Discus Questions

[RAH]

Well, I was looking at some discus for a 55 gallon I will be getting and I was doing a little research on them and all I have found is info that does not line up. Like one said they are hardy others sensitive. 78-84 F others 82-87 F. Low current vs High Current. No plants vs plants. Bare bottom vs substrate..... So I want to know what do they need? Water changes won't be a problem for me and if they like planted aquariums I can provide. I just do not trust other sites; I prefer people who actually have had experience with these fish. Any info will do please and for your help and advice.

 

[JoeBob]

Hey RAH, welcome to discus fever! I have five in a 75 gal with substrate, driftwood, plants, rummynose and cardinals. They are very sensitive too water quality and like it hot. I keep my tank at 84 and do weekly water changes of about 30%. I ordered them from discus madness online and was totally thrilled with them. I researched for about 3 years and have kept many types of fish over many years and imo you just have to kind of piece info together with your own experiences and general knowledge, but definitely go for it!

 

[Jesselav1233]

Here's a pic of my 55 gal discus tank. It's heavily planted and has gravel substrate as u can see. I keep my water @ 84 degrees and I do 50% water changes twice a week. I run a penguin bio wheel 350 HOB filter and a 100 gal UV filter. I think my discus have seemed happier since I added all my plants could be just me but I think they like it.

 

[Jesselav1233]

I would def recommend low current the substrate is your choice really it's extra work if you add it cause of the needed vacuuming I would keep my temp between 84-88 they require soft water so check your waters ph that's prob the most important factor my water is at 6.2ish I use peet moss granules to bring down my ph

 

[severum mama]

Juvenile discus are a little tougher to keep than adults, and generally won't grow out to their full potential in a planted tank with substrate. All the discus breeders I know (I attended a discus convention a few months ago and have some club friends locally that breed them) grow out their juveniles in barebottom tanks with multiple daily feedings, and daily water changes of close to 100%. Granted, they are keeping and breeding show quality fish, and not everyone is into that, and that's ok. But the results speak for themselves IMO. I've tried to grow out discus in a planted tank a couple of times and they always stunted.

With adults, you can cut back on the water changes to once or twice a week, and they'll generally do fine in a planted tank. Of course, the adults are much more expensive to start out with than juveniles.

If you decide you want to give discus a try, I would strongly recommend getting them from a quality source, as they will be easier to keep and less prone to health problems. The discus you see at the LFS are typically not good quality fish. There are lots of sources for nice discus- Kenny's Discus and Discus Hans come to mind immediately, but there are more than that.