discus question

[fire frenzy]

i have a 55 gallon aquarium that we would like to put 2 discus in. we already have 3 eels, 2 catfish and a loach in there. our water tempreture is at 80 f and ph at 7.2. ive looked at the discus at our lfs but really dont like the look of these guys and they dont seem very happy. but i do know of a reputable breader that is only 45 mins away. is there anything i need to know before we spend alot of money on these fish. i know that if you get small juviniles you should have a gravel free bottom which isnt an option for us. and i dont mind doing lots of water changes. so im thinking of getting 2 larger ones around 4-5".

 

[rich_one]

i have a 55 gallon aquarium that we would like to put 2 discus in. we already have 3 eels, 2 catfish and a loach in there. our water tempreture is at 80 f and ph at 7.2. ive looked at the discus at our lfs but really dont like the look of these guys and they dont seem very happy. but i do know of a reputable breader that is only 45 mins away. is there anything i need to know before we spend alot of money on these fish. i know that if you get small juviniles you should have a gravel free bottom which isnt an option for us. and i dont mind doing lots of water changes. so im thinking of getting 2 larger ones around 4-5".

the number one problem you are going to have is that the fish you have will not like the warmer temps your discus will need, and your discus will not like the cooler temps you have your current fish at. imo, your temps should be at 84 degrees at a minimum... so you might get away with that with your others, but I am not sure. also, what kind of catfish do you have? I don't know much about eels, but it is not a good idea to have fish with discus that can outcompete or bully them for food.

 

[The Zigman]

Also It is not reccommended to only have 2 discus in a tank, unless they are a mated pair, there will be agression issues.

Discus are slow eaters, they are constantly looking for food, so they will be feeding off the bottom of the tank, so if the eels catfish, and loach eat the food before the discus they will go hungry and possibly starve.

The water temp, is an issue all its own, My tank is about 85F. Most fish can not tolerate temps that warm.

My opinion is that with your current setup, to not get the discus. In order for them to be content, and happy, they should be kept in groups of 5 or more, and I (personally) think a 55 is too small for 5 discus..

 

[rich_one]

Also It is not reccommended to only have 2 discus in a tank, unless they are a mated pair, there will be agression issues.

Discus are slow eaters, they are constantly looking for food, so they will be feeding off the bottom of the tank, so if the eels catfish, and loach eat the food before the discus they will go hungry and possibly starve.

The water temp, is an issue all its own, My tank is about 85F. Most fish can not tolerate temps that warm.

My opinion is that with your current setup, to not get the discus. In order for them to be content, and happy, they should be kept in groups of 5 or more, and I (personally) think a 55 is too small for 5 discus..

I mostly agree with zigman, except I disagree about the 55. I had 6 in my 55 and did 50% water changes once a week... of course, I was not feeding mine 3 or 4 times a day to grow them rapidly, so I should put that out there.

my fish were in great health, until I messed up doing a water change not paying attention to what I was doing one day. I think most folks would tell you, one discus for every 10 gallons of water is a decent rule of thumb.

 

[fire frenzy]

the catfish are Synodontis multipunctatus, and Synodontis eupterus. the eels prefer there temp on the warmer side and are more active when the temp is a lil warmer. but deffinitally not at 85 so that would be and issue. Do you have any other ideas on bright colourful fish that get to be a decent size nothing smaller that 4" or the fire eel will more than likeley eat it once hes grown.

 

[bs6749]

I second that a 55g is too small for 5 healthy adult discus. Right now I'm growing out 8 4" discus in a 55g and that's about the limit for me. Some people grow out 10 at a time until they get to ~4.5" or so. A 55g is too shallow from front to back and IMO a group of 5 would fair much better in a 75g. You could even go with 7 in a 75g. About 86 degrees should be the temp for juvies and 84 for adults.

 

[krytan]

IMO you don't have room to add any more fish with the stock you already have.

 

[Lupin]

the number one problem you are going to have is that the fish you have will not like the warmer temps your discus will need,

Per his tank setup blog, the species mentioned are all fine for the temperature but when you consider their feeding habits especially the synodontis and yoyo loaches, they make a horrible match with discus except the eels. Peacock eels and spiny barred eels will work just fine in a 55g but fire eels are ridiculously big at 3 ft in length with mass built (width) of 2.5-3 inches.

I don't know much about eels, but it is not a good idea to have fish with discus that can outcompete or bully them for food.

Eels tend to be finicky eaters so they'll work just fine except the fire eels.

 

[rich_one]

Per his tank setup blog, the species mentioned are all fine for the temperature but when you consider their feeding habits especially the synodontis and yoyo loaches, they make a horrible match with discus except the eels. Peacock eels and spiny barred eels will work just fine in a 55g but fire eels are ridiculously big at 3 ft in length with mass built (width) of 2.5-3 inches.


Eels tend to be finicky eaters so they'll work just fine except the fire eels.

thanks, Lupin.

and to clarify my previous post... 5 discus alone in a 55 gallon, again, imo, is fine. I did it, with no problems, and my fish were healthy and happy as far as I could tell anyway (I had 6 originally, but lost one as a juvenile). now, also, I would have to admit that mine were not fully grown... I did buy them as juveniles, but then they grew, so while not necessarily full grown adults, they also were not juveniles the whole time, obviously, either. they grew pretty rapidly and were doing fine until I had a water change accident (do NOT be distracted when doing those!).

but 5 discus in a 55, along with your current stock... that may indeed be too much, imo.

I will say to you that 5 worked for me. I had no issues with that setup at all. now, that said, I have the utmost respect for everyone's experiences here, and if others tell you that is not the way to go, then I would suppose you have a decision to make. what worked for me doesn't necessarily mean it'll work for you, and vice versa... this hobby can be rather, uh... fluid, if you will, at times. but at least you know what others are doing successfully and not-so-successfully.

 

[pinkertd]

You only want to add 2 colorful fish, so I agree with what's been said here, don't add discus....for all the reasons everyone said. And while it's not impossible to have 5 discus in a 55G tank, it's a very narow tank for five 6"-7" fish, not much room for them to move around or to get away from each other if they feel the need. I have both a 55G (which I aquired first)and a 75G and that extra width in the 75G makes soooooooooooooo much difference. Hopefully someone will come up with a suggestion for a different kind of large, colorful fish for your tank.