1-2 questions before finishing tank setup...

[TheLankster]

1. What is the best Canister filter brand? I have a 55 gallon bare bottom and im going to buy the next size up. Plz lemme know what is popular around simply discus.


2. How to do weekly water changes... So, i used to have a 30 gallon regular aquarium and i would do water changes by legit filling up gallon jugs from my bath tub and doing it until i changed enough water out. ( i have well water, decent PH)

Do you guys use some sort of equipment for your water changes? The tank is in my upstairs bedroom. Thanks

[Pices]

I’m not sure there’s a favorite brand of canister here. I’ll let others weigh in on that. I do have a couple Eheim pro 3’s on my 75 gal tank. The best thing I bought for that was a pre filter that fits on the intake tube (inside the tank). I learned about them here and that is a god send as it traps gunk and is easily removed during wc for easy cleaning. If you clean that a couple times a week, you don’t have to clean the canister as often. Canisters are a pain to clean and discus like their water shining. If only my house looked as good as my tanks. Ha ha
I also love my python. It’s a suction hose that you attach to your faucet and makes wc’s much easier. If you don’t have a ph swing you can also use it to refill the tank. I always aged my water with discus though to avoid micro bubbles, but maybe others will have some pearls to share with you. hth
Patty

[danotaylor]

What size discus are you planning on buying? If you get adult fish, 4.5-5"+, you may possibly get away with a weekly water change, maybe. Adult fish only need feeding 1-2 times daily. If you buy juvenile fish 2-4", you need to feed them 4+ times daily, and therefore need to do larger and more regular water changes.
The rule I learned here is that it is better for your fish to do more than enough wc's than just enough...

[bluelagoon]

Altho not a canister,the AC 110 is perfect for a 55 gal.The AC 70 is geared for a 55,but the AC 110 does a great job and very easy to clean,which I like.

[TheLankster]

What size discus are you planning on buying? If you get adult fish, 4.5-5"+, you may possibly get away with a weekly water change, maybe. Adult fish only need feeding 1-2 times daily. If you buy juvenile fish 2-4", you need to feed them 4+ times daily, and therefore need to do larger and more regular water changes.
The rule I learned here is that it is better for your fish to do more than enough wc's than just enough...

I really didnt think it all the way through yet. But i heard starting with 3" + is best for first time. maybe ill get 3 of them for now.

Any other equipment you think i will need besides canister / something for WC? i already have a new eheim heater for awhile now.

[TheLankster]

Altho not a canister,the AC 110 is perfect for a 55 gal.The AC 70 is geared for a 55,but the AC 110 does a great job and very easy to clean,which I like.

Really? I always figured i would just have to buy a canister because they are better quality filters. But ive worked with these hanging ones my whole life pretty much lol

canister was gonna be a new thing to me. why are they so much cheaper

[Pices]

You may want to start with 5 or 6 discus. They need to be kept in groups to prevent stressing them out. I second going with the easier to clean filter as suggested by Mervin. Those canisters are a pain unless you like to tinker around a lot.
Patty

[RickMay1]

I don't like canister filters. they work fine until you forget about them and they kill your fish. I think you will find a lot of people on this forum prefer Aquaclears or just simple sponge filters. I use sumps loaded with sponge.

[TheLankster]

I don't like canister filters. they work fine until you forget about them and they kill your fish. I think you will find a lot of people on this forum prefer Aquaclears or just simple sponge filters. I use sumps loaded with sponge.

Damn this is awesome news because what was holding me back was the price of the filter lol..

Def gonna go with the hangin AQ then.

[TheLankster]

You may want to start with 5 or 6 discus. They need to be kept in groups to prevent stressing them out. I second going with the easier to clean filter as suggested by Mervin. Those canisters are a pain unless you like to tinker around a lot.
Patty

Okay. That sounds good. I just didnt want them to be overcrowded. My tank is 50 gal maybe 55 at most.

Do you think 3+ inches is good? the 4 inch are about 40% more $$

[TheLankster]

This thread is making me realize i have a lot more questions on discus and i need to redo my research i did like a year ago lol...

[fljones3]

Sounds like these are your first discus. You want to purchase quality stock (look here for a solid listing) and the largest fish you can afford. The costs are more because you are paying for others to grow them out. I would recommend 4.5+ inch and 6 discus. Learn proper care and then, later you can decide if you want to grow out smaller size discus.

