Minimum number of Discus in one tank?

[shpaz]

Hi, whats the minimum number of discus in a tank. I have a 63g planted comunity tank and I want to add discus to the population.

Tank mates:
Guppy 6
CAE 1
Male Betta
RainBow Shark 1
Feather Fin Squeaker
Corrys 6

[Munchkinz]

According to my brother (who is helping me set up my planted tank-its been 15 yrs since I've had one w/discus). The ratio of fish per gallon (in a planted tank) is for regular Tropical's is 2 inches & for Discus 10 inches per gallon.

[William Palumbo]

Usually the rule is 1 Discus per 10 gallons of water, which can be broken depending on filtration, and water changes...Bill

[shpaz]

Can I keep only one discus?

[William Palumbo]

Discus usually do better in groups, unless it's a breeding pair. I would not put just one in a tank. They tend to usually get stressed out being by themselves...Bill

[ShinShin]

Fish by the inch is an absurd "rule". Take 100 inch long neon tetras and put them in a 100 gallon tank. Then take 20 five inch discus and put them in another 100 tank. Which fish will have a greater impact on the water quality and why? 1oo inches of neons will not have as great of an impact 100 gallons of water as the 20 five inch discus even though the inches are identical. The above example of 10" of discus per gallon has to be a typo or a statement of complete lack of knowledge.

Body mass is the key to stocking density, not inches. As stated, 1 adult discus per 10 gallons of water is recommended, and if one is a neophyte to discus keeping, I suggest 1 per 15 gallons. This allows a margin for error. Beginner discus people almost always treat discus the way they treat other fish, and lose many discus because of that to stress related maladies. A few healthy discus is better to me than alot of sickly discus.

As far as the original question, I wouldn't even suggest keeping discus in such a set-up.

Mat

[Munchkinz]

Fish by the inch is an absurd "rule". Take 100 inch long neon tetras and put them in a 100 gallon tank. Then take 20 five inch discus and put them in another 100 tank. Which fish will have a greater impact on the water quality and why? 1oo inches of neons will not have as great of an impact 100 gallons of water as the 20 five inch discus even though the inches are identical. The above example of 10" of discus per gallon has to be a typo or a statement of complete lack of knowledge.

Mat

It was a typo! Not a lack of knowledge. It should have read 1 discus per 10 gallons of water, the general rule for tropicals is at least 1" of fish per gallon.




As far as the original question, I wouldn't even suggest keeping discus in such a set-up.

Mat

personally Neither would I, but some people do rather someone has suggested against it or not.

and I joined this forum to be better informed not for name calling

[Don Trinko]

IMO; 1 discus per 10g water. 2 fish not good unless a pair, 3 fish also bad, 4 works sometimes, 5 or more is better.
Discus like warm water. 82 min, most keep it a little warmer than 82. Discus require clean water: This means Water changes on a regular basis. I do 2 50% changes a week, many do daily water changes. Don T.

[ShinShin]

Munch,

Name calling??? Cool your jets. Where were you called a name? The general rule of 1" of fish per gallon is absurd, just as I said. In other words, you can comfortablely keep two five inch discus in a 10 gallon tank is what you are saying? That would mean four in a twenty gallon, right? Wrong.

The key to stocking density is body mass. One hundred 1"neon tetras in a 100 gallon tank wouldn't make a dent in the bioload capacity, where as ten adult discus would max it out which would be ~70". An pair of full grown oscars and a large pleco would also max it out, and that is ~40-44". This same info will be told to you by an aquarist that is truly knowledgable, not some parroted info from some kid at a LFS. This topic has been well covered many times in the 3 major fish mags.

I am glad you came here to learn. Do so. One learns from experience, yours and others, not just passing on some myth they heard from someone else, not knowing if it is true.

Remember - 1" of fish per gallon is 100% bull$hit. And as far as the original question, I wouldn't even suggest keeping discus in such a set-up. If shapaz is here to learn as well, shapaz just learned something. If shapaz is here to just hear what shapaz wants to hear, well, I don't roll that way.

Mat

[Don Trinko]

All that follows is IMO and my recolection of a long time ago:
I remember when I got my 1st tropicals somewhere around 1956. The books at that time emphasized so many square inches of surface per inch of fish. They did say to use more for cicklids. You could double the fish count with air and triple it with a filter. Seasoned, well aged and used water was valued. You could tell the seasoned water because it had a golden color. Kinda like the water in your toilet before you flush it! Don T.

P.S. This is my feeble attempt at humor but that is how it was done back then. Anglefish and yes occasionaly discus were raised and bred under those conditions.