help! newbie to discus dilemma!

leeann82 · Mar 24, 2011

I got my first discus today. This was not really planned. Love discus, but was not prepared for this., as I know nothing about them. A local breeder needed to free up a tank for a new batch of babies, and had to get rid of this little one. I got it super cheap. Anyways....for now I stuck him in my planted community tank. It's a 46 with various tetras and guppies mostly. I slowly acclimated him and have the temp up to 86. He's hiding in the back somewhere, haven't seen him since I released him.

As well as the discus, I also got a 55 with stand and lights for 55 bucks today. So there are a few options, just not sure which is best...

1. Combine the fish from my 26 and the 46 and put in the 55 (will be overcrowded), and give the discus the 46.

2. put the discus in the 55 (god knows where, as my house is already crowded) and leave the other tanks as is, and get him some friends in a few weeks.

or any other option you can think of.

also, is it really necessary for discus to be in barebottom tanks?? can I put sand in the bottom?

XanAvaloni · Mar 24, 2011

take a look at this thread. Yeah, it is possible to raise discus in a tank with a non-bare bottom (apologies for such a clunky phrase but somehow "clothed bottom" didn't sound any better) tank with a modicum of success.

as to the population distribution question, alas not sure we are going to be of any help. You know your fish, how they get along, and what they're likely to put up with, a lot better than we do. Whatever seems like the best arrangement to you is the one to go with. Then observe and make changes as required. best of luck.

nc0gnet0 · Mar 24, 2011

Yes it is possible, however I strongly recomend against if for a first timer. You said your discus was a "little one" so he is either a juvie (which is fine) or a runt. lets assume the first. I am not quie sure how well your guppys and tetras will appreciate the 86 degree temps. You really dont need it that high for Discus (although they will do just fine at that temp). I would bump it down to 84 for the other fish.

As for the tank size, I would recomend the 55 for the discus, along with 4 other buddy's of the same size. They do much better in groups. Then buy a 75 gallon and combine the two other tanks, and sell them and you should come close to break even.

discuspaul · Mar 24, 2011

Yes, #2.
Set up that 55, BB or with some sand if you wish, make sure you fully cycle it properly, add the single discus from your other tank, and get 4 or 5 more discus companions for him/her.

discuspaul · Mar 24, 2011

And BTW, play it safe, in case your existing single discus may infect the new ones. Buy one more fish at first, and give the seller a deposit on the other 3 or 4 to reserve them. Place the single new one in with your original fish & QT for a few weeks to ensure there is no cross-contamination. If there is you'll need to medicate the tank before adding the others. If everything seems ok after about 3 weeks or so, pick up the others & add them to your tank.

stephcps · Mar 24, 2011

The bare bottom is something that is always debated. The reasoning behind this is that it is easier to clean when you have a tank full of young fish that need to eat several times a day. The most important thing here is not the "barebottom" part, but the clean part. If you leave the tank "bare" of decorations (not saying none, just saying a few) and do frequent water changes, a substrate like sand would work pretty well. Stuff lays on top making it easy to vac out.

The 46 or the 55 would work. Prob the 55 would be better. But most importantly, the little guy needs other discus. They need to be in groups of at least 4 and preferrably 6 unless it is a mated pair. He is gonna stay hidden and may not eat while by himself. The other fish (tetras etc) will help as discus do like dithers, but mostly he needs other discus.

ponderingky · Mar 24, 2011

The previous posts are great advice - I had sand in my discus growouts w/o any problems at all. Clean (daily water changes when young), warm water (84 degrees) and you will be fine.

discuspaul · Mar 28, 2011

If you do decide to go with the 55 gal for a discus tank, and to which you will be planning to add 4 or 5 other discus later, you may find it helpful to read through my illustrated article in the simplydiscus.com forum. It's in the Discus Basics for Beginners section, titled "Beginner's Guide to Getting Started with Discus" - 5th Sticky from the top.
Good luck,
Paul (username on SD: discuspaul)

Sportsnutim · Apr 15, 2011

Cool! In my opinion discus are one of the hardest freshwater aquarium fish to take care of and keep healthy. I find the bare bottom tank works best when the fish are mating and taking care of the fry. I have one tank that is 55 gallon with 6 discus in it and they are all doing fine, temp 82 with gravel and live plants, I just change the water more often. They like being a school of other discus, they get lonely. Good luck!

wesleydnunder · Apr 15, 2011

Some great advice here.

Juvies need several feedings daily, preferably of a variety of foods, not just frozen bloodworms. They also need frequent partial water changes; 3 to 4 times a week of at least 50%, IMO.

Mark


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help! newbie to discus dilemma!

leeann82

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XanAvaloni

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nc0gnet0

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discuspaul

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discuspaul

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stephcps

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ponderingky

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discuspaul

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Sportsnutim

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wesleydnunder

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