Discus in a 32 gallon

[cyber_ecco]

Can I keep 2 discus in my 32 gallon plant tank? I was thinking of getting a couple small ones, but someone told me my tank would be too small. Opinions? Thanks.

Gord.

[cyber_ecco]

Forgot to mention...my tank dimensions are:

24" long, 12" wide and 20" tall.

Thanks.

[Emg]

Well, I was just reading Jack, the expert in the "Ask Jack" section of Aquarium Fish magazine tell someone they could "easily" keep 2 discus in a 20. So, if it can "easily" be done in a 20 (I'm thinking...20TALL).....I'd say a 37 would be fine !

(YEEE DOGGIES !!! I wonder if I could squeeze two of them in my 29 with the angels, tetras and ram !! lol...most likely NOT, but if I had read that article before I got the angels, I might have been tempted to get the discus instead...it's probably a good thing things worked out the way they did :rolleyes: )

[anonapersona]

No, you cannot keep 2 discus, pretty much in any size tank. One will beat up the other. You need 5 or 6 or more. And they need 10 to 15 gallons each, 15 for the planted tank with 1xweekly water changes, 10 for more frequent 2x/wk water changes.

So, don't even bother until you have a 55 gallon tank or better.

I "kept" 23 discus in a 20 gallon, but I changed 50% of the water every day and siphoned the tank 2x/day. That lasted a month or two and then they moved up to bigger tanks as they grew from 1" to 2" to 4" and larger. Now they have ~10 gallons per fish.

[Dkarc]

The only way you could keep 2 discus in any size tank is if they're full size adults where a pecking order wouldnt hurt them as bad. Better would be if they're a pair. Other than that, dont get any small juvie's and expect them to grow out nicely.

-Ryan

[Primetime]

Forgot to mention...my tank dimensions are:

24" long, 12" wide and 20" tall.

Thanks.
Thats a 25 Gallon tank. I know because I have one.
http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/tipsandtables/l/bltanksize.htm
Check that out.

[Emg]

No, you cannot keep 2 discus, pretty much in any size tank. One will beat up the other. You need 5 or 6 or more. And they need 10 to 15 gallons each, 15 for the planted tank with 1xweekly water changes, 10 for more frequent 2x/wk water changes.

So, don't even bother until you have a 55 gallon tank or better.

I "kept" 23 discus in a 20 gallon, but I changed 50% of the water every day and siphoned the tank 2x/day. That lasted a month or two and then they moved up to bigger tanks as they grew from 1" to 2" to 4" and larger. Now they have ~10 gallons per fish.


Lol...guess you'll have to take that up with "Jack" the expert at Aquarium Fish magazine... :rolleyes:

I agree with you BTW on the pair being adults and a bonded pair....but I think it could be done if the one attempting knows what they're doing and is very good with the upkeep AND..the two are a breeding bonded pair. Pretty expensive fish for experimenting on though...

[BadRoma1]

true that. if you really want discus and not going to upgrade any time soon just get one. make sure that any fish that is going in with discus is q*ed and healthy. i have discus too. actualy, i found discus to be hardy fish in comperacing with many other fish. i have 3 at the moment and want more, so one probably will not look right. remember not to feed your discus live worms due to potential worm infestation inside them. i find beef hearts to be the best, but teach them to eat different foods.

[z71silverado98]

could i keep 1 in a 55 planted community tank (18 tetras,4 gbrs, 3cories). ive never seen them up close and my lfs got 3 in last week, beautiful fish. ive been looking for a large peaceful centerpiece. will this work?

[Captain Hook]

The reason they aren't generally recommended for community tanks is because of the high temperature they require. Discus need at least 85 degrees F I believe.

[Emg]

Also, they are a schooling fish and will feel more comfortable with others of thier own kind. You could try just one....but I would go with 2 or 3....and keep in mind the temp they need. I'm not sure the fish you have in there now would tolerate those temps for very long.

There must be a site somewhere that has a list of compatable fish with discus...the first that comes to mind for me are german blue rams or the bolivian ram. Also I think alot of people keep neons or cardinals with discus as well.

[BadRoma1]

you can keep 5 discus in 55 gallons. they are good comunity fish, they mess only with each other, sometimes they like to poke non moving fish, when they are young. but you can't have plecos with them or any socker mouth fish. true about the temperature, some fish die from high temperature, like very small fish, but most do fine. you can't have agressive fish with them, discus don't like stress.

[BadRoma1]

forgot to say that 5 discus in 55 gallons will be growing very slowly.