[Pices]

Good advice Frank. We’ve heard the horror stories (1 yesterday) of people who bought discus from Petco or somethingphishy etc. Even if they replace the fish, you just end up with more sick fish. I bought from my lfs and ended up having to start fresh with a new batch after finding a sponsor here.
Patty

[fljones3]

Good advice Frank. We’ve heard the horror stories (1 yesterday) of people who bought discus from Petco or somethingphishy etc. Even if they replace the fish, you just end up with more sick fish. I bought from my lfs and ended up having to start fresh with a new batch after finding a sponsor here.
Patty

I saw that horror story. I monitor my lfs for their discus periodically and there is no comparison between quality stock and most lfs. I think a good first experience is critical for most in order to have a lifelong love of discus.

[baagar415]

So first I want to say that I'm new to the discus world as well. I bought sick Quasimodo fish because I didn't do my research on the breeder. I did my research on how to take care of discus but still wasn't really prepared for the work load; you definitely want to take your time and do this right. I have 2 Fluval canister filters (one 306 for my 55gal and 406 for my 65 gal) that I personally haven't had any issues with. I also have 2 cheap aquaclear over the backs for my smaller tanks that also don't give me any problems. That being said, theoretically you only need a sponge filter for your discus as long as you are doing your proper water changes. I personally have a sponge and a canister as a back up with my Discus. I bought my babies at about 2", feed them 5+ small meals a day and do 30-50% water changes DAILY. This means some one has to be home during the normal work day or try your luck with automatic feeders (I cant get ever get them to work right), they are very time consuming. If you're not ready for that then you should buck up the few extra dollars for the larger ones.
Originally I had a designated Discus 5 gal bucket I didn't use for any other tank to not transfer cooties, suck and dump then fill in the tub, dechlor and readd back. Whats nice about the bare bottom is if you get your flow just right the waste will gather in one spot. Sick of buckets I just went to the local hardware store and made my own "python" for $20. I attach a mini subpump to the hose, aim it out the back door to dump then reverse the action by putting the sump in your aged water and pump it back into the tank. You can easily age your own water in a large plastic trash can, make sure you add an air stone or a mini subpump and a heater. Again $10 at the hardware store and I Y off of the washing machine into my trash can, 24 hours to sit and dechlor with out spending money on the dechlor chemicals any more! You mentioned that your tank is upstairs so I would consider making space in a closet or bathroom for the aged water can.

[Mando]

I don't like canister filters. they work fine until you forget about them and they kill your fish. I think you will find a lot of people on this forum prefer Aquaclears or just simple sponge filters. I use sumps loaded with sponge.

How often are you supposed to clean these? I run a canister for my ponds waterfall and I have not cleaned it in over 8 months. I do clean the 55gallon drums (2 of them) weekly. I think the canister helps maintain the bottom cleaner than the skimmer does so I was about to add a canister to my tank/sump setup.

[TheLankster]

Sounds like these are your first discus. You want to purchase quality stock (look here for a solid listing) and the largest fish you can afford. The costs are more because you are paying for others to grow them out. I would recommend 4.5+ inch and 6 discus. Learn proper care and then, later you can decide if you want to grow out smaller size discus.

Was planning on getting my discus from discus hans. have seen good things..

Currently i have my tank up and running, i filled it with my new python today. Have the AQ-110 running w/ eheim pro heater. Im going to go to the LFS tomorrow and see about some starter bacteria and getting one of their old filter sponges to help kick start the process. I was hoping to get the fish in before xmas i saw something about throwing a couple tetras in the tank just to get the levels right

I will update pic of my tank setup in a minute, its nothing special.

[TheLankster]

I think ultimately i will end up going for the 4 inch fish from hans. As someone already alerted me i should buy at least a handful so they feel comfortable. I cant afford buying a handful if they are 6 inches + lol. My local fish store probably has some but i dont trust them. Even though they are reputable.

5 of them comes out to $340 before shipping thats quite a hefty investment . Was planning on asking for them for christmas now seems like it might be too much.

