so...i got a new 30 gallon tank. and since im not totally new...heheh just finished my first fully cycled african cichlid 55 gallon today! i was hoping to try a fishless cycle...(i dont know if i can handle the stress of watching my stressing fish every minute again!) so i have started the fishless cycle and im thinking on options for the tank. could i have discus's in there? if so how many would be max? i understand that their water has got to be perfect and amazing for them. im prepared for the extra work. could i have one discus and other things in there? what are my options with discus or not at all? i have researched different colors and understand that their water need to be a little warmer than most...more like 82 F and their water has to be soft...i have liquid rock...so...what do i do to soften it? and ph has to be lower than 7.0 right???? thanks for any guidance in this one!:headbang2:
how many discus?
- Thread starter hotpod
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You could keep 2 adults in a 30 gallon especially if a pair.Rule of thumb is 10 gallons per fish [helps with water quality].
Smaller ones do best in groups of 5 or more and while small could start out in 30 but would soon need larger tank.
Water quality with cycled filter and water changes, good food .
Unless your breeding they will do fine in ph above 7 through 8
They also do fine in harder water say
200 to 300 tds and in some cases higher
Smaller ones do best in groups of 5 or more and while small could start out in 30 but would soon need larger tank.
Water quality with cycled filter and water changes, good food .
Unless your breeding they will do fine in ph above 7 through 8
They also do fine in harder water say
200 to 300 tds and in some cases higher
ok awesome...so i was looking at pictures on liveaquaria.com and is it ok if i mix differnt colors together? say get 2 young ones and just leave it at that...with no tank mates? or can i put clean up crews like a common pleco? pictus catfish? i personally like the red marlboro, neon blue, even the pigeon blood!!! so many colors. so can i put two different one like that?
Where are you located? Maybe I can steer you to a good breeder rather than getting your discus at liveaquaria.com or your lfs. Do not put a common pleco in there! A bristlenose would be fine. I have young ones for sale if you're interested in one and can't find one locally. A few small cories....some get only 2" adult size which would be perfect. I use municipal tap water with conditioner to dechlor, ph 7.6, hard water, and everybody spawns in my tank! So this is not nearly as important as keeping the water clean.
WOW awesome thanks for the info!!!! so 2 is the max for my 30 gallon? with maybe a bristlenose...i dunno if i like those. i may just leave the discus to be rulers of the tank!! i live in oklahoma city oklahoma! and there is a VERY LIMITED selection. i do have a somewhat reputible lfs...but he is known to overcharge, no gaurntees, not very nice...he says he can order fish for you..but really what he is doing is ordering them off of liveaquaria.com and selling them for twice as much...(i saw him opening the box and left!) anyway if i could find someway to get this fish or at least see a selection in person that would help a lot. so if you know of any thanks for letting me know. so few small cories or bristle nose is ok...and its ok for me to mix two different color schemes? also keep the water PEERRRRRRRRRRRRFect. right? anything else ill need to know before getting this amazing fish...remember i still have lots of time...im cycleing the new tank now with media from an established tank. another question..(sorry for so many) what kind of decor to provide? with my african it is a lot of hidey spots....what about discus? do they need lots of rocks and stuff to hide in? or just a few fake plants to swim around? thanks again!
Lupin
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There is no such thing as "perfect" in water conditions here. It's just what we call "close to perfect". We try to anyway for the discus' sake. What size are the discus you are planning to get? Some driftwoods and plants are nice. I'd go with barebottom first if you are going to raise juveniles. This makes tank maintenance easier as well as growing the discus far more quickly.
i would like to get juvies becuase to me part of keeping a tank is getting to see nature grow right there in your living room. plus it makes me feel good becuase i have raised them! lol thanks for the suggestion...ill do the bare bottom at first. that would make it easier. for my other tanks i do weekly water changes about 10% for my 55 gallon and 25% for my 5 gallon. what about the 30 gallon with discus? someone told me twice a day. isnt that putting the discus through a lot of stress? is once a week ok?
Lupin
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I'd go with 50-60% water change daily although discus breeders especially those with show-quality discus do larger than that. Last time I had them, I did 70-80%.
first understand the reason behind the water changes..young discus need to be fed several times per day..4 is considered the minimu number of feedings.
the feedings should be small and frequent (I recommend 4-6 feedings) especially if you want large discus.
as a result water needs to be changes to 1. remove uneaten food 2. keep the tds down..lots of food = lots of waste.
bare bottom is easier to maintain.
so weekly water changes will not work..daily is suggested many breeders do 50-100% daily changes. one reason they used 'aged' water..technically it isn't the aging they are after but stable water..many us filters and replace minerals.
they discus will get use to it..
on a personal note..discus are a shoaling/schooling fish and really exhibit a better 'personality' when in groups.
if you have a bonifide pair a 30 is fine..but due to thier needs as a shoaling fish..you really should consider a larger tank if you intend to keep discus. a couple in a 30 may be quite shy and may remain this way.
the feedings should be small and frequent (I recommend 4-6 feedings) especially if you want large discus.
as a result water needs to be changes to 1. remove uneaten food 2. keep the tds down..lots of food = lots of waste.
bare bottom is easier to maintain.
so weekly water changes will not work..daily is suggested many breeders do 50-100% daily changes. one reason they used 'aged' water..technically it isn't the aging they are after but stable water..many us filters and replace minerals.
they discus will get use to it..
on a personal note..discus are a shoaling/schooling fish and really exhibit a better 'personality' when in groups.
if you have a bonifide pair a 30 is fine..but due to thier needs as a shoaling fish..you really should consider a larger tank if you intend to keep discus. a couple in a 30 may be quite shy and may remain this way.
ok thanks for the great advice especially about the shooling part...and the shyness...nice warning to me. and thank you for explaining the frequent water changes...after reading about them schooling...i was thinking...maybe waiting untill i have a little more experience with fish keeping...and make the 30 gallon in to anglefish tank...and (my boss is selling me a 125 gallon!!!!!!! yay!!!! everything for $100...he is getting tired of it after 25 years of having it. so maybe ill wait untill i have the monster tank. sound like a good idea???? they are just so pretty i think i would rather have fun acting beautiful fish...and i think they might like the 125 better 
just guessing. lol again thank you so much for being nice about everything...that was VERY informative. and instead of making me feel like...well im just going to get them and show you wrong...i was like..hmmmmmmmm well ok maybe ill wait a little longer untill enough room to REALLy show color and maybe have a school! yay! thank you!
just guessing. lol again thank you so much for being nice about everything...that was VERY informative. and instead of making me feel like...well im just going to get them and show you wrong...i was like..hmmmmmmmm well ok maybe ill wait a little longer untill enough room to REALLy show color and maybe have a school! yay! thank you!