Thinking About Discus?

[Ps3Steveo]

I'd get them at the same time from the same breeder if I was you.

 

[Kerri Gronow]

Ok well I am not sure atm whether to get a group of 5 and let them pair off or to just get a proven breeding pair as I do want to breed them

 

[Ps3Steveo]

I'd learn about keeping them and get some experience before attempting breeding, as you said your willing to use your 180 so 5 would be pushing it a bit without any tankmates.

 

[mattbleasby]

I'd learn about keeping them and get some experience before attempting breeding, as you said your willing to use your 180 so 5 would be pushing it a bit without any tankmates.

+1 on this one, I too would love too keep some discus. But i dont know enough about them at the moment, and nor could i keep them in any of my tanks.

Sometimes we just have too wait. One day i will have some.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Lol yup patience is reduculous, I hate it but hey ho. I nearly learned the hard way myself, had a 100 litre community tank and my missus turned up with a 3" discus lol. Shop was closed so couldn't take him back and he had to go in. Turned out after doing my research it wasn't too difficult, after getting a 240litre and some more he bred with my other blue turq and that was my only Discus failure so far, touch wood, fry didn't survive.

 

[Kerri Gronow]

Thanks ...

I just got rid of most of my stock yesterday and the day before so I will keep the rest in the 120l and then I can start preparing my discus tank!! Im so excited

I was thinking about sand for the bottom ... is that ok with some plants then??

Thanks again and yes I am being patient as I need to sort out the tank before getting them anyway lol

 

[fishguy2727]

Sand is a great option for plants and discus. I only use and recommend Estes' Ultra Reef sand. It is silica based but has a polymer coating, so it won't mess with any chemistry including brown algae.

 

[snowflake311]

I had a breeding pair of angel with my discus. It was bad. The female angel was the nastiest fish. She chased my discus all the time. She had it so all the discus would jot leave one side of the tank. I lost one of discus during the time I had this mean angel she might have stressed him to the point of death.

I would not keep a angel pair with discus ever again unless it was a 100+ gal tank. My discus tank is 80 gal.

One peaceful angle could do fine with discus but not a pair.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Unless the bacteria they carry kills them.

 

[snowflake311]

Unless the bacteria they carry kills them.

People think discus are so sensitive but they are no more sensitive then any other cichlid. They can spook really bad. I don't think a mystery bacteria that lives in angel fish kills discus. If that was the case all my discus should be dead. Discus are not very different from angels so why would this bacteria not kill the angel. I think that bacteria idea is a myth it has not been scientifically proven.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Not a myth, doesn't happen with all of them but does happen and for the price of discus and not wanting the risk of killing your fish I wouldn't run the risk.

 

[fishguy2727]

Mixing any two fish, same species or not, can introduce pathogens that could potentially kill one fish or the other. Has it happened? Yes. Enough to worry about? No, except to the people who have experienced it.

 

[Kerri Gronow]

Lol well im planning on getting the sand and plants over this weekend

Ive had these two angelfish for 2 years and they have great personalities and the 120L with other community fish will be too overcrowded so I will try them with 5 discus and hope for the best lol ... you cant live on ifs and buts all your life!!!

I think they'll be fine they are not a proper breeding pair but they get on really well ... if the worst comes to the worst Ill clear out the rest of my stock and put the angels in the 120L and keep the discus in the 180L but hopefully it will not come to that!!

Thanks for all the replies

PS is there anything else I will need to buy for the discus apart from getting sand and plants??
And any other advice on the discus is welcome!! lol

 

[fishguy2727]

I only feed and recommend New Life Spectrum Thera+A. I had a pair of discus in the display tank at the shop I was running spawning in front of customers on this food alone.

 

[Kerri Gronow]

ok sounds good! Would I just be able to get it from my LFS or do I have to order it online. Sorry for all the Qs lol

And I got the sand and plants today so the tank is looking good... i cant wait to get my discus!