Discus tank?

[megoto]

Would a 55 gal be big enough for a Discuss tank or should I upgrade to the 75?

[abcdefghi]

I think if you can upgrade to the 75 then you should do so, but believe a 55G would work for 4 discus.

[Fishy_Fun]

If you have the room for a 75 by all means get that instead.

[ChrisK]

If you can upgrade do it.

[Lupin]

Get 75g. It's much more spacious than a 55g. Start with no less than 4. If you do plan to keep juvenile discus (size no bigger than 4 inches), then keep the tank barebottom first for hygiene reasons. Juvenile discus require plenty of feedings which is compensated by several water changes to maintain good water quality. They are far less forgiving compared to adults and are easily stunted once the water conditions deteriorate quickly. Once they get big enough, then that's the point you may wish to start adding decorations there. Patience is a virtue that is highly needed in this situation. In the end, it pays off if you follow the guidelines set to help your discus grow well.

[Star_Rider]

:iagree:

If there is an option to upgrade..then do so. discus (as mentioned) do best in groups.. 4 is considered the minimum.. 5-6 even better.. you can get by with a 55 but you will see how large the fish can get..particularly tall. a 75 will give you more room. that said.. i am looking for a 150 -200 for my next discus project tank.. a 75 is jut too small ;)

[megoto]

I was just informed by the boss (my wife) that a bigger tank is out of the question:(. Would angles work in my 55 or should I just stick to my old plan of putting rams in it?

[Arkangel77]

I understand the BOSS said no for the upgrade. However you might still try them in the 55 and see how it goes? I am new to Discus so it’s just my opinion however. When I started my 180G discus tank I started with 4 established fish from a friend that were eating well and very healthy. They SHUT DOWN and refused to eat - stay hid and got sickly! Nothing I tried would seem to change there slow march towards death! My Tank conditions were perfect and I was a maniac about maintaining it set up. I finally went to a dealer in Texas (6hr drive) and picked out 15 more fish just to see what would happen. I was determined that I could keep these fish and thought maybe more tank mates would help the others. WELL the new fish ate and acclimated perfectly to the tank. They also made the original 4 feel comfortable and they started eating and coming out. They were sickly by this point (the 4 originals) and needed much treatment and time to recover! I have lost 1 of the original Turk's because he refused to eat and eventually was a skin skeleton but the other 3 seem to be gradually recovering at there own paces. The point of this Long post is this. For my experience when starting with Discus. MORE is better! Don’t be afraid to start with some 2" fish ether because the few 2" blues I have eat like pigs and have noticeably grown in the last month. Again this is based on my limited experience. Good luck with whatever you decide.

On a side note a properly set up Ram tank would be beautiful! IMO.

Arkangel77