Best size to start out with?

[pissydiscus]

What is the best size Discus to start out with in a 40 Gallon tank? is 1-1.5" too small? Should you step up to the larger 2-2.5" ? I have given my two discus to a friend and am looking to start out with new discus for my tank.

[Carol_Roberts]

The younger and smaller discus need to be fed much more often to maintain growth than juveniles that are 2+ inches.

If you can come home on your lunch hour and feed the youngsters (like I do) you can work in 5 feedings a day. With the 2+ inch discus you can get by with three feedings per day.

Carol :heart1:

[pissydiscus]

Cool, I figured that I would have to feed them a lot more and you clarified that for me. The reason I had asked this question is I was looking at either going through majesticaquatic.com or discusobsession.com for the Discus but discusobsession.com states on their site they do not sell fish smaller than 3" and I was just kind of wondering why.

[EthanCote.com]

I imagine they do not want to deal with buyers coming back and complaining about bad quality fish.

By 3", one can normally tell if a Discus is a runt or is a bad quality Discus (small eyes, uneven growth of fins, bad patterns, etc....). When you are buying Discus at a small size say 1", what you see might not be what you will get as it grow. But at 3", what you see, will most likely be what you will get as it grow (ofcourse if all conditions such as water chemisty and food are appropriate to their well being)

HTH (Hope that Helps).


Cheers,

Chi.

PS: As an aside, when buying fishes, make sure you get them from a reputable breeder, so do your research. I have no previous dealing with the two names you given, but it never hurts to do a bit of research before buying. If you are unsure, there are many whose name has been mentioned on this forum. This way, you are ensuring what you pay for is what you will get, not bad quality fish.

[pissydiscus]

I imagine they do not want to deal with buyers coming back and complaining about bad quality fish.

By 3", one can normally tell if a Discus is a runt or is a bad quality Discus (small eyes, uneven growth of fins, bad patterns, etc....). When you are buying Discus at a small size say 1", what you see might not be what you will get as it grow. But at 3", what you see, will most likely be what you will get as it grow (ofcourse if all conditions such as water chemisty and food are appropriate to their well being)

HTH (Hope that Helps).


Cheers,

Chi.

PS: As an aside, when buying fishes, make sure you get them from a reputable breeder, so do your research. I have no previous dealing with the two names you given, but it never hurts to do a bit of research before buying. If you are unsure, there are many whose name has been mentioned on this forum. This way, you are ensuring what you pay for is what you will get, not bad quality fish.


Thanks for the info. I was looking at either getting fish from discussobsession or majesticaquatic.com i'm unsure which one I should goto yet.

[lkleung007]

I started with Discus that were in the 2.5-3 inch range. The reason is you have a better idea of what they might look when they mature; such as shape and color.

In a 40 gallon tank, I would start with 6-8 Discus and grow them out a bit before moving them to a 55 or 75 gallon tank as they will need more space. I would feed them 3-4 times a day a very varied diet also; like BH, Hikari BW, high quality flake food and pellets, etc.

I have never purchased Discus from Chad @Discus Obsession but he is a nice guy and has a good reputation and would be a good place to start. I don't know much about Majestic Aquatic so I cannot really comment.

HTH, Lester

[Carol_Roberts]

Chad is part owner of DAAH (go to the bottom of this screen and you will see a link on the right hand side). Why don't you post a thread there asking him why he sells at three inches. He enjoys talking about discus and will be happy to answer any question you have.
Carol :heart1:

[Jeff]

I don't suggest anything smaller than 2" for a beginner.

I agree with Jeff :)

Mike

Yeppers Jeff is right on.



Miles

[redlines]

Buy them no smaller than 2 inches as a beginner. Best if 3 to 3.5. and get at least 6 of them.

Also consider the strain that interests you and ask yourself this question:

Will I be happy if my fish isn't colorfull for 3 or 4 months?

Your patience has a great deal to do with the ultimate decision you need to make.

Sometimes it is best to buy the biggest roundest fish you can afford in the 5 to 7 inch range.

Andy

[sal3011]

Yeah, see if you can get 3-3.5". They are good to start with. Also water quality and feeding is very much to be taken care to get a good shape and avoid stunting. Keep them in a good volume of water. That itself will help for a good growth rate.

[Keith Perkins]

Giving advice to a question asked 11 years ago?