[z71silverado98]

Also, they are a schooling fish and will feel more comfortable with others of thier own kind. You could try just one....but I would go with 2 or 3....and keep in mind the temp they need. I'm not sure the fish you have in there now would tolerate those temps for very long.

There must be a site somewhere that has a list of compatable fish with discus...the first that comes to mind for me are german blue rams or the bolivian ram. Also I think alot of people keep neons or cardinals with discus as well.

well ive got 2 sets of mated GBR tank temp stays around 83-85 there are not aggressive fish in my tank at all. although i do have a betta and a D.Puffer they are both the most peacefull fish in the tank. the betta stays at the top and lounges on my sword and the puffer hunts for snails night and day.

besides being extremely pricey, 5 discus seems like a bit much in a 55. id feel more comfortable w/ 1 or a mated pair.

my lfs keeps thier discus w/ thier rams so i figured that would not be much of a prob. i doubt you'd keep a $50 fish in an unsuitable environment.

what is this ive been reading about them being difficult to feed?

[Dkarc]

If you really wanted too, you could keep 100 2" discus fry in a 32 gallon tank...I have done it before. it all comes down to filtration and water changes...for the most part relying on water changes. You can keep 4 juvenilles in the tank, just watch for signs of aggression. That way, they would be cheaper for you and give you a few more fish to look at in the tank, lol. Just be sure you dont get them from your LFS as they are of MUCH lower quality and generally diseased and will die very easily.

Discus can be hard to feed...if they're not healthy. What most people experience is with bad or sick stock. If the stock you buy is from a reliable and reputable discus breeder/importer who knows what the hell they're talking about/doing, then they shouldnt have any problems what so ever in feeding. And another big problem that people run into with discus is not enough water changes. if you arent doing enough water changes, the discus will let you know by becoming dark, hiding all the time and eat very slowly or not at all. A healthy discus should be at the front of the tank or swimming around constantly....not sitting in one place behind something. A healthy discus should attack food like it's their last meal. If they dont do this, then something is wrong. Always, always, ALWAYS as a first line of defense when something is amiss with a discus is to increase the water changes. Discus can and will eat almost anything you put in the tank that is fish food...from flake food and pellets to homemade beefheart and red wigglers.

IMO, one of the best tankmates for discus are rams...they tolerate the same kind of water conditions and are very attractive. You can do angels, just be sure to clean the angels up for internal worms and bacteria first as angels *can* pass something onto discus. Dont worry about the angels pushing the discus away from the food...if the discus are healthy, they'll push the angels away, lol.

-Ryan

[z71silverado98]

If you really wanted too, you could keep 100 2" discus fry in a 32 gallon tank...I have done it before. it all comes down to filtration and water changes...for the most part relying on water changes. You can keep 4 juvenilles in the tank, just watch for signs of aggression. That way, they would be cheaper for you and give you a few more fish to look at in the tank, lol. Just be sure you dont get them from your LFS as they are of MUCH lower quality and generally diseased and will die very easily.

Discus can be hard to feed...if they're not healthy. What most people experience is with bad or sick stock. If the stock you buy is from a reliable and reputable discus breeder/importer who knows what the hell they're talking about/doing, then they shouldnt have any problems what so ever in feeding. And another big problem that people run into with discus is not enough water changes. if you arent doing enough water changes, the discus will let you know by becoming dark, hiding all the time and eat very slowly or not at all. A healthy discus should be at the front of the tank or swimming around constantly....not sitting in one place behind something. A healthy discus should attack food like it's their last meal. If they dont do this, then something is wrong. Always, always, ALWAYS as a first line of defense when something is amiss with a discus is to increase the water changes. Discus can and will eat almost anything you put in the tank that is fish food...from flake food and pellets to homemade beefheart and red wigglers.

IMO, one of the best tankmates for discus are rams...they tolerate the same kind of water conditions and are very attractive. You can do angels, just be sure to clean the angels up for internal worms and bacteria first as angels *can* pass something onto discus. Dont worry about the angels pushing the discus away from the food...if the discus are healthy, they'll push the angels away, lol.

-Ryan

is 10% waterchange a wk enough for discus?
and where should i consider getting some discus from ?

[Dkarc]

the minimum amount for water changes are 50% once a week....twice a week if you want them to do well. If you really want to see them grow and flourish, do 50% everyday. 10% a week isnt anywhere near enough for discus. Its not really all that much work to do 50% 1-2x a week. if you set things up right, it would only take 20-30 minutes of your time each time you do a water change.

