Considering Discus - Need Help - 60g

[The_Desacrator]

So story time. I got a 60g for Christmas. I have all of the equipment necessary. Only thing is I need to clean the sand and get plants. Leaving town for a few days but when I get back its go time. I was gonna go with a school of denison barbs but after seeing discus all the time and stuff I have always been tempted to try them. My only experience I had was like two years ago when I bought a discus at a local store and they didn't say anything about it. I put it in my tropical tank and two days later it was dead. I got my money back but I thought it was odd that it had just died( I know now it was the temperature difference). I have a media cartridge that is being seeded right now so I have that good to go.

Anyhoozle, I know little to nothing about Discus and was hoping I could get as much feedback as possible from suggested stock to plant choices to water parameters to observed behavior. Anything helps.

Thanks,

Des

 

[ImACoolguy]

I'll just say they are not for someone new to fish, to put it bluntly. They require more attention and care than most other fish do.

The biggest points to remember about discus:

1. They need a group, the larger the better. This is a 60g so I would suggest a group of 5 and no less.

2. Buy from a reputable source. Discus cost a pretty penny and you want to make sure your fish was in good hands before yours and is strong and healthy. Local/online breeders are the way to go. DiscusHans is very well known. PoppaRyno also breeds discus(and needs to send me one! ).

3. Temperature around 83-84 degrees. Stability of this temperature is crucial. When changing water try to come as close as possible to maintaining that. This temperature also puts a severe restriction on compatible tankmates as many fish do not tolerate above 82.

4. As said above, choose tank mates wisely. If you want a discus only tank that's great. But if not, do lots, lots, and lots more research on tankmates before bringing one home.

5. QUARANTINE! These are expensive and sensitive fish! This is a no brainer... QT any new tank mates before entering the display. The last thing you need is a disease outbreak... Ask me how I know? One of the discus I introduced to my tank had columnaris and nearly killed everything. Never again will I skip QT..

6. Lots O' Water Changes... I shoot for one 70% change weekly but if it is in your ability to do them more often every one helps. The reason water changes are so crucial is not as much water quality as it is the hormone that the alpha(top dog) discus releases. It basically stunts(in this case slows down) the growth of the other discus so it stays the alpha. Water changes remove this hormone therefore giving more balanced growth.

7. A variety in diet. I feed 4 different frozen foods on a rotating schedule. I feed x2 daily though 3 is even better. All juveniles benefit from these extra feedings as discus have a shorter digestive tract than other fish. This means they need to eat more. Once adults they can be fed once daily.

8. Lots of hiding places. My tank is basically a jungle of plants they can hide in. This makes them feel more secure. As far as plants go, this is where research comes in. There's many plants that can work, there is also some such as the indestructible Java Fern I had that completely melted away once in the discus tank. Some plants just can't take the heat...

All in all discus are a great endeavor if you are up for a slight challenge but it is very rewarding if you put in the time and effort needed.

Hope this helped you out I have a 75g discus community myself and of course PoppaRyno on here is the discus masta!


Caleb

 

[The_Desacrator]

Okay thanks alot man. This has swayed my decision. I'm still looking for more information and experience

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[Exigenn]

I got some discus for my 60 gallon the other day =D.

 

[Krill Aquaria]

Discus are a truly beautiful fish! We currently have a 150 gallon Discus tank that we've kept for over a year. They require extra effort and time over a traditional freshwater set-up, but they are more than worth it in my opinion.

ImACoolguy gave lots of excellent advice. If you ever have a question, feel free to message me. I've found that lot's of water changes and water parameter stability are key.

How many discus did you end up getting for your tank?

 

[PoppaRyno]

They are not easy and not something recommended for an unestablushed tank. They like groups, dw, plants, warm uber clean water. Keeping discus is an art. Everyone can draw but only some can create whats needed. Most people assume well its alive and eating.... Not enough. I think The reason people give them such a hard label is because yes beginners can keep them... But the fish itself isnt happy. Discus are delicate. They require lots of filtration, Lots of WCs, good food, high temps(85ish). Im not trying to scare anyone away from discus but they require alot to reach the beauty most are after. I change my discus water EVERY SINGLE DAY.

There is a difference between keeping discus... And giving discus what they need to thrive.

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[PoppaRyno]

I just want to add that most people dont realize the damage one can do to a discus without noticing. By this i mean the things you do/dont do now will show in your discus down the road. So when someone looks at a stunted discus theyre seeing the effects of poor care from weeks/mnths earlier. All may seem fine with discus when in fact your mapping out how they do later by what you do now. So in short even though poor care may not show an unhappy fish right away. The effects will show. And itll be to late to fix.

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[IvanGAndrade]

What happens if a discus starts to turn colors ? Like brown red and blue ? It's a Juvenile one


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[gilpi]

From my experience discus will need more care than most fish but not an impossible task.
Biggest issue I found was feeding, these fish can be picky as to what they eat and it can get frustrating since they will go for days without eating till they get the right food.
Another issue, some can be very shy and will be easily spooked which can affect their eating as well.
Plenty of water changes and temp around 80.

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[The_Desacrator]

Are there any plants that look nice that can go with them?

EDIT:
Would my tank set up as of now be okay for discus?

 

[gilpi]

I don't know about the shells or rock but i think just about any plant is OK.
I know there's an aesthetic level you want to keep but if I were to start another discus only tank, it would be bare.
Good luck with your setup and keep us posted with more pictures!

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