New to Discus Fish

[Blakskall]

Ive recently fell into a 44 gallon tank, and ive always wanted discus, really beautiful fish, I was wondering is this tank big enough? and if so where do i start with the setup? Are they hard to maintain? Any advice/links would be great thanks

 

[eco23]

I don't know much, but I'll tell you what I know while we wait for the big boys to show up. From what I've researched, Discus are one of the most difficult (and yes, most beautiful) freshwater fish to maintain. Apparently, if you purchase an adult, tank raised one ($$$$$$) it's not the end of the world, you've just gotta seriously maintain pristine water conditions and monitor every single parameter known to man. The juveniles (ones your most likely to buy) can require up to 100% water change per day! They are apparently also very personable and take time to get to know you before they come out of hiding. I've even heard of discus becoming so attached to owners that they are hand fed...that being said, you've got to devote serious time and effort for that kind of result. My wife was obsessed about getting discus in our new tank until I showed her the care requirements. IMO, they require more effort than they were worth... At least for my house.

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[roydooms]

You will need at least a shoal of 5-6 discus and the minimum tank size is 55g.

 

[roydooms]

Ive recently fell into a 44 gallon tank, and ive always wanted discus, really beautiful fish, I was wondering is this tank big enough? and if so where do i start with the setup? Are they hard to maintain? Any advice/links would be great thanks

I will start with checking the tap water. Do you have soft or hard water? What's the ph? Discus prefer soft/acidic water and low pH level. They are not hard to maintain but are sensitive to ammonia and nitrites. I do 2-50% PWC a week. They are cichlids and they produce a lot of waste. Are you planning to do a planted tank? Bare bottom? Community tank? Discus only tank?

 

[roydooms]

The temp range is a subject of much debate. They prefer warm water. I like to keep mine around 83F. (82-87F is ok) I keep it on the lower side because I have other fish that 83F is the max and I have a planted tank and I read that plants prefer temp around high 70s.

 

[eco23]

Hey Roy, for my own knowledge... Is it true that juvies and adults require totally different care?

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[roydooms]

Hey Roy, for my own knowledge... Is it true that juvies and adults require totally different care?

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I read that young discus (less than 3") requires more attention(PWC, feeding, higher temp,etc). With adult discus you can feed them only 2-3 times a day unlike juvies that you have to feed 5-6times because they have small stomach and need the food to grow fast. More waste, more PWC. You are also right about some people doing a 100%PWC a day(total).

 

[eco23]

I read that young discus (less than 3") requires more attention(PWC, feeding, higher temp,etc). With adult discus you can feed them only 2-3 times a day unlike juvies that you have to feed 5-6times because they have small stomach and need the food to grow fast. More waste, more PWC. You are also right about some people doing a 100%PWC a day(total).

Wow. I thought my dogs were a lot of work. You don't even feed a kid that often, lol. Think I'll stick with what I've got stocked.

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[roydooms]

I also read that the chance of the discus to live/survive in your tank is higher when you buy 3" and above. That's the reason I bought bigger discus. When I bought mine the sizes were between 3-5,5".

 

[eco23]

The sad thing is that countless numbers of these beautiful fish are probably sold every day to people who have no knowledge of their requirements. To the OP, I'd make sure you have the time and motivation to devote to this fish if you're going to go this direction...and a bigger tank.

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[roydooms]

To the OP, I'd make sure you have the time and motivation to devote to this fish if you're going to go this direction...and a bigger tank.

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Agreed

 

[eco23]

And thank you for being one of the responsible ones who research the fish you want before you buy them. Off topic real quick, at PetSmart yesterday I saw someone buying an Oscar, 3 rainbow sharks an angel fish and a puffer fish for the same tank. I managed to talk him out of it. People at these lfs's should be charged with crimes.

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[roydooms]

And thank you for being one of the responsible ones who research the fish you want before you buy them. Off topic real quick, at PetSmart yesterday I saw someone buying an Oscar, 3 rainbow sharks and angel fish and a puffer fish for the same tank. I managed to talk him out of it.

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Thats great! Good thing the person listened to you. Most of them won't even trust/listen to the "concerned/knowledgable" customer that are trying to teach them. They'd rather listen to the "expert" petsmart/petco staff that most of the time doesn't know what they are talking about.

As for the discus, I probably asked people who has discus and researched for more than a month until I was knowledgeable and confident enough that I can take care of them and that I know what I am doing. I still research about discus(parasites, how to breed, etc)

 

[eco23]

My conversation with them basically consisted of me telling them..."This one will fight with that one, then it will be attacked by this one, and then immediately eaten by that other one..."

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[dgreenslade]

+1 to Roydooms

Discus prefer and feel more comfortable in larger numbers.

I am currently housing 5 3.5-4.5" discus in a planted c02 90g setup, which is on the low side in terms of numbers. I'd love to get a few more but everything is going so well at the moment I don't want to change anything.

I also have 5 clown loaches, 2 bristlenose pleco's, 15 cardinals, 10 glow light tetras and a couple smaller rainbows.

The tank looks amazing. You do have to sacrifice time on the upkeep but that is part of the hobby in my opinion.

Discus are hardier than a lot of people think, the most important factors are pristine water, a reading of 5 for nitrates would be your ceiling, 10 and you want to start doing large pwc's. Just as important is consistency, all variables such as PH, Temp, etc need to remain constant.

In general the rule of thumb is 10 gallons per discus with a minimum of 6 discus in the tank (no other fish in a 60g tank). Ie 6 discus in an 80g and you could add specific other species. Not just any species however.

I'm by no means an expert but I've had discus for a while now and have done a ton of research, let me know if you have any other questions. Chances are I've run into it before

Regards,
DG

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[dgreenslade]

PS - I would never buy Discus from your LFS. Almost all are very poor quality and are generally less healthy.

I know of a few fantastic discus breeders and importers that come from great strains. Let me know if you're seriously looking into it.

Regards,
DG

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[roydooms]

+1 to dgreenslade

To the OP, do a lot of research, ask a lot of questions and ask for advice, learn everything that you can about keeping discus before you start.

 

[Blakskall]

well thank you all for the feedback, do u think i cood get away with 4 discus in a 44 gallon tank, no other fish would b with them, i was thinking gravel substrate and artificial plants

 

[Blakskall]

or would 4 be to few a number? ive heard the rule of thumb is 10 gal per discus

 

[roydooms]

or would 4 be to few a number? ive heard the rule of thumb is 10 gal per discus

The minimum number for discus is 5. If you go lower than that they will mostly bully the smallest one and it might get sick and eventually die. That's why the minimum tank size is 55g so that you can get 5. I'd follow the 10g per discus.