[TheLankster]

So first I want to say that I'm new to the discus world as well. I bought sick Quasimodo fish because I didn't do my research on the breeder. I did my research on how to take care of discus but still wasn't really prepared for the work load; you definitely want to take your time and do this right. I have 2 Fluval canister filters (one 306 for my 55gal and 406 for my 65 gal) that I personally haven't had any issues with. I also have 2 cheap aquaclear over the backs for my smaller tanks that also don't give me any problems. That being said, theoretically you only need a sponge filter for your discus as long as you are doing your proper water changes. I personally have a sponge and a canister as a back up with my Discus. I bought my babies at about 2", feed them 5+ small meals a day and do 30-50% water changes DAILY. This means some one has to be home during the normal work day or try your luck with automatic feeders (I cant get ever get them to work right), they are very time consuming. If you're not ready for that then you should buck up the few extra dollars for the larger ones.
Originally I had a designated Discus 5 gal bucket I didn't use for any other tank to not transfer cooties, suck and dump then fill in the tub, dechlor and readd back. Whats nice about the bare bottom is if you get your flow just right the waste will gather in one spot. Sick of buckets I just went to the local hardware store and made my own "python" for $20. I attach a mini subpump to the hose, aim it out the back door to dump then reverse the action by putting the sump in your aged water and pump it back into the tank. You can easily age your own water in a large plastic trash can, make sure you add an air stone or a mini subpump and a heater. Again $10 at the hardware store and I Y off of the washing machine into my trash can, 24 hours to sit and dechlor with out spending money on the dechlor chemicals any more! You mentioned that your tank is upstairs so I would consider making space in a closet or bathroom for the aged water can.

lots of good advice thanks.

I definitely will buy them a bit larger as i posted definitely more than 2 inches.

Im home quite often feeding shouldnt be an issue..or water changes. I should figure out how to start aging water though its tap. My closet should have some room for some sort of ager. just dont want it to smell funky

[TheLankster]

Tomorrow i plan on going to the LFS and picking up some tetra safe start/some type of tank starter.

I will put it in the tank to get the bacteria going. After levels get okay in a couple of days ill throw some tetras in.. then in a week or so right around xmas, put 5, 4-inch discus in.

Does this plan sound okay? I know its risky with the tight time fram and i definitely wouldnt purchase any fish without my levels just right. I just dont want the filter to overload. 4-inch discus might be a big difference from 3-inch. but i wouldnt know ha ha . please lmk thoughts

[danotaylor]

It is not necessary to put tetras in, and I would advise against. Anytime need additions are made, it is possible to introduce pathogens your precious discus aren't immune to. The QT process is slow but necessary to protect your investment. I would (did myself) just start with the discus.
I would not use muck water or media from an LFS as that could introduce pathogens into your tank which may make your discus sick or even kill them.
My advice is to slow down, cycle your tank properly with a fish less cycle using ammonia as your starter. You will need a complete test kit to monitor your water & cycle progress. Once you have a properly cycled filter (0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and the presence of nitrates) add your discus.
Rushing it, not doing due diligence and not doing a proper start up cycle is the main reason many new comers to discus have a disastrous experience...that and adding discus from different sources or to an existing tank of other species without the proper quarantine measures.
I'm not trying to make life difficult for you. Discus really are amazing fish. I went through all of this when I got mine about 10 weeks ago. They are happy and healthy and I am glad I took the time & effort to do it right. You will be too! :thumbsup:

[TheLankster]

It is not necessary to put tetras in, and I would advise against. Anytime need additions are made, it is possible to introduce pathogens your precious discus aren't immune to. The QT process is slow but necessary to protect your investment. I would (did myself) just start with the discus.
I would not use muck water or media from an LFS as that could introduce pathogens into your tank which may make your discus sick or even kill them.
My advice is to slow down, cycle your tank properly with a fish less cycle using ammonia as your starter. You will need a complete test kit to monitor your water & cycle progress. Once you have a properly cycled filter (0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and the presence of nitrates) add your discus.
Rushing it, not doing due diligence and not doing a proper start up cycle is the main reason many new comers to discus have a disastrous experience...that and adding discus from different sources or to an existing tank of other species without the proper quarantine measures.
I'm not trying to make life difficult for you. Discus really are amazing fish. I went through all of this when I got mine about 10 weeks ago. They are happy and healthy and I am glad I took the time & effort to do it right. You will be too! :thumbsup:

Hmmm..yea I was going to pick up some of those starter bacteria from the LFS. Tetra brand. You say use straight ammonia?

