Re: New to discus with lots of discus questions

[Bushi]

Hey,

I bought a 350Ltr or 92 gallon corner aquarium with a lenght of 1m20. Is it ok to hold Discus fish in?

Also I got a Sailfin Pleco and a Raphael catfish, is it ok to hold those with Discus? Bristlenose Plecos are ok so I've read, but I wonder about these, since oto catfish aren't ok.

[Altum Nut]

Welcome to Simply Discus Bushi....
What size Discus do you plan on getting?
Depends on the above answer...Sailfin Pleco and Raphael Catfish would be fine with adult Discus. I've had Albino Bristlenose Plecos without issues but not all Bristlenose...as some attack slime-coat from Discus.

...Ralph

[Ryan925]

Hey,

I bought a 350Ltr or 92 gallon corner aquarium with a lenght of 1m20. Is it ok to hold Discus fish in?

Also I got a Sailfin Pleco and a Raphael catfish, is it ok to hold those with Discus? Bristlenose Plecos are ok so I've read, but I wonder about these, since oto catfish aren't ok.

I had a sail fin with my discus and it was fine. Down side was the mess the pleco made. I removed it simply for that reason. I have otos and they are fine

[Bushi]

Was thinking about starting small at about 2.5inch. He/she has been in a tank with Scalare for a few years and let them alone as far as I know.

Also my filtrating for the tank is a Eheim 4+ for a 600ltr or 158 gallon tank, would this be enough? Since some people take at least a filter that takes care for at least 5x the amount of the tank.
Am all new to Discus, so I've just begin to learn all this stuff.

[Altum Nut]

How many 2.5" Discus are you planning to stock? Someone new to discus are always encouraged to start with Adults or Sub Adults.
Reason being is that grow-outs require additional effort both with feedings and w/c's which can discourage first time keepers.
With a 92g it's quite large if your only planning approx. 6.
I would research further before you jump right in.
The Eheim is fine but add a pre-filter on the intake tube to prevent debris from getting into canister and rotting.
Research one of our many sponsor's section which will start you off right.

...Ralph

[Bushi]

I will Ralph, am not in any way gonna start without being wel informed, since these fish are so delicate. There is a interesting vid. on youtube from the owner of this forum on how to keep Discus.

Saw in another thread to use a sponge to hold debris from getting into the filter. Although am a bit woried that it will prevent enough water going into the canister.
Yeah, was planning on taking 6 Discus, so that they got enough room to swim and so that that there isn't a heavy load on the filter.

[Quintin]

I have a large sponge on my inlet of my eheim.works fine

[Ryan925]

I will Ralph, am not in any way gonna start without being wel informed, since these fish are so delicate. There is a interesting vid. on youtube from the owner of this forum on how to keep Discus.

Saw in another thread to use a sponge to hold debris from getting into the filter. Although am a bit woried that it will prevent enough water going into the canister.
Yeah, was planning on taking 6 Discus, so that they got enough room to swim and so that that there isn't a heavy load on the filter.

Also using a pro 4+ 600. Planning on adding one of these. For now I shut filter off when feeding BH

[Bushi]

Guess I could try the sponge, it's a much cheaper alternative than the prefilter of Eheim. :) Thanks for the info @Quintin.

About the water change. The water that's going out of the tank, is it ok to purify the water with a plant filter and use it again when it's purified? Or is this not advisable?

Also about going bare bottom or using sand. I've read some mixed comments about this. There are some people that are saying that when you go bare bottom with juveniles they won't get a decent immune system.

[Bushi]

Am gonna get 6-8 Discus in a few weeks and the breeder got like 22 different color/patterns. Do I pick like a pair of the same color each time or can you say like, pick a different color/ pattern for each one?

[Filip]

Am gonna get 6-8 Discus in a few weeks and the breeder got like 22 different color/patterns. Do I pick like a pair of the same color each time or can you say like, pick a different color/ pattern for each one?

You can do whatever is aesthetically eye pleasing for your taste . Discus are completely non-racist towards each others colors and background :-).

[Second Hand Pat]

Am gonna get 6-8 Discus in a few weeks and the breeder got like 22 different color/patterns. Do I pick like a pair of the same color each time or can you say like, pick a different color/ pattern for each one?

Would also suggest getting your discus from one of our sponsors. They have been vetted by Al on the health and quality of their fish. If your breeder is an online discus vendor you might see if there are any reviews of them in the Livestock Reviews section of the forum.
Pat

[Bushi]

You can do whatever is aesthetically eye pleasing for your taste . Discus are completely non-racist towards each others colors and background :-).

Haha, ok thanks for the info.


