Choosing discus fish for a tank

[indigo1975]

Hey all.. I'm thinking of going with discus
Fish in my new tank ... Is this a bad idea ??
Anyone know anything about discus??

They are quite expensive ... What do u do if
Your local pet store does not carry these fish??

Any advise on these fish for my fist 55 gallon
Tank would be appreciated .. Don't want to kill
Fish lol

 

[Masha]

Discus are a challenge to keep. They are very sensitive, water must be super clean.

 

[Masha]

They are stunning though, wish I could keep them.

This is a good overview of what is involved
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?d=155&category=182&articleid=524

 

[Scottyhorse]

I wouldn't put them in anything smaller than a 75 gallon. With proper care, they should get the size of a dinner plate, and the demensions of a 55g are a bit small for that... They are SUPER sensitive to water quality, especially if you get wild caught fish.... Yes, discus are expensive. You can get them for a bit cheaper by buying babies, but you need to keep them in pristine water and do 1-2x daily water changes until they are a good size. You either keep them singly, a breeding pair, or a group of at least 5-6. You need to choose plants and tankmates carefully as they need warm water (84 degrees) and are fairly shy.

 

[indigo1975]

Wow ok lol... Heck with that... No way am I
Spending all that energy on tank cleaning
Ad prep work.

What are good looking fish that are a bit easier
To maintain ???

Maybe I'll get a large tank down the road
But in just starting out with the 55gallon

I will research other fish

 

[Bichir Bro]

OP, I saw your original post in the cichlid discussion section. Discus are for the elite. Fish are a hobby, discuss are a part time job. You need the funds, time and passion. I recommend finding some nice beginner fish! There's thousands upon thousand of choices out there! This is the best website to begin your search!

 

[bribo12]

Like stated above I wouldn't keep them in a 55. At my lfs we have 6 in a 140 gallon tank and three are huge. I agree they're not a beginner fish. How about a nice community tank with a school of rainbow fish? They can be quite colorful.

 

[Oscarr19]

I think discus being showcased as extremely difficult fish to keep is a little too much. I do agree that they aren't beginner fish and that I don't have personal experience with them but I don't think we should scare people off from a beautiful fish.

For example, I don't believe in the crazy water change schedule. We have a pair in a DT at the fish store I work at and we have have them in a 60G with a variety of other fish. We do a water change a week, make sure parameters are in check and everything is running fine. The discus are vibrant, active and not shy, and eat well. They are also about the size of a small dinner plate.

But like I said, I don't have personal experience with discus YET so my opinions may change but this is just my 2 cents.

 

[Bichir Bro]

These are just what I can list off the top of my head that's good for you but there's still more out there. Not all these can go together but still it's a good start.

•cardinal tetras
•some {more like most} rainbow fish
•swordtails
•pearl gourami
•tiger barbs
•Odessa barbs
•black ruby barbs
•cherry barbs
•glass catfish
•dwarf gourami
•red tail/rainbow shark
•giant danios
•electric blue CRAWfish. {Sorry I'm southern} lol
•golden wonder Killi
Once again that's only what I can think of right now, there's hundreds more out there! And again all these fish are not compatible but still it'll help you get a feel for things.

 

[indigo1975]

Hey thanks so much for all your wonderful
Help

Yes thanks for the advice with the discus
But yeah some purist fanatics are strict on
Parameters.. This one guy freaked out on me that I
Would never be able to keep cichlids because
They require perfect high ph range.. But this
Guy at the local aquarium who does it for a living
Said his ciichlid tank is not real high In ph
And he has not lost a fish in quite awhile:.

I read that discus u have to have a seperTe
Prep tank same size just for preparing water lol
A bit extreme I guess.. But yes thank u all I will
Look for a different type fish...

Just spent over 550.00 just decorating my tank
I just wanted some colorful fish.. To display
Nothing that looked like a minnow lol

 

[Scottyhorse]

Like stated above I wouldn't keep them in a 55. At my lfs we have 6 in a 140 gallon tank and three are huge. I agree they're not a beginner fish. How about a nice community tank with a school of rainbow fish? They can be quite colorful.

Rainbow fish are a good addition, so are Cardinal Tetras, Bolivian Rams, Guppies, and Platies.

 

[Bichir Bro]

Rainbow fish are a good addition, so are Cardinal Tetras, Bolivian Rams, Guppies, and Platies.

rams may be a little iffy for a beginner. Personally id get lots of ruby barbs, in breeding condition those little suckers are amazing!

 

[Scottyhorse]

rams may be a little iffy for a beginner. Personally id get lots of ruby barbs, in breeding condition those little suckers are amazing!

Bought from a good source, Bolivian Rams are quite hardy and good for begginers. Much better than their counterparts, Blue, Gold, and Electric Blue Rams.

 

[Bichir Bro]

Bought from a good source, Bolivian Rams are quite hardy and good for begginers. Much better than their counterparts, Blue, Gold, and Electric Blue Rams.

I didn't know that. I thought they were equally sensitive.