Is there difference in the end or just better? I will be testing levels either way every day. Tetras I can leave out I just knew they would be good for cycle and they can live w discus

[Paul Sabucchi]

Follow Daniel's advice, forget the tetras or any other luttle fish for now and do a proper fishless cycle with ammonia as suggested, both because of the possibility if introducing pathogens but also because it is a far more reluable method. If you rely on the waste produced by a few little fish the filter eill eventually grow enough bacteria to deal with just that, so when you put in 6 or more medium size discus the filter will be woefully inadequate to deal with the increased load.
If you put no little fish in the tank but add ammonia between 2 and 4 ppm (or mg/l) and keep topping it up as it gets transformed, once you notice that within 24 hours of topping the ammonia it has dropped to 0 and there are no nitrites either but just nitrates you are good to go, bug water change and you can put in as many discus as is sensible for that size of tank. This process usually takes 4-6 weeks but can be shortebed if you add some bacterial starters. Mature sponges would be a more effective way of speeding up things but I would only use a sponge from the place you are getting your fish from (Hans?) to avoid the possibility of bacterial cross

[TheLankster]

Follow Daniel's advice, forget the tetras or any other luttle fish for now and do a proper fishless cycle with ammonia as suggested, both because of the possibility if introducing pathogens but also because it is a far more reluable method. If you rely on the waste produced by a few little fish the filter eill eventually grow enough bacteria to deal with just that, so when you put in 6 or more medium size discus the filter will be woefully inadequate to deal with the increased load.
If you put no little fish in the tank but add ammonia between 2 and 4 ppm (or mg/l) and keep topping it up as it gets transformed, once you notice that within 24 hours of topping the ammonia it has dropped to 0 and there are no nitrites either but just nitrates you are good to go, bug water change and you can put in as many discus as is sensible for that size of tank. This process usually takes 4-6 weeks but can be shortebed if you add some bacterial starters. Mature sponges would be a more effective way of speeding up things but I would only use a sponge from the place you are getting your fish from (Hans?) to avoid the possibility of bacterial cross

Hmm.

So is there any benefit to starter bacteria? i def wont have access to a sponge from hans or kenny.

Then following ammonia method?

I was gonna pick up the Tetra Safe Start -- http://www.tetra-fish.com/products/water-care/safestart-plus.aspx

Im really not in a rush. I was just gonna ask for the fish as a christmas gift so if its not ready in time i definitely wont risk losing the fish or my money ah ha.

[TheLankster]

here is my tank.

http://i67.tinypic.com/2dirgu9.jpg

I put prefilter sponge on after this pic

http://i64.tinypic.com/200da10.jpg

[Pices]

When I bought my discus from Kenny, I asked him for a seeded sponge since my tank wasn’t cycled. He sent it with instructions to do huge 80-90% wc daily. Kenny said to do huge changes 90% until cloudiness cleared up, but I wanted them big and round so I kept it up for a year. There was a charge for the sponge, but I didn’t have to do a fishless cycle, so money well spent.
The ammonia is added to mimic fish waste. The good bacteria will help jumstart the cycle by converting it if that makes sense.
What are the dimensions of that tank? It looks tall and maybe not enough surface area for 5-6 discus. Hope someone will chime in.
Patty

[danotaylor]

Hmm.

So is there any benefit to starter bacteria? i def wont have access to a sponge from hans or kenny.


When I was in contact with Kenny he offered large mature sponges for $10 each. You do need the hardware to fit it to though. A great investment to get you started...

OOppps, I just read Patty's post...LOL :p

[TheLankster]

When I bought my discus from Kenny, I asked him for a seeded sponge since my tank wasn’t cycled. He sent it with instructions to do huge 80-90% wc daily. Kenny said to do huge changes 90% until cloudiness cleared up, but I wanted them big and round so I kept it up for a year. There was a charge for the sponge, but I didn’t have to do a fishless cycle, so money well spent.
The ammonia is added to mimic fish waste. The good bacteria will help jumstart the cycle by converting it if that makes sense.
What are the dimensions of that tank? It looks tall and maybe not enough surface area for 5-6 discus. Hope someone will chime in.
Patty
Not positive on the dimensions but when i originally bought the tank i made sure it was at least 50 gals. It is tall and wide--somebody told me Discus like to swim up and down. I can double check and make sure i was right, but too late to change the tank now--i have already put the starter bacteria in. At minimum its 45 gal.

My plan was to buy 5 discus for this tank. Start by growing out 3-4 inchers from Kenny/Hans whoever has the strains atm. WC shoudnt be too big of an issue just want to get the cycle right. Eventually i do plan on moving them to a nicer planted tank which ill buy a new tank for.

