Are Discus the right fish for me?

[amyandlars]

Hi I have a 100gal tank that I am currently doing a fishless cycle in, and wondering if I could handle taking care of Discus. Here is the set up planned...

100 gal tank
gravel bottom... going for a planted tank
2 penguin 350 filters, 1 powerhead, able to circulate 1000gals/hour
once it's completly cycled if I decide to do Discus I plan on 5 discus, 1 albino catfish.
20 watt full spectrum lighting for plants.. too bright?

My main worries are:
Do I need to get a r/o filter a requirement? If so I can get one.

I'll be doing water changes with a python... do I have to use aged water. That is going to be a problem, b/c i don't plan on using aged water. This only think that makes me wonder about getting a Discus. I don't mind doing lots of w/c's, even several a day are no problem.

If everything is ok, then do I after get all the same exact species of Discus? Or can they be different colors or different strains? Thanks for any help.

[greyhoundfan]

Think about the discus demands first and ask yourself if you can commit to it. If you keep their water clean than you will eliminate 99.9% of your problems.

Suggestions.. you did not mention the size of the discus you intended to purchse. Since you will be getting a tank with gravel and plants, juvies are not recommended. Start off with sub-adults to adults. No less than 4". The bigger you can afford the better.

Start off with QUALITY discus. You can't go wrong from any of the SimplyDiscus Sponsors on this board. Maybe one of them will be near you if you're lucky enough.

25% WCs daily sounds ok, but monitor your water if Ammonia or nitrites spike up you may need to do more when you first start off.

As far as aging water is concerned.. there are good reasons to do it. You'll have a stable PH and pre-treated heated water will be free of chlorine.

Test your tapwater. If there is no Chlorine than you'll be fine. One think to worry about is the PH swings. Test your water out of the tap. Make note of the PH, than test the same water 24 hrs after. If the PH is the same than your PH swings will not be noticeable with out storing the wate.

Good Luck. There are others here that can provide you with far better info than me.

[White Worm]

Hi I have a 100gal tank that I am currently doing a fishless cycle in, and wondering if I could handle taking care of Discus. Here is the set up planned...

100 gal tank
gravel bottom... going for a planted tank
2 penguin 350 filters, 1 powerhead, able to circulate 1000gals/hour
once it's completly cycled if I decide to do Discus I plan on 5 discus, 1 albino catfish.
20 watt full spectrum lighting for plants.. too bright?

My main worries are:
Do I need to get a r/o filter a requirement? If so I can get one.

I'll be doing water changes with a python... do I have to use aged water. That is going to be a problem, b/c i don't plan on using aged water. This only think that makes me wonder about getting a Discus. I don't mind doing lots of w/c's, even several a day are no problem.

If everything is ok, then do I after get all the same exact species of Discus? Or can they be different colors or different strains? Thanks for any help.

RO is not a requirement for keeping discus. Many use RO when they want to breed. Ageing water is also not required. You should get to know your water (where it comes from and get a local water report) water conditioner (prime) is almost always a must when you dont age. Large tank may need 6-7 discus since they do better in a larger group. Lots of water changes :D Dont know the planted part, someone will be along shortly to give some advice on that. Size of discus and strain is up to your taste and wallet $$. Start with sub adult (3-4 inch) or adult size (4in and up) if you are going with planted tank. Juvenile (2 inch and under) discus require clean tank and many feedings which I hear is difficult in planted tank to keep clean.

By the way.......WELCOME to Simply!
Another way to decide is to scan the beginners section here and read through some threads because I'm sure alot of your questions will be answered the more you read. There is so much info here that you will never get it all but you will learn alot, I did.

[Bainbridge Mike]

Welcome Amyandlars!

I think the folks who previously posted answered most of your questions and gave you pretty good advice so I won't repeat what they said. As far as mixing and matching--that is perfectly fine--pick what ever color discus you like. You will probably have a happier experience if you start with full grown fish (growing out babies is hard work and requires lots of water changes). Do you have experience with planted tanks? If not, you should probably either try the planted tank without discus, or do discus without plants--but there is a learning curve for both.

Good luck!

Mike

[amyandlars]

Thanks for the replies. Sticking to adults sounds good to me, since I have no Discus experience. So should I get more than number of discus planned? I just want to stay away from getting overstocked.

[White Worm]

You will be happy with 6-7. 1 adult per 10g is the unwritten rule. You wont have to feed as much and adults are more foregiving in case of mistakes. Just remember.....clean water and a plentiful / varied diet is the key with discus.

[LizStreithorst]

I would get 6 or 8 Discus. BTW, I am a proponent of aging water in most instances. Check your water. If it has the same pH out of the tap as it has after 24 hrs of aeration you do not need to age. IMO, you should otherwise.

[White Worm]

Oh...one more thing.....Reid said it. Very important to start off with good quality. Do yourself a huge favor and save the pennies for a nice group of quality sub-adults. The list of sponsors here on simply is where you should start. If you can find a local breeder, that is even better so you can hand pick. Otherwise, get pictures and know what you want.

