HELP!!! PLEASE.....

[alxjss]

Hello SD!!!
I am looking for someone to help me make the decision about how to keep my first discus. I currently have a 75 gal tank w/ all different kinds of fish. I want to switch to a discus tank. I have a fluval 404 canister with a small powerhead. I have been reading that i should not have anything but spongefilters and a heater. Can i go with plants and high quality substrate? I have a beautiful aquatrader light coming for plants. I don't know what to do?
SOMEONE, PLEASE HELP

[White Worm]

With planted tank, you will want to go with adults. nothing wrong with good filtration.... HOB, canister, sponges, etc.

[alxjss]

OKAY, BUT I HAVE BEEN READING THAT IF I WANT TO GET 2.5" I WILL NEED A SPONGE FILTER AND NO GRAVEL. hOW DO I ADD WHAT I NEED LATER WHEN THEY GROW TO ADULTS? WHEN CAN I START DOING A SHOW TANK? wHAT AGE OR SIZE. i WOULD PREFER THE SMALLER DISCUS AND WATCH THEM GROW.

[alxjss]

CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHY A 55 GAL DRUM OF AGED WATER IS NECESSARY?
iS IT TRUE THAT DISUS NEED THIS MUCH ATTENTION? iT SEEMS LIKE ALOT OF WORK. THE WATER CHANGES ARE NECESSARY TO KEEP THEM HEALTHY. i DON'T KNOW IF I CAN KEEP THIS UP. ANY SUGGESTIONS?

[RAVEN]

Discus are easy to keep if you put in the work,very hard to keep if you dont.

[Palue]

Before you get these fish make sure you will make the time to keep their water at its best. Use a calendar and write down the days you have to do the water changes so you will not forget.

I can tell you how I do mine but this may not work for everyone...:)

I have just "one" discus, some may say that this is not a good idea. The reason for this is, they are not easily available here, I lucked out on this one. They can be ordered in and are very expensive too. Secondly I do not want to breed and wanted a nice peaceful tank. I also do not have the size of tank to accomodate a school of 5 or more.

I use to breed Angelfish years ago and know from experience that if you have two, they are usually a pair and if not they will fight. Been this route before too. Then you will need to have a large tank if you want to keep a nice school of them say 5 or more. I don't have that nor do I want that size of tank either.

So I went with one, no one to fight with and it has lots of buddies in the tank too. I have several neon tetras, 2 small blue platies, 1 female german ram (husband died), 2 sterba catfish & 1 bristlenose pleco. Such a peaceful tank, the fish all get along and swim so calmly too.

I do 15% water changes every week "religiously" I do not soften my water in anyway or form. Been there and done that and killed many Angelfish this way. My tap water is hard with a ph around 7.8 I leave it alone. I do let my water sit overnight though before I do my water changes. I keep my tank a 81 degrees and all is just fine.

I use a HOB filter and run carbon and a sponge all the time.

I bought this discus as a youngster at 2" in diameter last fall and it now 4" in diameter and the most beauitful spoiled cobalt blue you could wish for. I sometimes hand feed it too.

This is what works for me, others have different setups and things that work for them. You have a nice size tank there to work with too. Good luck and take things slowly.

:) :balloon:

[White Worm]

If you want small ones and watch them grow, you should go with bare bottom tank or maybe some sand. To age or not to age your water??? Some swear by it and some dont think it is needed. Depends on your tap water quality. Measure your tap water right out of the tap for Nitrites, Ammonia, Nitrates, Chlorine, Chloramines, etc. Then measure all things after you let it sit for 24 hours. It all comes down to how well you know your water, what you can get away with and recognize when your fish are not quite right. With 1 per 10g rule, you can be a little careless once in a while if you miss a water change here or there. With the young ones, this could be a problem and affect their growth. Older ones that have done alot of growing are more flexible. Discus require more attention than your run of the mill fresh water fish. Is 100% daily waterchanges required? No. You can keep discus healthy and happy with considerably lower attention. There are alot of variables to consider and you may want to do some further research because these basic questions have been answered many times. Just do a search and read away.

