filtration for discus

[fishfarmer]

Hi,

I'm starting a new tank (59g) and would like to eventually put some discus in it. The tank will include Apistos, Rams, Angels, and Tetras.

The quandary is that (what appears to be) the most expert lfs for discus in the area tells me that my canister filter is too turbulent for a discus. A few other stores tell me it will be fine.

Any discus experts out there who can weigh in on this topic?

 

[125gJoe]

First - Wecome to Aquaria Central!
You will get good advice here!

That LFS gave you BS...
I have 2 canisters on my 80 gallon and the Discus are "thriving" - (not just living..!).

There's more on my 'Tank Specs' link...

 

[Harry Tolen]

I do not think that you will have a problem with using a canister filter on your discus tank. However, since discus really hate organic pollution, you will need to be very fastidious about cleaning it out regularly. On my discus tank (125g) I have a sponge prefilter on the canister (to minimize the buildup of organic pollutants in the filter), as well as two HOB filters and two air-driven sponge filters (easier to clean) to pick up most of the detritus. The discus do not seem to be bothered by all the water flow.

Regarding your proposed companion fish for the discus, I would make a few comments:

01. I don't recommend angels as companions for discus. For one thing, they don't really like the higher temperatures (I keep my angels at 78F, and my discus at 82-84F). For another, they are pretty aggressive feeders, and discus are more laid back.

02. Many apistos also don't like the water conditions preferred by discus, especially A. cacatuoides. However, if you are determined to pick some apistos, there is generally a good selection at Fish Gallery & Pets in Renton.

03. Rams, however, do like warmer waters and in a large enough tank should do well.

04. Of all of the tetras I have kept with discus, cardinals do the best by far. And the healthiest cardinal tetras in Seattle come from B&D Aquarium in West Seattle/White Center. The owner quarantines his cardinals, so when you buy them your losses will be low.

I would also suggest that you consider using lots of driftwood in your tank, with Java fern and anubias to help reduce nitrates between water changes. Discus don't like bright light, and tend to inhabit shaded areas with lots of roots in nature. However, both anubias and Java fern do fine in low light conditions (my 125g discus tank has only two 40W bulbs, but the plants continue to grow, albeit slowly.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress. If you haven't already bought your tank, do consider getting a slightly larger one (such as a 75g). You won't regret it.

 

[fishfarmer]

Thanks. I will check out the sponge prefilter. I already have the tank, so moving up at the moment isn't an option (although it would be nice...).

Funny, though, a guy at Fish Gallery/Renton was the one who introduced the idea of keeping some Discus in the tank. He even suggested cacutoides. (Quite possible the messages got mixed though since it was a long conversation).

In general, I find B&D to be more expensive than other stores in the area. Is buying the tetras there worth it?

Thanks again.

 

[125gJoe]

I'm wondering if the canister filter didn't come with a 'sponge pre-filter', would this in fact block the intended flow of water into the filter? Unless that particular filter doesn't have floss and a sponge already in it... (?)

 

[wayne]

Unfortunately most people assume all apistogramma require the same conditions - 'if it's from the amazon or s america it needs discus conditions....'
Ditto cories. S America is a big palce

If the tetras from B and D are more expensive than the ones from othr places that die, I'd say they're worth the extra. I don't know the place, but as most cardinals are wild caught, a bit of money the store spends spent looking after and acclimating them isn't wasted

 

[Harry Tolen]

B&D's tetras are more expensive because Bruce (the owner) buys them and keeps them long enough for them to experience the natural attrition that comes from the stress of capture and shipping. Also, because they are quarantined at the shop, they are less likely to be carrying diseases. I have never experienced any losses to disease from the fish I have purchased from B&D, which to me makes them well worth the additional price. It is also save to buy otocinclus there when they have them, too (another species that tends to die off if subjected to too much stress in too short a time).

As for the recommendation of the people at Fish Gallery and Pets in Renton, well, they're just wrong in this case, although generally they run a good store. It's one of the few places I will take my own surplus fish (overflow from breeding) without feeling guilty that they're probably just going to kill them off. Most especially, however, they are wrong about the A. cacatuoides. Get one of the books on apistos (that store carries them) and read up to see which would be most compatible. You'll be looking for softwater species with a bias towards higher temperatures.

Because of tapwater conditions, Seattle is a great town for discus. However, you might want to consider purchasing some from a breeder as opposed to in the local stores; not only will they be less expensive, but they'll be healthier as well (few stores do enough water changes for discus, and the longer they're there the further down the road to parasitical and bacterial problems they'll be).

 

[a_free_bird73]

If you plan to keep Discus in a community tank, I would strongly recommend that you add the Discus first. I keep Discus with angles, but like said before you will probably run into feeding problems if the angel is well established. It is true that some angels will not enjoy the high temperatures required for discus but that depends on the breed. I have had much less success with vailtails compared to wild and golden standards at such high temps. Apart from that they get along fine though at breeding time, the angels get a bit pushy. Another good option to consider with cardinals is rummynose. They are perfect companion and a much better schooling fish than cardinals but both give a nice contrast.