Truth about discus?

[fireman731]

So I have been looking into building a large planted discus tank, and there are lots of opinions. I have heard lots of people say you have to have a low PH and use RO water and you can't keep them with angles, and then others say they keep them with angles and an PH of 8 out of the tap and they are fine as long as it doesn't fluctuate and you don't plan on breeding and acclimate the fish properly just don't fluctuate the PH. So what's correct?

The other question is spray Bars? Power heads? What kind of water flow do discus like?

How do most of y'all run the water changes on your discus tanks? Do y'all run a RODI unit on a sump and auto top off?


The build;

I was thinking 75 gal acrylic
Sand over dirt substrate

canister filter with inline turbo twist UV and inline c02 reactor from a pressurized system.

Having a under stand sump with an RODI, auto top off and heater to age water for changes and let the PH settle. My tap water does have a high KH so it doesn't really have PH swings, but out of the tap it's about 8.3 with a GH of 4.

Stocking:
4 discus
Pair of angles
Dozen neons or cardinals or rummy nose
6 Siamese algae eaters






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[Andy Sager]

At this point, you really need to separate the needs of wild Discus from the "new" tank bred, man made color morphs. All the above is correct but not for both types of Discus. Wild Discus, of which there really is a limited amount of colors, are best kept in extremely soft water with a low PH. In some places in the Amazon, the fish are found in water so acidic that bug larvae can't even live in the water. They will be a rather shy fish so fish like Angels would not be a good tank mate as Angels tend to be more aggressive feeders while Discus are a more timid and slow feeder.
The new "man made" Discus seems to be more adapted to tank life as that's all they have ever known. They are used to feeding aggressively and can compete with fish such as Angels for their food. They may have been acclimated to a higher Ph water as well as a harder (gh) water in order to allow more people wanting to do less work with the fish to keep them.
So you see, it's a little more complicated than just saying "DISCUS". You have to work towards a specific type ( wild vs man made) and set the tank up for that type. I will say that I have found that wild Discus do not tend to do well in higher ph and higher gh water while the new Discus seem to be able to adapt to either water types.

Hope this helps

 

[fireman731]

Ok so I don't want wild haha that's what I thought


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[Andy Sager]

Ok so I don't want wild haha that's what I thought


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Oh, I don't know about that. Some of the Lake Tefe Green/ Heckle? discus are just beautiful and can hold their own, pattern wise, with some of the new colors of the man made stuff. (IMO) Here's a pic: http://www.tfhmagazine.com/assets/008/22137_250wh.jpg
Then again, I was just at a friend's hatchery and saw his man made Leopard Discus which made me think of adding some to my own collection. You might need to set up 2 tanks

 

[treemanone2003]

Andy is absolutely correct in both posts. In response to some of your questions, it all depends on the Angels themselves. Out of four different times keeping that mix, I only got lucky once with a "peaceful" tank. As far as you're stock list, 4 is too few, whether wild or domestic. In a 75 I would push for at least 6, preferably go to 8. They will do MUCH better in larger groups. Now here's the kick in the butt. It really comes down to size you plan to purchase and what husbandry habits you plan to keep. Younger (sub-adult or juvies as they're referred to) require more work than adults. Anything under (I say 4-4.5", but that's me) will need multiple daily feedings and WC's to get them to grow out into large (6-8, even 9") beauties. Having that considered, is where to make your choice. I've often said here, and get a lot of flack, that good fish are not cheap and cheap fish are not good. I've experienced both sides of the market. Chain store domestics and reputable breeder/importer domestics. I will NEVER by from another chain store.

With that being said, here's another consideration to take in. It's common practice to NOT MIX Discus. What this boils down to is, (slightly confusing) keep wilds totally separate from domestics and keep domestics separate from other domestics. There are a few different varieties of domestic such as Asian and Stendker. You don't want to mix these varieties.

Price ranges vary all over the board depending on the supplier and size. They can go anywhere from $20 for 2" juvies to upwards of $250 for adults. A proven pair could be $400-$800. Now pick you jaw up off the floor and come back to the computer screen, lol. I've been super happy with my last two purchases from a Cali importer. There are 2 others that have AWESOME reviews on another forum I'm a part of. THERE IS ONE ONLINE SUPPLIER I WOULD STAY VERY FAR AWAY FROM.

Hopefully this will help. Anymore questions, ask away !!


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