View Full Version : discus for dummies
franko
12-12-2002, 11:00 PM
hey guys and dolls im in the planning stages of getting set up for discus with the eventual hope of breeding some if im lucky. i'd really appreciate any input any of you have on the subject and or websites/ books. thanks.
What size tank are you planning and do you plan on breeding?
Tyler718
12-13-2002, 6:22 AM
Try www.simplydiscus.com I found this web site really helpful. I have a few other sites that are pretty good, but I'll have to wait until I get home to post them since I'm at work.
franko
12-13-2002, 6:53 PM
I'm planning on getting a 90 gallon tank but I'm not afraid to go bigger. As far as breeding goes, yes but not until I have a year or two of experience keeping them,
You can fit quite a few juveniles in that tank and grow them out. trade in the ones you don't want. I have my discus in a planted tank. pH 6.5, GH and KH 4, temp. 84. I feed mine live black worms, frozen brine, frozen blood worms, and frozen mysis shrimp. I used to shun live food but they really grow better with the live worms so if you have a good source you could feed live. I also have tank mates in my display tank, in my breeding tanks I don't.
franko
12-14-2002, 7:15 PM
Deb2 what have you got as tankmates, what plants work best for you and what kind of substrate are you using? Also how big is your display tank? Thanks for all your help.
A 90g would make for a very nice discus tank. You could fit in probably 6 or 8 fully grown adults, and I'd try to get 1 male or 2 males and 5 or 8 females. Should provide lots of pots and cover for them, and breeding shouldn't be a problem.
Good luck, they're a time intensive fish but well worth it in my opinion, they're simply beautiful.
As for plants, I'd stick with the old standby - Anubias, Amazon Swords, some java moss, and a decent amount of floating sprites to diffuse your lights. If you're not into plants you could keep a barebottom tank; it makes maintenance much easier.
Good tankmates for them are corydoras, silver hatchets and several of the non-aggressive tetras - serpae's, cardinals, flames.
My display tank is only 50 gallons and heavily planted. Besides 4 juvenile discus there are 2 clown loaches, a small school of rummynosed tetras, 2 rubberlip plecos, and 2 angel fish. A little crowded but I do 80% water changes twice a week and the plants also absorb some of the waste.
As far as plants I have camoba, anubis, amazon swords, cryptocorine sp, mondo grass, and chain swords.