tank

[seagul]

i am a very new beginner in discus, getting interested in them. May i know how should i set up a tank and how mnay juviles discus can i put in a 50gal if i want them to grow to adults. Can anyone tell me also what conditions and other things i need to take note off when keeping discus. ??? :bounce:

[chuck]

Your question could and does fill entire books on raising discus. so I'll just go over the basics..
Very General rule: 1 adult discus /10gal water.
Discus need pristine water conditions
adult discus prefer soft water GH 2dh
preferred temp 84-86f
water changes at least 10% daily
bare bottom tanks ( no gravel) seem to assist in keeping discus healthier. food and dirt are not trapped in the gravel.
When juveniles they should be kept with at least 6 other discus the same size. They are schooling fish and are less stressed when in groups.
You can keep Neon’s, cardinals, and Cory’s with discus. Some people even keep angels with them but there is debates on weather they pass diseases between the to species.

IMO 3 Good Books to get: )
Penang Discus, 2nd edition, (S.Yeng)
Discus Back to nature (Dick Au)
Tropical Fishlopaedia: A Complete Guide to Fish Care (Mary Bailey, Peter Burgess)
Hope this helped you,
Chuck

[Tyler]

To add to what chuck said (good advice)......
I would keep the tank bare bottomed for raising out young fish, and paint the back and bottom. A good color is a light sky blue. Then buy 6-8 fish (2-3" is best) and keep them alone in your 50 gallon.
Feed at least 5 times daily, and change as much water daily as possible (I do at least 50%).
About ph, tds, and all those things....I wouldn't worry about it much unless you are planning on breeding. Discus can grow large and healthy in what people would say is not good discus water.

Tyler

[Carol_Roberts]

50 gallon tank, Aqua clear 500 filter with two internal sponges and a home made prefitler sponge on the water intake, a heater and thermometer are the basics. I'd start with 6 - 8 discus taht are at least 2 1/2 inches big.

It's best to have a storage container for your water so you can dechlorinate, circulate (aerate, agitate, age) and heat it. You want the pH of your change water to be the same as the water already in the tank. Water from the tap changes in pH over several hours. It off gasses CO2 as it circulates. Usually the tap is lower in pH (more acid) than the tank. Discus don't like a big drop in pH.

[seagul]

GREAT ADVICE from u pros out there. ;D I wanna ask what strains of discus are recommended for beginners and do i have to remove some of the 6-8 discus when they start to get big

[Tyler]

As for strains......I would go with any of the older stuff like red/blue turks, pigeons, or solid blues. I would just try to stay away from things like whites, non-pigeon yellows, and leopards.
As for how many adults can eventually be kept in there.....it really depends on how much water you are changing. If you are doing more than 50% daily i could see you being ok with 7 or 8 adults, but with less water changes, i would cut it down to 5 or 6. Also you have to remember that as the discus get older they will start to pair off. Best thing to do is then seperate the pair.

Tyler

[Carol_Roberts]

Healthy discus from a reliable source are your best bet. Many times the more common discus are less expensive. When your 6 - 8 discus grow out you will know which ones you want to keep and which to sell. Besides as they form pairs they'll need their own 29 gallon tank ;)

[seagul]

i see :angel: Can i see a few pics of red/blue turks, pigeons, or solid blues strains of discus? :book:


:computer2:

[Tyler]

Well no pigeons in my house, but I'll show you some turks and blues.
Blue Diamond:

[Tyler]

Red Turk

Tyler

[Tyler]

Well those pics were taken just after shipping, so the fish are a little beat up.......but you get the idea.

Tyler

[Carol_Roberts]

There is a beginners index at the top of this section. I have added links to various threads on the different colors of discus.

[seagul]

THX :thumbsup:

[seagul]

Juz wanna know that red and blue turks do not show their colour when young? ???

[Tyler]

Most discus start off as little tan fish.....but they gain color as they get older, yeah.

Tyler

[seagul]

i see. What if i dun have the time for a daily water change, how many can i put in a 50gal?? Maybe a 30% water change every 2-3 days?

[Mr.Trips]

Hi SeaGul, I have a 55 Gallon tank and I have 7 Discus in the tank right now about 4 inch Plus. It is a Planted tank, with a gravel bottem. I do my water changes 25 percent twice a week. I am running two Penquin Bio wheel filters systems, that basically filters for a 100 gallon tank. I have had no problems and my fish are very happy!

Good luck, you will enjoy them!

[seagul]

i see :thumbsup:

[Tyler]

Mr. Trips (and seagul),
It's not that i don't believe you, but i wouldn't take that advice as something that will work most of the time. That is not a good environment for the fish....
Let me explain a little better.
Little fish need a LOT to eat. I'm talking like at least 6 times a day, probably more since they will beg you out of food. What does this result in? A whole lotta poop. No matter how wonderful your filtration is, it doesn't get the poop out of their water, it just moves it somewhere where you cannot see it. That isn't helping your fish any. Then i move on to the gravel bottom. All this does is make it harder for you when you do your daily water changes. It takes more time, and is just plain annoying.
What I'm saying is, with the small fish that you are most likely to get, Mr. Trips setup will result in stunted, small fish.

Tyler

[Carol_Roberts]

Right now you don't think you will have time for water changes. You may change your mind after the discus get here. . . . Kinda like a new couple expecting their first baby. . . . Your notion of child (discus) rearing may change dramatically after you have some. . . . . Especially if they become your all consuming hobby - like for Tyler and me most of the other regulars on this board. ;)

[angel12]

Yes but it is not impossible to keep discus in a planted tank the General concesus on this board seems to be bare bottom tanks are the way to go. and whilst i appreciate that it makes sense both Time wise and the ablity to keep the Tanks Cleaner I fell that there is something to be a said for planted tanks .. I am not here to argue the point as I bow to people with much more experience of keeping these fish than I ever will or may have ...its just that I feel from the majority of this board that bare bottom is the be all and end all ...and i am amongst a small minority who would prefer something a bit more than a bare tank to look at .. im sure planted tanks can work Providing you are prepared to put time and more effort in to giving the fish the best possible care ... this is just my own opinion so please dont flame me and no doubt many debates have been raised regarding the pros and cons of bare or planted tanks... I just posted to address the imbalance I saw on this post in the way that planted tanks do not need to be excluded it is a personal matter of choice ...Good luck with what ever you decide to do

:)

[Tyler]

I agree there are many ways of going about keeping discus. Planted tanks in my mind are perfectly fine for adults, i had even thought of starting one of my own for my larger fish. I am ONLY saying that smaller discus (under 4") are best kept in a bare tank for maximum growth. After that point, i see no reason why your large healthy fish would not be delighted with a beatifully planted tank :) .
Especially with seagul being a newbie, I pointed out bb tanks as the easiest way of growing of small fish. No need to make things more complicated then they need to be at first, as a discus and it's needs can alone be intimidating!

Tyler

[seagul]

ah. i see. i have decieded to go with a BB tank then ;)

Dun get arguing over me!!! the situation here is like a bit tense up

JOKING ;D

[Tyler]

This isn't arguing!!! This is how people learn ;D

Tyler

[seagul]

hahha. true true. Now to find a top breeder in my country