I plan on calling Kenny tomrrow, i will talk to him about the sponge. Just wondering the sponge will fit in the AQ 110. Or if it is about ringing the sponge into the aquarium, lol. I am young in this game.

[TheLankster]

When I was in contact with Kenny he offered large mature sponges for $10 each. You do need the hardware to fit it to though. A great investment to get you started...

OOppps, I just read Patty's post...LOL :p

I plan on calling Kenny tomrrow, i will talk to him about the sponge. Just wondering the sponge will fit in the AQ 110? Or if it is about ringing the sponge into the aquarium? lol. I am young in this game.

Also, will starter bacteria i put from Tetra have any negative affect on introducing sponge now? I dropped some bits of frozen brine shrimp as well to jump start ammonia.

[danotaylor]

The starter bacteria won't affect adding the seeded sponge. I believe Kenny has the ring shaped sponges. If you get 1 or 2 from him you may be able to cut it into strips or cubes and put it into your HOB and use it like that. As long as tank water flows thru the sponge I don't think it matters in what form or location it is in.

[TheLankster]

The starter bacteria won't affect adding the seeded sponge. I believe Kenny has the ring shaped sponges. If you get 1 or 2 from him you may be able to cut it into strips or cubes and put it into your HOB and use it like that. As long as tank water flows thru the sponge I don't think it matters in what form or location it is in.

Ah I see. So pretty much once the sponge from Kenny gets in there the tank is good to go? Since it’s got the biological filtration already.

[Pices]

I considered the seeded sponge my good bacteria. I spent $28.00 and got the whole sponge filter. I had a pump, air stone and tubing, so I just hooked it up and plopped it into the tank. Some of your bacteria will be dead, so you still have to do huge wc for 5 days while the good bacteria catches up with the bioload (poop) from your discus. They can really poop!
Have you cut up a sponge like that Daniel? I’m just wondering if he should cut it up in the bag it arrives in rather than out of water? Good way to spend the time while the bags acclimate to the tank temp, right?
Patty

[danotaylor]

Ah I see. So pretty much once the sponge from Kenny gets in there the tank is good to go? Since it’s got the biological filtration already.

Not entirely. It depends on the bioload of the tank it comes from and the bioload of your tank. It is a good start for sure, and it will propagate beneficial bacteria quicker than starting from scratch. As you relate to Kenny, he will still tell you what he told Patty; you will need to do large daily water changes to ensure the water quality stays good so that your discus grow and reach their full potential.

You could ask Kenny how many sponges you would need to adequately meet your bioload needs right off the bat. When I asked Al how many seeded sponges I would need for 8-10 adult (5"+) discus in a 125 gal, he told me 4-6...of course you need to factor in the cost of that with your purchase budget

[danotaylor]

I considered the seeded sponge my good bacteria. I spent $28.00 and got the whole sponge filter. I had a pump, air stone and tubing, so I just hooked it up and plopped it into the tank. Some of your bacteria will be dead, so you still have to do huge wc for 5 days while the good bacteria catches up with the bioload (poop) from your discus. They can really poop!
Have you cut up a sponge like that Daniel? I’m just wondering if he should cut it up in the bag it arrives in rather than out of water? Good way to spend the time while the bags acclimate to the tank temp, right?
Patty

I haven't Patty but I figure if it is cut into strips or cubes and placed where the water from the tank will flow through it it would work in the same way as with an air pump and stone. As long as it doesn't dry out, or come into contact with chlorinated water, the majority of the bacteria should survive shipping, particularly in there is O2 in the bag it is shipped in. I sure wouldn't hurt it to cut it whilst submerged still...

[TheLankster]

Not entirely. It depends on the bioload of the tank it comes from and the bioload of your tank. It is a good start for sure, and it will propagate beneficial bacteria quicker than starting from scratch. As you relate to Kenny, he will still tell you what he told Patty; you will need to do large daily water changes to ensure the water quality stays good so that your discus grow and reach their full potential.

You could ask Kenny how many sponges you would need to adequately meet your bioload needs right off the bat. When I asked Al how many seeded sponges I would need for 8-10 adult (5"+) discus in a 125 gal, he told me 4-6...of course you need to factor in the cost of that with your purchase budget

No problem with frequent water changes. Should I be doing WCs right now while my tank cycles? I haven’t got my situation completely figured out for aging water just yet. Gonna need to pick up a trash can or something that fits in my closet .

