when should i upgrade tank size?

[jimmyle]

hi guys im jimmy this is my first post on simplydiscus and ive been reading around for a while, its a great fourm and i was just had a couple of questions about my discus. i just got 3 discus about 3 to 4 weeks ago and i have them in a 10 gal. there are 2 blue diamonds and one snakeskin and the 2 blue diamonds bully around the snakeskin all the time. hes always stressing and cant get enough food as the others. they are all about 4 inches and i was wondering can i move them all into a 20 gal tank or can i move just the 2 blue diamonds and leave the snakeskin in the 10 gal? the new 20 gal has been running for about 3 weeks with a brand new aquaclear and a hydro sponge. its got some guppies in there right now. anyway i was just wonderin when and how i should change tanks for my discus. any veiws and response would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

[tpl*co]

Hi Jimmy, welcome to Simply...

OK, you already know that a 10 gallon is too small for 3 4" discus. You're flirting with disaster with water quality and the crowded conditions is probably part of the reason for the aggression. Now for some more bad news, the 20 is too small also and you'll find you are in the same boat as with the 10. Do you have room for a 50 or 55? You'll see a difference and your fish will thank you for it!

Tina

[jimmyle]

is it ok to put them into the 20 gal now?

[Harriett]

Yes, put them in the 20g for now, but Tina is correct--you need the fish in a larger tank with a good filter; Discus do WAY better in a pack; 3 fish is probably going to continue to be a problem and separating the BDs will likely keep the 3rd discus from doing well--they don't thrive alone. The 2 BD will probably go into their own dominance struggle and you'll see one of them getting bullied (poor growth, big stress). There's always a bully and always the victim of that bully when there are just a couple discus. (Cichlids) When you start with 6 fish or so, the bullying is way more dispersed and they feel safer in a 'herd', so less stress in the tank, much better harmony. Check out the 'discus for beginners' section of the forum and do some reading, quick!
Harriett

[jimmyle]

i do have another tank, a 130 gal tank. but my arowana is currently in there. i have plans for the tank to become a discus tank but i dont know what to do with my arowana. ive raised him since he was 2 inches and now the guy is about 18 inches or so. if anyone would like to take him off my hands id be glad to give him to you but i can only pick him up. i live in Lowell Massachusetts. till then ill raise my discus in the 20 gal.

thanks

[Ed13]

EL pez mono is often lying by the dozens at the fish market in Brazil and other parts of SOuth America;)

[tpl*co]

i do have another tank, a 130 gal tank. but my arowana is currently in there. i have plans for the tank to become a discus tank but i dont know what to do with my arowana. ive raised him since he was 2 inches and now the guy is about 18 inches or so. if anyone would like to take him off my hands id be glad to give him to you but i can only pick him up. i live in Lowell Massachusetts. till then ill raise my discus in the 20 gal.

thanks

Well, a 130 is definitely BIG enough, maybe too big for 3 juvies, they'd definitely need more company with more discus in that tank to feel comfortable. I agree the Arowana would be a problem especially since he sees it as his tank and the discus may be seen as feeding time :(. Do you have Craigslist in your area? Maybe a LFS? I'm sure there is somebody near you that would love to have your arowana. (that's my son's favorite fish, I always have to hold him back when he see's one and I'm sure he'd love to convert one of my tanks ;)).

Tina

[jimmyle]

just got back from the LFS and they said they would ask around for me

[kaceyo]

Hi Jimmy,
Put a post in the Simply "buy sell trade" section offering your arowana. You might even get someone with discus juvies to work out a trade.
The 20gal will work fine for awhile if you do daily 50% WC's. If you have gravel in the 20gal remove it before placing the discus in it. They'll grow much better that way.
Do you have an ammonia and/or Nitrite test kit? 3 weeks is not long enough to cycle a new filter so you may have pretty high levels of ammo or nitrite in the 10 and 20 gal tanks.

Kacey

[jimmyle]

alright thanks alot

[Carol_Roberts]

You will have aggression no matter what with only two or three discus. It works much better to have at least 6 in a 55 gallon. When you move the three discus from the 10 gallon move the cycled filter with them to the new tank. Keep it on the new tank for 2 weeks to make sure the new filter is cycled.