Are Discus Right for Me?

[Lazonby]

I've got a 100g heavily planted aquarium that I'm looking to add some fish to. I don't have any "centerpiece" fish as of yet, and was wondering if discus might do well in my current enviornment. I am wanting 6 smaller discus, about 2-3" in size. I'm not sure what variation of discus yet. I am not looking to breed them, but if they do, that would be a bonus.

Water params:
pH: 6.6-6.8 (this encompasses the daily fluctuations; pH lowered from 7.8 (tap) via pressurized CO2)
KH: 13-15
GH: 15
Nitrates never exceed 10ppm; no ammonia or nitrites.
Water changes: 40% weekly (I wouldn't mind increasing this to twice a week, but not daily)
Temp: Constant 80, no heaters (the lights work great). If I close the canopy, 82-84. I refuse to raise the temp any higher than this.

Tankmates:
Breeding pair of Kribs (they aren't very aggressive)
2 Clown Loaches & 1 Yo-yo loach (I will probably move all of them out)
4 mollies
19 oto cats
5 SAE's
Tetras: I will get either Cardinal or Rummy Nose tetras (20-30)

Are there any issues I need to be concerned about (aside from disease/quarantine related issues--I have the proper meds and a Q-tank)? The reason I ask is that some people I've talked to think that anything other than a barebottom tank and 90% daily water changes is a sin when keeping discus. Hell, that's no fun! If you think this will work, where is a good place to get some quality discus? My LFS carries culls. Thanks for your advice in advance!

[Cearbhaill]

The only issues I see are the temps and the SAE's.
Discus need high temperatures and there is no getting around that- 84-85ºF is considered a minimum.
Why are you so vehemently opposed to raising your temps?

And the SAE's will eventually harrass the Discus by latching onto to them.

[Lazonby]

Good question regarding the temps. Large aquariums heat small apartments very easily, and electricity to cool my humble abode is not cheap. Mix a couple hundred gallons of water with a few computers and it gets really hot in here! In the fall/winter/spring, I won't be nearly as concerned. I figure the fish can adjust (Amano said that as well). I'm also concerned about my plants. They are a way of paying for my aquarium addiction! Need some plants? :D

The SAE's can go, although I've only heard of CAE's actually sucking on the slime coating of fish. They were introduced to help combat the algae stage of a new setup. All of that mess is finally under control. They are neat fish when in a group, but not neat enough to earn a spot in my prized aquarium :) I've got another tank they would work well in. Thanks for your reply!

[SnakeIce]

adult discus would probably do fine with temps of 82-84 which would still not be to high for your plants. however juvenile discus which would be cheaper to buy would require temperatures above that which the plants would be able to thrive.

the way around that is to have a smaller bare(non-live plants) tank or two to grow them out abit befor you put them in your display tank. taht way you could feed them massivly and do the water changes that would be required with that kind of food input with out sullying your fine planted tank

young fish of any type require more exacting specifications to do well and its harder to cater to plants at the same time because of that.

so the simple solution is to not try to do both till its not as big an issue

[Gunnie]

Lazonby,
I went to a gathering of fish folks in January, and a local breeder brought in several beautiful discus to trade or sell for the event. There was a tank ready for them when they arrived and it had otos in it. Almost immediately, the otos started attaching themselves to the discus. You may have to remove them from that tank if you get discus. Also, no disrespect to AC, but while doing research on my own about keeping discus myself, I found this site to be very helpful:

www.simplydiscus.com

It is discus specific, and these folks are fanatical about their discus.

[Lazonby]

Thanks for the responses! So, would it be better to get larger, more mature discus rather than smaller, younger discus? And if I were to get them, what are your suggestions on the number a family might consist of?

I've been to simplydiscus.com before. There are some very talented people there, but they are at a level I have no desire attenuating to. That's me already with plants. I'm looking for a complimentary fish to go with the plants, and I don't see why the discus couldn't be that fish. Don't get me wrong--I do care for my fish, like/because they are family. That's why I'm asking.

[anonapersona]

If you are willing to get adult discus, then you may have the ideal situation, minus the loaches, the otos, and the SAEs.

They say that 6 is a minimum number of discus to spread the aggression. The less discus you have, the more comfortable the fish will be with a less-than-fanatical water change routine.

Even so, it is likely that you will need either two 50% water changes during the week, or one very large weekly change if you feed only very clean food and feed lightly and have acidic rather than alkaline water. Feeding and water acidity may help reduce bacterial loads in the tank. But, if your water is not the naturally acidic water the discus is used to, you may have to work a bit harder to keep it clean enough for them. More room per fish and/or more water changes per week or day.

I happen to have heard that a student in Austin (?) is needing to find homes for several adult fish, that was either at SimplyDiscus or at DiscusAsAHobby. Check the For Sale sections.

[djlen]

And the Austin guy sounds like it's made for you. I think many of the fish he has available are mature fish.
Don't know how far Lubbock is from Austin though, and I don't think he's shipping.

Len

[125gJoe]

... And the SAE's will eventually harrass the Discus by latching onto to them.The SAE's we have, never did this - or attempted it. Guess we got tame SAE's ! :D

I have heard CAE's are not good at all with their manners!

[125gJoe]

...They say that 6 is a minimum number of discus to spread the aggression. The less discus you have, the more comfortable the fish will be with a less-than-fanatical water change routine......You mean 6 will show less aggression, correct?

6 or more is a good number to have - provided you have the tank space.

[anonapersona]

You mean 6 will show less aggression, correct?

6 or more is a good number to have - provided you have the tank space.

Yes, you want at least 6 so the aggression is spread out and no one fish takes too much of it.

[125gJoe]

Yes, you want at least 6 so the aggression is spread out and no one fish takes too much of it.Yes, I agree.. I was just clarifying a little bit.....

[PumaWard]

If you are willing to get adult discus, then you may have the ideal situation, minus the loaches, the otos, and the SAEs.

I have never had a problem with otos attaching to the slime coat of my discus nore have they ever attempted to do so. IMHO, otos will be fine with discus... even more, they are herbivores (unlike many plecos), so if they're getting enough food, they shouldn't ever have the need to suck on another fish.