[danotaylor]

You don't really need to do WC's during a fishless cycle. Just check your ammonia levels periodically as that is the food for the 1st stage of your BB development. Keep your ammonia between 2-4ppm. Nitrobactors convert ammonia (harmful) to nitrite (also harmful), nitrosomas convert nitrite to nitrate (harmless). Keep topping up your ammonia to keep in the 2-4ppm range and you eventually end up seeing nitrites 1st, and then finally nitrates. It can take 4-6wks+ too see this happen, and the addition of a seeded filter from Kenny will speed it up some.
Before you add your fish do a big wc, like 90%, add your fish and you should be good :thumbsup:

[Pices]

I like Daniels idea about cutting sponge to fit in the HOB filter and doing a 90% wc just before they arrive.
Patty

[Phil4Discus]

I also am new to discus fish keeping (have had them about 6 months). During quarantine, I just had sponge filters and a HOB aquaclear. In their home tanks, I have a 75 gallon with a Fluval FX4 and I also have a 125 gallon with a Fluval FX4. I typically have no issues with them besides the learning curve of setting them up (once cut a hose too short and another time on the wrong end UGH!). But cleaning them is not very hard to do. I do it quarterly and it's easy as getting a 5 gallon bucket and filling it half way with tank water. I then disassemble the canister filter (many videos on YouTube) and remove the insides. I immediately throw all sponges and biomedia in the tank water bucket and the plastic pieces I rinse with hot running water. After cleaning sponges and shaking biomedia, I simply reassemble the canister filter and reattach the hoses, line up the valves and plug it in. I don't find the flow is too overbearing for the discus and I like it because I can point the nozzles to the surface to create more movement for better oxygen exchange at the surface. Not sure if Fluval canister filters are the best, but that's what has worked for me and why I purchased a second one for the 125 gallon.

[Martha@BRLA]

Sounds like these are your first discus. You want to purchase quality stock (look here for a solid listing) and the largest fish you can afford. The costs are more because you are paying for others to grow them out. I would recommend 4.5+ inch and 6 discus. Learn proper care and then, later you can decide if you want to grow out smaller size discus.

Additional question to your recommendation of 4.5+ inch and 6 discus, do they all need to be the same type of discus? I'm new and still researching the discus world before making a full commitment. I notice pictures of tanks with different types of discus together and I would like to aim for that.

[bluelagoon]

Not positive on the dimensions but when i originally bought the tank i made sure it was at least 50 gals. It is tall and wide--somebody told me Discus like to swim up and down. I can double check and make sure i was right, but too late to change the tank now--i have already put the starter bacteria in. At minimum its 45 gal.

My plan was to buy 5 discus for this tank. Start by growing out 3-4 inchers from Kenny/Hans whoever has the strains atm. WC shoudnt be too big of an issue just want to get the cycle right. Eventually i do plan on moving them to a nicer planted tank which ill buy a new tank for.

I plan on calling Kenny tomrrow, i will talk to him about the sponge. Just wondering the sponge will fit in the AQ 110. Or if it is about ringing the sponge into the aquarium, lol. I am young in this game.

If your not positive of the dimensions,here is the math.LxWxH/231=gal.Example 20x18x12=4320/231=18.70 gal.

[fljones3]

Additional question to your recommendation of 4.5+ inch and 6 discus, do they all need to be the same type of discus? I'm new and still researching the discus world before making a full commitment. I notice pictures of tanks with different types of discus together and I would like to aim for that.

I ordered mine from Kenny. I asked him about the best mix. Love his suggestions and picks.

If you are looking at babies eventually then one will not want to mix certain categories, like pigeons with non-pigeons. I am no where expert on this side of the discus coin. You can always ask your breeder or post here for comment.

[Pices]

Additional question to your recommendation of 4.5+ inch and 6 discus, do they all need to be the same type of discus? I'm new and still researching the discus world before making a full commitment. I notice pictures of tanks with different types of discus together and I would like to aim for that.

Hi Martha, and welcome to the forum. Mixing different types of discus are fine. The important thing is to buy from the same vendor/source so they have been raised in the same conditions and are immune to same cooties. It is not a good idea to mix fish from different sources whether discus or tankmates. It can be done successfully if proper quarantine procedures are used.
Also I’m assuming your talking about mixing different types of domestic discus. I’m not an expert on wild discus. Hth
Patty
While I’m certainly not trying to influence your decision, :evilgrin:I will say that no other fish has truly giving me the long term joy as these guys.