Discus Tank
- Thread starter VTwinFanatic
- Start date
Anything less than 5-6 discus is not wise...a pecking order will be established regardless of how many fish you buy. But the more you buy, the more spread out the aggression will be. Buying 2 discus is setting up for disaster as one will become dominant and will push the other away from food and whatnot. This will lead into one of them becoming stunted and possibly sick. The minimum number I would go with would be 4. But then as for a tank size...a good rule of thumb is always 1 fish per 10 gallons. So no less than a 30-40 gallon tank. But if you want them to do well...go with no less than 6 fish and a 55 gallon tank. JME.
Also, it is 100% totally dependant upon where you get your discus from. DO NOT get discus from a LFS. That is setting you up to fail before you even get started. Get fish from either a local breeder or by mail order from a trusted source. They are a million times healthier and will end up being what you want at a decent price. PM me if you want a list of trusted online sources to get discus from.
-Ryan
Also, it is 100% totally dependant upon where you get your discus from. DO NOT get discus from a LFS. That is setting you up to fail before you even get started. Get fish from either a local breeder or by mail order from a trusted source. They are a million times healthier and will end up being what you want at a decent price. PM me if you want a list of trusted online sources to get discus from.
-Ryan
Actually If I work for a LFS but I wouldnt get them from there...there are a couple of people that work there that breed Discus and rear them that would be more than willing to work out a deal...I have a 30 right now that is on the way to becoming heavily planted, but I would rather wait...I like the way a 75gal tank looks better than a 55gal...so it could be my next purchase...just dont know when that is going to be possible.
Discus are a schooling fish...which is why it is always best to buy them in groups of 5-6. A single discus will be extremely stressed in a tank by itself...even with tank mates. And just 2 discus is even worse as one will beat up on the other and form a very hard pecking order. This will cause one of the two to become sick and become stunted. The minimum amount of discus I would ever recommend are 4....and again, that is the bare minimum. The more the better. If you want to keep discus, you will need to invest a bit. And believe it or not, discus are VERY hardy and will be able to survive a lot...its actual quite hard to kill a discus as long as you follow a few basic requirements such as a proper temperature and frequent water changes. Other than that, they'r not all that hard.
-Ryan
-Ryan
What about Kh and Gh...I always thought that they were important when it came to discus along w/ NO salt what so ever? Then there is the water changes and the feeding....ARGH...I think it might be an investment for a later date...maybe i'll go with angels for the time being...then later when i have more space i'll enter the world of discus
Again...all myth and old skool teachings. I use water straight from my tap. 7.4pH and a GH of about 4...but I know countless people who raise discus in a pH of 8.2 and a GH of like 12!! Like I have said before, the key to keeping discus are keeping the tank clean by way of water changes and maintaining the proper temperature. 84-86 degrees is where you want it. And water changes dont have to be that laborous...set the pH to around 6.5 and have a wet/dry filter on the tank and stock no more than 1 fish per 10 gallons and you can get by with a water changes twice a week of 30% or so. And discus do NOT require feeding of Beef Heart. I know a lot of people who feed them nothing more than prepared frozen food from their LFS. Bloodworms, Brine Shrimp, Mysis Shrimp, Krill. They will even eat flake foods and other dry foods like Colorbits. Discus are not that hard. Just follow the few basic rules and you'll do awesome with them. Discus are A LOT more rewarding that an angel would be...besides, where is the fun in keeping a common fish??
-Ryan
-Ryan