Is $85 too much for a Discus?

[vcorey04]

I'm scared of being ripped off by my LFS. They do, however, have very nice quality fish by far. They had a solid white discus about the size of a yoyo in a tank, and it was priced at $85!!

WOW. no idea something that might die would cost me that much. it doesn't come when i call it, or cuddle at night. yet, i find myself looking at my tank and thinking something is missing!

hmpf. i don't have the best luck with fish, and my pH is strangely stable at 8.0. (don't mention it, i can't do anything about it)

i noticed that discus do best in slightly acidic conditions, and i am concerned that 1, i don't have the right requirements, and 2, is that a lot of money for an all white discus that is about 2 inches in diameter??

 

[neilanh]

Discus are expensive, so that price might be slightly high, it's probably not too bad depending on the size and breed of the one you're looking at.

I will say, based on my research, that discus are not easy to keep, and are very sensitive to water parameters. I'm not sure of your experience level, but you may want to get some practice in before you pay so much money on a fish.

 

[Mudfrog]

As with any fish it's all in what your willing to pay for it. I have had to order several fish online because they were unavailable locally. So a $20 fish ended up costing $75 after shipping, etc.. Only you know what the fish is worth to you

 

[mike47517]

Not a discus person but $85 is cheap from what i've seen. I saw one that was $250.

 

[CTD]

$85 seems steep to me.

 

[Innovator]

Does this discus come with magic helper elves to clean your tank too? Seems steep to me as well unless a high-end breed...

 

[mike47517]

Here it is at www.liveaquaria.com/

​

Royal Blue Discus, Wild, South American
(Symphysodon aequifasciata)​

Starting at $229.99

Not quite $250 my bad
What do you think?

 

[vcorey04]

Does this discus come with magic helper elves to clean your tank too? Seems steep to me as well unless a high-end breed...

lol, hah

the discus i saw was the size of the bottom of a soda can, and all white.

but i agree, a little more experience and a new president may help..


stupid economy...

 

[mike47517]

ha

 

[Zagz]

From a breeder you should be able to get discus for less than $85.00. Discus here range in the lfs's from $60-90. Breeders range from $20-50. Better quality as well.

 

[mike47517]

Oh and also if you look at the sight on my previus post you will see that they sell other discus for about $60.

 

[Zagz]

In regards to discus and ph. Discus can acclimate and survive quite well in your ph. I have discus that have been with me for 4 years and my ph is 7.8. However they don't usually breed at that ph. Stable ph and stable water parameters are a must for discus. They do require a bit of diligence in water changes. Some people will do daily water changes. I have a heavily planted tank for my discus so I do 1-2 water changes a week. 50% minimum.

 

[vcorey04]

can i find local breeders from this sight? what should i be looking for to be sure it's a good breeder?

i used to sell dogs, and know that world, but aquaria i''m still such a newbie

 

[bs6749]

Hello, first, I'd like to know the name of your LFS that is selling that discus as it might actually be a known shop. Second, could you please find out what strain the discus is. I'm thinking it's either a snow white or a white butterfly based on what you described. Typically a 2" fish will be $20-40 depending on what it is. Some can go for quite a bit more than that. Some people won't sell them at that size since that is too young and they may profit substantially more by growing the fish out another 4-6 weeks. Some of the high end strains like albino red gold diamonds that are AA Grade can easily be sold for $350 each when they are 3". It all depend on WHAT STRAIN the fish is as to what it is "worth". Also keep in mind that the LFS has to make some money on the fish and my guess is that it's marked up $40-55 dollars over what they paid for it.
Your first job is to report back with what strain it is. Your second job is to not purchase anything until you have the right information on discus. I srongly advise that you ask as many questions on here as you need before making the decision on whether or not to purchase the fish. I'm at work right now and don't have tons of time to be at the computer but if you trust me then you should not purchase the fish yet for many reasons, here are a few:

Discus need to be in groups of 5-6
Buying and growing out a 2" discus is far more difficult than a 3" discus (seriously)
How large of a tank do you have? Should have a 55 MINIMUM for 5-10 3" fish and grow them out to 4.5-5" before moving them to another tank.
Can you do 50% water changes every other day as a BARE MINIMUM? If not, don't buy it.
Speaking of bare, a discus that size would do best in a bare bottom tank. Is yours?

