Interested In getting discus but really need some info

Hagermanfd - When you see someone recommending changing 50% water a day for discus, more than likely it is because they are feeding raw beefheart mix. Leftover beefheart mix is highly recommended as a key food for growing young discus out. But leftover beefheart will foul your water in a blink! Think about it, not flakes, but rotting beef in 86 degree water. And discus breeders do this a couple of times a day. That is also why they recommend barebottom while you are growing them out. The staple for my discus is frozen bloodworms. My discus weren't nuts about beefheart, so I stopped feeding it. I do two 50-60% water changes a week on my planted 72G. I have a measure of about 7 nitrates coming out of the tap, higher in the summer when fertilizers are running off. I'm changing the water more to lower the nitrates after a couple of days, there's never any leftover food in the tank! Discus are very sensitive to nitrate levels. And it is true, you need to feed juvenile discus 4 to 6 times a day. Adults 1-2X. If you overfeed during those 4-6 feedings, your tank water quality is going to go down real fast.
 
pinkertd said:
Nolapete what temp do you keep your discus at?
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When I had them last, I kept them at 78. They were in a community tank. The last ones I had were a rescue from a pet shop. The discus were emaciated and lethargic and barely eating. I took the lot home and put them in a tank with some other peaceful community fish and fed them a variety of live, frozen, and aquarian flakes. They fattened up very quickly and became the gluttons of the tank. They would be on the food faster than any other fish in the tank. When I brought them back to my friend at the shop, she couldn't believe they were the same fish.

I've always found that discus are more active feeders when they have competition. This is contrary to popular belief and most people aren't willing to try it because of how expensive discus are. Granted, you can't put them in tanks with aggressive fish or fin-nippers, but that's no different than what you would do with angels.

I do agree that if you're feeding beefheart, bare-bottom is the best idea for the reasons you stated. I don't feed beefheart.

I also agree that if you are breeding them that they need to be at higher temps. You can also use higher temps if you're in a hurry to grow them out as it increases their metabolism. I'm in no hurry to grow mine out.

As soon as my fish room is done, I plan on getting a group of 10 half dollar size red turquoise and using them as an example of successfully keeping discus in a community tank at normal temps. I will be fully documenting their progress over the course of a year.

I'm not in any way disputing anyone's success at keeping them at higher temps. I'm disputing the MUST on that particular parameter, as well as the statement that they won't grow as large in a tank that doesn't have a bare-bottom. Given the same maintenance regime, that's a complete farce.
 
That will be an interesting experiment for sure! I was always under the impression from way back when that tank size would limit a fish's growth potential. That it was best with big fish to keep them in big tanks. So maybe 4 discus wouldn't grow out as big in a 40G as they would in a 100G.
 
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