As far as where to get discus from...check your PM's.

-Ryan

[z71silverado98]

the minimum amount for water changes are 50% once a week....twice a week if you want them to do well. If you really want to see them grow and flourish, do 50% everyday. 10% a week isnt anywhere near enough for discus. Its not really all that much work to do 50% 1-2x a week. if you set things up right, it would only take 20-30 minutes of your time each time you do a water change.

As far as where to get discus from...check your PM's.

-Ryan

sorry, i do %20 wkly. if i could find something better than 5gal buckets a 50% change wouldnt be so bad. problem is i just dont have room for 5-6 buckets to age.

someone said there had to be a compatibility chart, fosters and smith has one i dont know how accurate it is but it looks fairly decent. also says discus prefer 79-86 degree water. chart (http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/fwcompatibility_chart.cfm)

[BadRoma1]

i'm against keeping discus with any kind of plecos, your chart said yes. you can keep discus happy from 84 to 90 degrees, ideal is 86. somebody just recomended rams for my system too, which from my research looks like great idea. i'm going to get a pair of german blue rams as soon as the store will get them in.

[BadRoma1]

oh, yes, forgot to say that 20% weekly water change is fine to me, make it 25%. make sure that you pull decorations out and wash them, shuffle the bottom of the tank too. i think that 50% every day is way too much work, but they will injoy extra clean water. i hope your fish tank is ready for the fish, discus are not good choice for cycling the tank. do more research on discus keeping if you don't want to learn from your own mistakes, that can be pricey.

[Dkarc]

sorry, i do %20 wkly. if i could find something better than 5gal buckets a 50% change wouldnt be so bad. problem is i just dont have room for 5-6 buckets to age.

someone said there had to be a compatibility chart, fosters and smith has one i dont know how accurate it is but it looks fairly decent. also says discus prefer 79-86 degree water. chart (http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/fwcompatibility_chart.cfm)

You can use a rubbermaid 55 gallon trash can that you can get from Home Depot for storing water to age it...I have used those in the past with no problems...just be sure that it doesnt have wheels...dont want it to tip over in the middle of the night...

-Ryan

[Dkarc]

i'm against keeping discus with any kind of plecos, your chart said yes. you can keep discus happy from 84 to 90 degrees, ideal is 86. somebody just recomended rams for my system too, which from my research looks like great idea. i'm going to get a pair of german blue rams as soon as the store will get them in.

The secret is the type of pleco to keep with discus...use the smaller ones like a bushy nose pleco that gets 4" long. They arent large enough, nor fast enough to latch onto a discus in the night. When it comes to very young fry at 1"> in size, then I prefer to use a big common pleco....one of those that get 10" long as they do a better job at keeping the sides clean, but are too big to latch onto a discus fry.

Can you get by with lesser water changes? Of course. But if you really want your discus to flourish and reach their 6"+ potential, then more water changes are necessary. Ever see a 10" discus?? I have. They dont get that big on weekly water changes...nope. multiple water changes everyday gets them to that immense size. Granted, not everyone can do such frequent water changes, but to each his own...

-Ryan

[z71silverado98]

The secret is the type of pleco to keep with discus...use the smaller ones like a bushy nose pleco that gets 4" long. They arent large enough, nor fast enough to latch onto a discus in the night. When it comes to very young fry at 1"> in size, then I prefer to use a big common pleco....one of those that get 10" long as they do a better job at keeping the sides clean, but are too big to latch onto a discus fry.

Can you get by with lesser water changes? Of course. But if you really want your discus to flourish and reach their 6"+ potential, then more water changes are necessary. Ever see a 10" discus?? I have. They dont get that big on weekly water changes...nope. multiple water changes everyday gets them to that immense size. Granted, not everyone can do such frequent water changes, but to each his own...

-Ryan

i realize a 10" discus would be beautiful, but i havent the room to properly house such a large fish, if it will stay within the 6" range that would be perfect, a little smaller than that wouldnt even bother me, as long as the fish is healthy.

i will def. look for a rubbermaid and switch to 50% wkly thats not too much more work from what i currently do. but 50% daily or multiple 50s daily would be way too much for me. Would wheels be ok if i were the industrial can and base? the thing would sit in my garage while unused then stay in my room overnight to age, no one will run into it.

i suppose id have to pony up for an adequate filter aswell? im running a whisper 40 constantly and have an extra 30 to scrub after re-arranging plants. i was considering an aquaclear 60 but i just cannot justify needing one for such a heavily planted tank.