Would also suggest getting your discus from one of our sponsors. They have been vetted by Al on the health and quality of their fish. If your breeder is an online discus vendor you might see if there are any reviews of them in the Livestock Reviews section of the forum.
Pat

Can't really buy from your sponsors, since am from Belgium and that seems a bit to far for them. :)
I was gonna buy them from a guy in Antwerp, so far I know he's got a good reputation with fish in general. I bought my Malawai cichlids there a few years ago and even people from back in Holland came to him. He's a certified Skender Discus seller. Haven't read much about Skender, but it seems a breeder with a good reputation.

[Second Hand Pat]

Yea, I could see that being a problem. Stendker is out of Germany and has been providing quality discus for a long time. Believe they have an online website if you wish to check them out.
Pat

[Altum Nut]

About the water change. The water that's going out of the tank, is it ok to purify the water with a plant filter and use it again when it's purified? Or is this not advisable?

Also about going bare bottom or using sand. I've read some mixed comments about this. There are some people that are saying that when you go bare bottom with juveniles they won't get a decent immune system.

Reusing water is not advisable. Now many use sumps that is basically filter at the outlet and passes through a filtering process that gets fed back into tank. However water still needs to be changed regularly. Uneaten food and poop removed once noticed.

As for bare bottom or sand...it is often mentioned that bare bottom is recommended when Discus are in their grow-out stage and once adults, a thin layer of sand is optional if you prefer that look.
Bare bottom affecting immune system is not so...take a look at any breeders establishment and you will see no sub-strait in tanks. So those some people you mention need to turn to another hobby.

...Ralph

[Bushi]

Reusing water is not advisable. Now many use sumps that is basically filter at the outlet and passes through a filtering process that gets fed back into tank. However water still needs to be changed regularly. Uneaten food and poop removed once noticed.

As for bare bottom or sand...it is often mentioned that bare bottom is recommended when Discus are in their grow-out stage and once adults, a thin layer of sand is optional if you prefer that look.
Bare bottom affecting immune system is not so...take a look at any breeders establishment and you will see no sub-strait in tanks. So those some people you mention need to turn to another hobby.

...Ralph

Ok, thanks Ralph. Yeah, 10 out of 10 you see bare bottom. But he said that's because they want a fish with a weak immune system, so they get sick easily and die and you would have to buy new fish.
In a way it made sense what he said. Because if we grow up in a sterile environment, we would have a bad immune system. Like for example chickenpox, it's better to get that as an juvenile than a adult. But than again, we are not discus and discus are not us.

Alright, bare bottom it is for my to come little fellas and girls. Just gotta find a way to hold the piece of driftwood for my pleco. I think in the end when they are grown up I will go with a sand bottom just because it looks more natural.

At what size are they considerd adults?

[Akili]

Just gotta find a way to hold the piece of driftwood for my pleco. I think in the end when they are grown up I will go with a sand bottom just because it looks more natural. At what size are they considerd adults? Some plecos are not good for Discus as they develop taste for Discus slime. Discus that are about a year old and anywhere from 12 or more centimeters are considered Adults

[Bushi]

Some plecos are not good for Discus as they develop taste for Discus slime. Discus that are about a year old and anywhere from 12 or more centimeters are considered Adults

He/She never attacked my Scalare, so I hope it will be fine.

How do you guys combine feeding your juveniles 3-4 times a day and work? Do you feed them in the morning and a few times in the evening?

[Akili]

He/She never attacked my Scalare, so I hope it will be fine.

How do you guys combine feeding your juveniles 3-4 times a day and work? Do you feed them in the morning and a few times in the evening?Angels do not produce "Body Slime" like discus do so just be cautious. When I was in the workforce, I have feed first thing in the morning,second feed as soon as I got home mid afternoon,then at supper time and the last feed an hour before the lights.

[Larry Bugg]

I don't do more than 2 to 3 feeding a day. There are those that will tell you that you have to feed young ones 6 to 8 times a day. I don't subscribe to this belief. Feed them before going to work, again when you get home from work and before going to sleep. They should be just fine with this schedule.

[Bushi]

Angels do not produce "Body Slime" like discus do so just be cautious. When I was in the workforce, I have feed first thing in the morning,second feed as soon as I got home mid afternoon,then at supper time and the last feed an hour before the lights.

From hearing here and there, the feedback seems to be positive considering sailfin pleco's. So maybe I should give it a try, although I also got a bushymouth which can be tricky.

Thanks for the feeback guys.

What are your opinions on a corner tank though? One guy said it's not a good choice for Discus, since they won't have a decent space for their territory.