[poconogal]

As many have already said, you can use tap water, provided you follow the testing they recommended for your PH. I would also test your KH and GH out of the tap. If you use tap for WCs, you should test your PH before each WC and not assume that it will always be the same. I use tap water for WCs and only used aged water for a short period of time when I was having PH issues. Since I am on my own private well, my water parameters can change frequently, so I test before each WC. If I find that my PH has risen a lot, I'll do smaller, more frequent (3-4x/wk.) WCs so that I don't really impact the tank's PH. If its close to my tank's PH, I'll do large, less frequent (2x/wk.) WCs. I've never had a problem using tap, and have spawning Discus, so I guess they're pretty happy with the water, too.

[wood]

I can only offer knowledge about the lighting/plant issue. Unless you made a typo, 20 watts of light is definitely not enough for a 100gallon planted tank. You are at least 80-100 watts shy what would be required for the tank. Depending on the type of plants you plan on having in that tank, you will probably need even more light. Typically the rule of thumb, for low light plants mind you, is 2 watts per gallon of light, so 200watts for your tank.

There are also a whole lot more things to know about plants:

Light Temperature (not heat, but spectrum)
Fertilizing (dosing amounts versus discus compatibility)
CO2
Compatibility with discus requirements. (some plants cant take high temp H20)


I highly recommend that you visit www.aquaticplantcentral.com for all questions you may have regarding the plants for your tank. There is an infinite amount of knowledge there. Don't just jump into it, you can definitely kill your discus if you don't know what you are doing with the plants.

[TheXman]

I'm a beginner too, and not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I've heard that even with fishless cycling, your tank chemistry will change dramatically if you add a large load all at once like 5+ adult discus. Maybe someone with more practical experience can comment here about how you should add fish (all at once? small groups of 2-3 at a time? or add other species of tankmates first?):confused:

[White Worm]

All at once, just keep up on the water changes until your bio has a chance to catch up to the stock level. It will also depend on how many you add, what size, and tank size. Just check water parameters and watch for any spikes. Adding 20 discus to 100g tank would have a much heavier impact than adding 6-7 given sizes are the same. juveniles also require constant and heavier feedings which will foul water quicker than if you had adults. You will not be sorry if you get 7 high quality sub adults. They will be hardier than juveniles and you still can get the thrill of watching them grow and maybe pairing and breeding later. Plus, they will be a little easier on the $$$.

[amyandlars]

Well I found a reputable breeder that is around a 2 hour drive from my house. I am probably going to get 4-5, five inch Discus, depending on what is available. I do have another concern though. I plan on going out of town for 5 days, returning on the 5th day. All my other tanks the fish are good to not be fed or have 1 very small feeding on the 3rd day. What about the Discus? Is it better to have a auto feeder feed once a day, and do a w/c as soon as I get home? Or go the 1 feeding on day 3?

[greyhoundfan]

5 days is a short trip. Don't bother feeding them. It is better for them to have clean water vs. empty stomachs. Especially if you start off with subadults. I would not recommend this for juvies or fry.

I've been two trips at two weeks each. My discus were just fine after I returned. I did not feed them while I was away.

I would feed the discus up until 3 days before the trip and start to faste them. Do heavy WCs every day even on the day you leave if you can.

One more thing.. by the time your on your trip, your tank will be fully cycled right?? If it's not I'd suggest to wait til you get back.

[amyandlars]

Yes, I'm doing a fishless cycle now. Depending on when that stops will determine if I get any fish before the trip, since I'm counting on at least a 2 week mini cycle. The way this cycle is going though, it looks like I'm going to have to wait until after the trip. I dosed to 4ppm ammonia, and so far I have 4 ppm ammonia and no nitrites. I have 1 cycled tank, but just finished with a columnaris infection in a 3rd tank. I'm a little jittery about adding seeded materials from other tanks right now.

[pcsb23]

I'm a beginner too, and not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I've heard that even with fishless cycling, your tank chemistry will change dramatically if you add a large load all at once like 5+ adult discus. Maybe someone with more practical experience can comment here about how you should add fish (all at once? small groups of 2-3 at a time? or add other species of tankmates first?):confused:
If the fishless cycle is done with adding a large group of in mind then it will be fine. There is a finite limit as to how much bacteria can live in any given media, the good thing though with the fishless method is youi can really build a strong and large colony.



Yes, I'm doing a fishless cycle now. Depending on when that stops will determine if I get any fish before the trip, since I'm counting on at least a 2 week mini cycle. The way this cycle is going though, it looks like I'm going to have to wait until after the trip. I dosed to 4ppm ammonia, and so far I have 4 ppm ammonia and no nitrites. I have 1 cycled tank, but just finished with a columnaris infection in a 3rd tank. I'm a little jittery about adding seeded materials from other tanks right now.

Sounds like you are well prepared, andalso like you will get your fish on your return, which will be no bad thing. I agree withe your caution re the media from your other tanks.

[KISS]

To be honest, most plant won't do well in DISCUS TANK!

You do need experience to choose plants, discus and equipments. If you never keep discus before, you will face a lot of problems.

Most Adult discus ( I mean true adult discus ) will survive in a full PLANT TANK if the tank's size is reasonable.

At this point, I recommend you to setup a natural discus tank, if you don't like BBT.