The Wonderful World Of Discus!

[Gankutsuou]

As you may have word, I've unexpectedly entered the world of discus as of two days ago....

So for the first time, I step into the Cichlid world and ask for you help.

A: I have one single discus due to some circumstances. The store's policy was one day takebacks, and I can't exactly give it back to them now... So I've decided to raise the little bugger as my own

I know I don't have the proper tank right now. My newest tank is a 38 gallon 3 ft x 1 foot x 1 1/2 foot tall.
So I can't exactly do a shoal of five discus. That'd be insane

But what I figure I can do, is a pair. I went to the store (Fish Trading USA), and they have right now literally 1000 juvy discus. So I figure I'll look through them and find a partner, and hope they pair up, being from the same batch, same place, same size, ect.

B: I can't change his tank mates exactly, as I designed the tank for peacock eels, my senegal bichir, and the african brown knife I had plans to get.... BUt I figure the peacock eels are fairly peaceful, and for now in the 10 gallon, the only thing he attempts to follow is the Senegal, and they get along fine for now. What will worry me is the african brown knife if i get him, but I hear they have very little agression, and a 6 inch one is kept with baby senegals in my petsmart. I figure I'll get him...

C: Water conditions. very importaint. Right now mine is thriving in the 10. I stuck some of my live plants back in it, and did a vacume before he got in. I figure i'll have to vacume twice a week. But he's already accepting frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp. and Seems to have no problems. But are there any specific things I should be aware of? Will the water also harm my peacock and others?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Gankutsuou]

I may be new to this section of the fourm, but I posted this at a prime posting time....

I usually get much better results from TFF... come on guys.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

give it time... i'm sure someone with discus knowledge will be able to help you soon(er or later)

 

[kev_kb]

Sorry but I would urge you take the fish back. Your tank isn't suitable for adult sized Discus and they really should be kept in groups. You can keep bonded pairs, but these form from groups of fish over time. You would be really really lucky to get a pair by just buying two discus, what will most likely happen is that they will fight all the time. This will result in at least one very stressed discus and it will probably stop feeding well, and so develop problems. You also shouldn't keep them on their own.

I can't say if the Discus are compatible with your tank mates. However you will need to provide the discus with soft water just under or around neutral ph. It should be 28-30C in temperature and you'll need to keep the tank very very clean. Unless you are blessed with soft tap water using RO water is the best to way to achieve soft water.

Please do not keep the fish unless you are sure you can provide for it. Take it back to an LFS any decent shop should take the fish off your hands.

 

[Gankutsuou]

that's the problem.....

decent. These guys aren't going to. That's why I'm trying to find the best conditions that I can set it up with in this tank.

what IS ro water and how might it affect my other fish? can anyone say?

 

[blue acara]

RO water is water put through (basically) filters to make it pure eg no nitrate or hardness. if you can get the right water and another tank for the discus in the quite near future where you can keep more then ull be ok for a while. ive seen discus survive in quite poor conditions(in LFS) (high ph high hardness high nitrate) but they wont be happy

getting perfect conditions for them costs money... new tank, ro unit or trips to lfs for the ro water.

if you have the money then keep them- there really beaut fish.

 

[Gankutsuou]

my parents aren';t exactly going to let me get a new tank THAT fast
especially after I just got this one two weeks ago....
How fast will they grow?

 

[Wonderboy]

Go to another LFS and give it to them. You just can't do discus yet - please understand this. There IS a LFS that will take the fish from you (possibly for store credit). PLEASE don't keep a discus in a 2 week old tank, or a small tank. Please wait to move on to discus until you can support them with your own choices, knowledge, and money.
~ Wonderboy!

Do what's more in favor of the fish rather than what's in favor of what you want. Keeping fish is not about just getting it and bragging about what you have.

 

[kev_kb]

If the tank is fully cycled the fish should be ok short term, if it isn't cycled then please take the discus back ASAP. Just take it to the LFS and explain the situation, put the fish on the counter and walk out, or get your parents to do it, trust me they will take it back and resell it.

The bottom line is unless you keep discus in optimum conditions they will get stunted and mishapen, and will not live long happy lives of around 10 years. I'm sure you wouldn't keep a dog or cat in conditions that meant it would be dead in 6 months so please don't do the same to this fish.

 

[Gankutsuou]

okay, I'm thinking there are a few misunderstandings.

I thought my sig would take care of that.

The discus is Juvy. He's small. He's in a fully cycled 10 gallon that has been running 2-3 month.

One the 38 gallon IS fully cycled, he can go in. This is why I asked how quickly they grow. If he's good for a long time in that, I can imagine that i'll be able to find a good place for him when he outgrows it.

I think I CAN support the discus for about four years, depending on growth rate ect., But no one is anwering the questions of how compatible the water is with other things, and how compatible it is. It's small. Juvy. Not close to big yet. It will be in a 38. That'll do good for at least 2 years I'd think, but no one answers the direct question of growth rate, and assumes different things.

