What Is A Good Size For A Breeding Discus Tank

[Tech]

hi all im looking for what the best dimensions for a discus breeding tank is.

I know they need a 20gal tank min. im pushed for space so i wanted to know if they are best with height, width or length

 

[kaivalagi]

Have you bred cichlids before? Before even entertaining this idea I would suggest you try a species that is a little more straight forward and less sensitive to changes.

Just looking at your post count I am guessing you are new to the hobby, please forgive me if you're not

 

[Tech]

never breed cichlids before so i thought i would go in at the deep end lol.
i already have a pair in a 120L tank. doing 50% water changes a day. feeding beefheart, frozen food and tetra prima. got a tds tester coming, if needed i'll get a RO filter and do a mix. running mature sponge filter.

 

[kaivalagi]

Oh, you have the discus already...that changes everything lol...best a discus expert steps in then me thinks! At a guess if a discus can get to 6" adult size then I would say a 120L tank is a little cramped especially with fry in there too...200L possibly?

 

[walkers101]

don't bother with RO water too much and 50% a day? even for discus thats a little extreme

 

[rdp50734]

18" cube is usually what I see breeders keeping their pairs in! I do not know if this is correct though as I've never bred them.

 

[ajs2294]

29G or 40G tanks are standard for breeders. Do you have a breeding pair or a pair of discus? Getting fish to pair correctly can be a paint and its not in the best interest for the hobby to breed any type with any other. Also be ready to cull fish if you want to make money doing it. Your also going to need several grow out tanks as most people buy the fish 3-4inches or above. Keep in mind an adult fish is 8 inches

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

hi all im looking for what the best dimensions for a discus breeding tank is.

I know they need a 20gal tank min. im pushed for space so i wanted to know if they are best with height, width or length

Normally a 29g is minimum (especially if your new to breeding.) You will also need a larger sized fry tanks if you plan on raising the fry.

Don't listen to the above post, you will most likely need R/O if you plan to breed. 50% daily (or even twice daily) is perfect for breeding tanks, just make sure not to suck the fry up when they go free swimming!

Keep in mind an adult fish is 8 inches

Very rarely, 5-6" is more common.

 

[walkers101]

why is it that you need R/O water i don't disagree with you but i know a lot of people that have had discus spawn without RO water and aslong as you clean any waste after feeding 50% is not needed daily

as said im not calling you just interested in your views

 

[Tech]

my plan was to get a couple cubes. one to put the pair in, the other i was going to put the fry in to grow them a little them move them to the 120L and if needed split between the two.

yeah not looking forward to the culling part but its got to be done (whats the best way to do it?).
i totally agree with the with the mix breeding im not a fan. i have a pair of yellow crystals. i was told they are a breeding pair but i dont no if they are proven i got them from Chens.

how long does it take to grow them to 4-5 inches.

 

[ajs2294]

Keep in mind an adult fish is 8 inches

Very rarely, 5-6" is more common.
[/quote]
Well depending on blood lines its arguable. On a good blood line I'd expect a 6-8 incher, and if breeding I would just recommend be prepared for a larger fish even though they may be smaller.

why is it that you need R/O water i don't disagree with you but i know a lot of people that have had discus spawn without RO water and aslong as you clean any waste after feeding 50% is not needed daily

It is general norm that breeders use R/O water its much easier to regulate pH and if your unit is kept in good shape extremely stable. Tab water can change daily and you may find a spike in something bad. I don't know many people who want to risk breeding pairs that can be worth hundreds of dollars

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

why is it that you need R/O water i don't disagree with you but i know a lot of people that have had discus spawn without RO water and aslong as you clean any waste after feeding 50% is not needed daily

as said im not calling you just interested in your views

Normally breeders need R/O to keep the TDS (total dissolved solids) in the water low. Yes Discus will probably still spawn, and sometimes even produce fertile offspring, but if the TDS in the tap water is too high (which is a common thing) the sperm cannot penetrate the eggs and thus they cannot get fertilized.

50% daily is not uncommon for Discus hobbyists, and it is the perfect amount for breeding. Lots of fry, a small tank and large feedings = lots of waste that need to be removed, DOCs should be kept low, and nitrates at a level of 0-5ppms is ideal. Serious discus keepers and breeders may even choose to do 100% water changes once or twice a day on their growing juvy Discus who ideally need 6-10 feedings a day to maintain proper growth.

 

[petfishbreeder]

I agree entirely. Water quality is key to keeping healthy discus. Keeeping and breeding discus is relatively easy if you get the water right and change lots regularly (and start with healthy fish in the first place). I've been fortunate to visit lots of discus fish farms in Singapore and they ALL do virtually 100% water change everyday. They empty the tank down to about 2" (the discus are all on their side) then fill up again through a spray bar to avoid stressing the fish. The spray bar method allows the fish to get used to the new water gradually.

For rapid growth they also feed every hour throughout the day and have a plec in each tank to keep down algae (they use bare tanks of course). Whether to go for bare tanks or well planted is a debate that could go on forever, I've kept and bred discus successfully in both.

These people breed thousands of discus and the results prove they know what they are doing.

One fact that hasn't been mentioned is temperature. Discus should be kept at very high temperatures, 82 - 86 degrees F is the best range, and don't like a temperature change of more than a couple of degrees.

Good luck,

Trevor

why is it that you need R/O water i don't disagree with you but i know a lot of people that have had discus spawn without RO water and aslong as you clean any waste after feeding 50% is not needed daily

as said im not calling you just interested in your views

Normally breeders need R/O to keep the TDS (total dissolved solids) in the water low. Yes Discus will probably still spawn, and sometimes even produce fertile offspring, but if the TDS in the tap water is too high (which is a common thing) the sperm cannot penetrate the eggs and thus they cannot get fertilized.

50% daily is not uncommon for Discus hobbyists, and it is the perfect amount for breeding. Lots of fry, a small tank and large feedings = lots of waste that need to be removed, DOCs should be kept low, and nitrates at a level of 0-5ppms is ideal. Serious discus keepers and breeders may even choose to do 100% water changes once or twice a day on their growing juvy Discus who ideally need 6-10 feedings a day to maintain proper growth.