Keeping just two Discus

[tommcdonnell]

I bought two blue diamond discus at the same time 3 weeks ago. At the time, I knew nothing about keeping fish, and it's only since my purchase that I've realised that I have started with the most difficult fish imaginable!

I've read a lot of people say that you should keep 6 discus if you want them to thrive, however I have a 50g tank so don't want to push my luck.

Having observed my discus over the past three weeks, they went from being very timid, to very confident. They follow each other around everywhere and don't seem to hide anymore. There is no sign of any bullying at all.

So my question... If the two discus seem happy together, is it okay to just stick with two discus?

 

[qdiddy]

Phone app that I have says 2 is good. Next good amount is 6, but a 90 gallon is suggested. It's called my aquarium guide.

 

[treemanone2003]

I bought two blue diamond discus at the same time 3 weeks ago. At the time, I knew nothing about keeping fish, and it's only since my purchase that I've realised that I have started with the most difficult fish imaginable!

I've read a lot of people say that you should keep 6 discus if you want them to thrive, however I have a 50g tank so don't want to push my luck.

Having observed my discus over the past three weeks, they went from being very timid, to very confident. They follow each other around everywhere and don't seem to hide anymore. There is no sign of any bullying at all.

So my question... If the two discus seem happy together, is it okay to just stick with two discus?

As an avid Discus keeper I can help you out if you're willing to listen and follow some good advice. To start off first with your question, having just two they truthfully are not as happy as you think, as Discus do best in groups of 5-6 and larger. A 50g is ok but I would say to find a 75 and some more to put in the tank. They are not the hardest to keep. That is a myth. They do have a specific set of needs is what makes it seem that they are the most difficult. I don't get mine from an LFS and only buy from importers/quality breeders and have had a ton of success. The biggest factor ( other than numbers of them ) is water quality and pH stability. To grow them out to their fullest potential requires a large volume of WC's often. For instance, if you get them at about 2-2.5" now, in six months with proper husbandry, they could be as large as 5-6". I will share also that there is much debate over the type of tank. Planted vs not, BB, biotope, etc. The general consensus of the larger tank requirements is based on their ADULT size when reached. Discus thrive in groups of 5-6 or more AND do best in 10-15 gallons per fish.

 

[Plecolover18]

I would get around six to lower there stress