There are many other reasons but that's all I have time for at the moment. Hopefully I've saved you some money!

P.S. Kenny Cheung of Daly City, CA is an EXCELLENT and reputable discus seller and breeder. He has a shipment arriving any day now and his prices are extremely reasonable. He's where I'd get my discus if I were you. Here are some links to his most recent shipments including prices, sizes (which are underestimated!) and actual prices. Hope these help: http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=66482
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=66037
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=65661

Incoming shipment pics: http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=66772

 

[vcorey04]

why a bare bottom??

i have a planted 20 gallon. LFS (Underwater Depot) told me i could have a discus.. 1 discus.

but i understand the preference of schools is a major priority in having a happy fish.

i like their look, and i believe it is a Snow white discus...

50% water change every other day, not a possibility at this moment..



but it will be one day!

 

[Zagz]

A lot of discus keepers recommend and prefer bare bottom tanks because it is easier to keep an eye out for parasites. I prefer a planted tank and have had success raising juvies to adulthood. Depending on what your set up is, and what your water parameters are, you may not need to do 50% water changes every second day. With a planted tank you need to do less water changes as the plants will absorb a lot of the nutrients.

That being said IMO a 20 gal is much to small to keep discus in. As previously mentioned they prefer to be in groups and a lone discus in a 20 gal will not be a happy fish over time.

 

[bs6749]

vcorey4 - You won't want anything smaller than a 29g for growing out 5-6 discus that size to 4 inches". Bare bottom is recommended for growing out fish because they are easier to keep clean, and are easier to do water changes because you won't have to siphon through the sand/gravel. I strongly advise that you do not purchase a single discus for that setup unless you don't mind a stunted and unhealthy fish. Zagz is right about possibly not needing to change water that often in a planted tank because the plants will absorb some of the waste from the fish, but the plants will not absorb growth limiting hormones secreted by the fish that can stunt a discus. This is an important reason why regular and large PWC's should be done. If you are serious about discus I recommend that you take a look at www.simplydiscus.com and ask questions. There are many knowledgeable people on that forum that can answer nearly any discus question you may have. Also, I wouldn't plan on keeping any less than 5-6 discus and the minimum tank you'd need for that many fish is a 55g, though I recommend a 75g as the minimum after seeing how much waste they produce and how much happier and more active they are in a larger tank. You could take a drive up to Daly City and spend $200 total on 5-6 fish and grow them out in a 55g tank. The tank doesn't have to be an elaborate setup, it could simply be a tank on a stand with a regular light, a 250/300W heater and a sponge filter or two running on a single airpump. Be prepared to spend $75-125 every 6 or so months on good quality food. I'd feed them NLS Cichlid Pellets 2 times a day to keep costs down, and you should also feed them frozen bloodworms, frozen brine shrimp (the spirulina loaded ones are preferred for more nutrition), and live black worms on occasion. I'd feed 4-5 times per day. Any more than that is too much.

 

[vcorey04]

My water parameters are great!
15-20 nitrate ppm for the plants ?
0 nitrite
0 ammonia
pH steady at 8
cycled since june
CO2, bare minimum, or not enough

i dose with flourish excell, and the nutrient cocktail about once a week when i do <%50 PWC.

right now my biggest fish are about 2 inches. one dwarf gourami, and one long tail cherry barb..

I'm looking for a big fish. What is a big fish for a 20 g tank? A Big fish that is not so big and/or likes to be in schools of 3-5.

peaceful, colorful, doesn't eat galaxy rasboras.