[mmorris]

I bought one originally and he was miserable. When I added five more he transformed immediately into a happy fella. I use a canister on my tank. I highly recommend a bare-bottom tank with young ones because you can keep it cleaner and they will be more apt to reach their full potential. If you are new to discus and need help with some issue, the more complicated the set-up the more difficult it will be to find a solution. Keep it simple while you are learning. A bare bottom tank with discus is NOT a dull tank. I highly advise that you wait until they are adults before you add any decorations and a substrate. I don't age my water because after 24 hours the ph does not change. I do daily or every other day water changes of at least 50 percent, normally more, and treat the water with Prime. Feed a varied diet and when they are young, particularly, they will eat a lot. Hence the large water changes. 84-86 degrees F. To ensure you start with healthy discus buy from a sponsor. Finally, read, read, read. You will find that people disagree on many things but there is often a consensus of opinion. Pay close attention to the experts. You will soon learn who they are. They know what they are doing. Martha

[alxjss]

Thanks for all the help. I will check my water to make sure of what i have. I no there are alot of experts here, but can anyone tell me who they are since i am new and don't no better. Yes, i will read, but also, i need to know who i can buy from. Someone reliable and trustworthy. Can anyone help me?

[White Worm]

Where are you from? Put your location in the search block and see what comes back. There might be a good breeder in your area or visit the sponsors section here because many of them ship with no problems. Cant go wrong with the sponsors here on simply. Just have an idea of what you want and find the sponsor that has the color, strain, etc. Visit their sites, ask for actual pictures, price and lists of types available. most here are very helpful and will insure you get what you want and if they dont have it, they probably know someone that does.

[alxjss]

I live in Grand Rapids, MI. There isn't much selection of reg. fish, never mind discus. I wouldn't buy any discus from the pet stores, NO WAY! Does anyone no a reputable dealer around here?

[White Worm]

http://www.choiceaquariums.com/home.htm
I'd make a weekend trip out of it and go see Cary. Cary GLdiscus here.
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=53049&highlight=michigan
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=44725&highlight=grand+rapids
RyanH lives near you. You should have no problem finding great fish in your area.
Go to search block under the simply banner and type in grand rapids or michigan and select posts or threads and you will find what you are looing for. Search function here is awesome!
Edit:
Notice how alxjss and Mikscus (nik's) are in blue....Well look for those with a different color and they are sponsors, simply advisors, admin, etc..ie......the experts. Some of us regular folk know a thing or two also so just keep reading and asking questions because someone will come along and give some input from their own experience. As time goes by, you will make your own conclusions about who you consider to be the experts. There are about 10-15 or so who I regularly watch for and learn from their posts and some of them have blue nik's like us, lol.

[mmorris]

I no there are alot of experts here, but can anyone tell me who they are since i am new and don't no better.

I see noone's jumped on this question! LOL When I was new I paid particular attention to the advice of the administrators, the sponsors, the team members and the SimplyDiscus University team. The rest of us are registered members. Many of the registered members can and do offer valuable advice as well but it takes time to get to know who's who. Just like any party! You might also check their join dates. In theory, the longer they have been around, the more experience they have. It's a pretty unsound theory, though. Some come and go, and some people have had discus for years before they joined SD. My apologies if I neglected anyone. Martha

[RobMc]

Hi! I'm in Ann Arbor. After you get your water and tank ready to go, definitely talk to Cary. It will be worth the drive for top quality fish.

Rob

[alxjss]

I want to thank all of you for your help. I really want discus but i am too worried about the cost and the BIG waste of water. I have nothing to use this water for. I now use the water from my tanks towater my plants, but the water changes for the discus is insane! I have a 20 gal tank not being used right now. Would that be good until I get the 75 gal ready? Please help me to make up my mind. I really want the King of all Fish, but i think it might be a rich persons hobby, Am i right or wrong?

[Ed13]

I really want the King of all Fish, but i think it might be a rich persons hobby, Am i right or wrong?

If you think that now, can I convince you to set up a full blown reef tank?;) :alien: Lets see how much you can spend!LOL:D

[dank]

If you think that now, can I convince you to set up a full blown reef tank?;) :alien: Lets see how much you can spend!LOL:D

Hey!
That's Exactly what I was going to say !!
(Just took a reef tank down to go back to Discus)

[alxjss]

okay, so what do you think of a 20gal long? How long can i keep 6 young in this tank?

[White Worm]

Rich mans hobby??? I wish I was rich. Its really not. Just like anything else, start up costs can hurt but once you get going, its just water and food. I do a large w/c every other day or so and I dont even notice it on the bill. With RO, I would worry. Its like a shower daily. Skip a shower here and there and you can afford to w/c your discus tank, lol.