Discus in 46g?
- Thread starter dewilde2
- Start date
Discus are a special type pf fish. They are almost like people. They require 6 to 10 gallons of water each and should be kept in a group of at least 4 to 6. If you started with juvies, in a few months you would likely be looking at upgrading to a larger tank. They definately require room. Once they are full grown they become very combersome and need their space. Typically breeders keep a proven pair in a 46 bare bottom for breeding only. Just my two cents. Good luck!
Young discus do best when kept in a group of 4 or preferably 5 . You could keep a pair of older discus in there without problems. The problems start when you start out with only 2 or 3 juvenile discus. They are cichlids and will establish a pecking order and the low discus on the totem pole will get picked on to death. I personally have never kept just two in a tank except for during a QT period before adding them to my main tank. tank. I have a 72G planted tank with a large group of discus. They are very social fish and most of the time they stay pretty close together as a group.
you could keep juvies in a 46...but at issue as mentioned.. they like to be in schools. minimum is 4-5 with 5 being the better number. as Deb mentioned... it really helps to have more to spread aggression.
while it is possible.. the 46 is not an optimum size. a 55 would be better.. but with Discus.. bigger is better(tank size). I like 75 + for them.
the minimum I would recommend for a small school would be a 55.
when you realize how large they can actually get..you begin to understand why bigger is better.
while it is possible.. the 46 is not an optimum size. a 55 would be better.. but with Discus.. bigger is better(tank size). I like 75 + for them.
the minimum I would recommend for a small school would be a 55.
when you realize how large they can actually get..you begin to understand why bigger is better.
Minimum reccomended tank size is based soley on water quality issues. Back when BH was the "best" food for them, 10 gallons per fish is what was reccomended because of how harsh BH is on the water quality. Now a days, there are better options available that are much more forgiving on the water quality. You could easily do 6 discus in that tank..if you stick with a commercial pelleted type of feed (and limit your frozen foods given). Water changes are still necessary and essential for a healthy fish. Oversizing your filtration definetly helps. A wet/dry filter is currently the best option for discus tanks IMO as it is very efficient and relatively cheap compared to some canister filters on the market. So long as your water changes are kept up, the water is warm, and you feed clean foods you can easily do 6 discus in that tank.
-Ryan
-Ryan
Thanks for all the input everyone. Sounds like my only option for a thriving discus would be an older pair....any ideas on going about getting an older pair? I do have cannister filtration and I'm pretty good about water quality, but I don't want them to be unhappy. I still have a bunch of research to do if I go with it, but thanks for the insight so far!