It's a 3 inch discus. It's in a fully cycled 10 gallon for now. Plenty of space. He'll be fine for 2 weeks until the 38 gallon is fully cycled.

A: what is the growth rate?
B: Does he need a parter if -
C: The water is compatible with the senegal and eels.

 

[kev_kb]

A. Not sure, seeing my own fish everyday it's hard to judge. You should be looking at an 18" tall tank and 18" deep or more would be good too.

B. Your missing the point, the fish needs to be a in group of discus, not a pair. You can only keep a pair of discus when they are a mated pair, and these form from groups. As I said before you can't just buy two discus and expect them to pair up, the odds are stacked against you.

C. I have no idea if the water requirements of discus match your other fish, as I have not kept them. Maybe you should do your own research on the fish you have?

Please find a more suitable home for the fish and come to back to discus in the future when you are able to keep them properly.

 

[annka5]

a) depends on how well you look after them, also genetcis. At 12 months the growth will slow, ideally at this point they should not be too far from adult size, so potentailly around 8" after 12 months.
B) You can only keep a breeding /mated pair. The only real way to get a pair is to buy them (expensive) or get a group and grow them on. Buying another juvenille will not give you an adult mated pair; it'll give you teo juvenilles.
c) I've no idea what senegal bircher and eels need. Try researching in oddballs. Discus need very stable pH and water chemistry, very clean water, and relatively high temperatures - 28 to 30 C. if senegal and eels are happy in the same you need to also consider temperament; discus need calm tankmates as otherwise thye get stressed. And size - if your bircher and eels will grow too big, the tank will be very overstocked a lot sooner.
I can understand your dilemma, but I honestly think your best course of action is to rehome the discus until you can get a more appropriately sized tank big enough to keep a decent sized group.

 

[jarmado]

how regular does people here de-worm their discus?
or do they?

 

[Iamca]

A: what is the growth rate?
slower then most cichlids. I can't tell you a 1/4 inch per month.. cause it doesnt really work like that..

B: Does he need a parter if -
No but he/she won't be happy and very far from happy..

( a shool of at least 4.. better is 5 ) once they pair up you could put a breeding pair in a smaller tank.. but first you need a much larger tank and a few more discus.. thats the only way i could see you keeping 2 in a 30ish tank.... and all that will take a lot of time

C: The water is compatible with the senegal and eels.
A senegal ..... doesnt that need a long tank? 4 feet? what type of eel? you should google that..

.. your looking at alot of work for a discus tank without RO. whats your tap water like? you got any numbers? maybe your lucky!
CarineX

 

[Wonderboy]

"I thought my sig would take care of that."
- Your sig just shows you enjoy collecting random fish of your taste.

"I think I CAN support the discus for about four years,"
- In a 38 gallon tank stressed by the presense of anything but his own species, you expect a lot of years out of that lonely fish.

"But no one is anwering the questions of how compatible the water is with other things," "C: The water is compatible with the senegal and eels."
- Not everyone has everything preached to them - you can find out easily, BUT for example:
Here's a start - Link to this page and this page and this page (and all 3 were easily 'Googled'). Now go compare this information.
I have a total of 5 senegal bichirs (one albino), and all of them are pushing 8 inches. You'll need to transfer the bichir to the 38 along with the discus where at the bichir's size at that point could offer threats to your discus. Another thing about the bichir - they are better off in small groups, and they are very hardy, as water quality won't affect them much. So, for the compatability side of a single bichir with a discus: if you are home, don't take your eye off the fish tank.
I'm not going to tell you what I read about the peacock eel (as I gave you the page I looked up)
What is your chemistry in both tanks right now anyways ?

"no one answers the direct question of growth rate" "A: what is the growth rate?"
- Nothing has a given growth rate. Do your parents know how tall you will be in two years? Give me a completely common sense based answer: Is it better to keep a fish in a tank that can suite its adult size, or is it better to just move the fish around when it starts to look uncomfortable?

"He'll be fine for 2 weeks until the 38 gallon is fully cycled."
- And lonely. And crying.


"B: Does he need a parter if -"
- What? I think everyone has already gone over this...



I understand that you may be relatively new to aquariums, but please don't rush into things. A well aquired aquaintance to aquaria comes with time. As waiting to do things properly WILL pay off - I promise.

Don't buy things and accommodate to the fish.
Accommodate your aquariums to your research, and then buy the fish.

~ Wonderboy!

ps - It wouldn't hurt you or the fish to take it back to ANY local fish store and ask them to buy it, give you store credit for it, or even just TAKE it from you. If you cared about this fish as much as you seem to be showing (to an extent), you know what to do - as we all have given you useful reasoning from all directions to all your procrastinated questions.