but do evaluate and compair it with other sources, so that you can form an opinion of what is best with a given situation/scenario.

All the best
Rabbut