Recommended Tank Dimensions

[AZJeepDude]

Hello! I kept tropical fish successfully throughout high school, and I've wanted discus for years. Now that I'm newly single and have a whole house to myself (and no one to object!) I'm going to bite the bullet and get me some. But first, the tank.

I'm thinking of eventually 9 to 11 discuss in a tank a little over 100 gallons. I'm ordering from glasscages.com, so I have flexibility on dimensions. I like the idea of a tall tank, but would anything over 18" be a nightmare to clean and frustrating to deal with considering the frequency of required water changes? Note: I am tall.

Here are some sample capacities/dimensions (L x W x H):

120 48 x 24 x 25 Tall
115 48 x 18 x 31 Tall
135 72 x 18 x 25 Tall
95 36 x 24 x 25 Tall
125 60 x 18 x 25 Tall
100 72 x 24 x 13 Tall
118 36 x 24 x 31 Tall
100 30 x 30 x 25 Tall
125 72 x 24 x 17 Tall

Thoughts? I appreciate your input!

Thanks!

TC

[mjs020294]

Any of the ones more 25" tall of higher would be fine.

[Jhhnn]

I have adult discus in 3 tanks- 2 are 48x18x21T, the other is 60x18x25T. There are 8 fish in each tank. The discus don't really make much use of the extra height, as they seem to lay out their territories horizontally. Whatever they're doing at any given time, they're all mostly at the same level in the tank...

If space isn't a problem, I'd offer that the 135 would do extremely well. Nice and roomy. Some people like tanks that are 24" front to back, but 18" seems entirely comfortable for the fish... as does the 21"T measurement...

[hedut]

if place not a problem 125 will do and good luck;)

[Darrell Ward]

I prefer tanks that are 24" wide, but I have some that are 18" as well. I don't think any tank that is under 20" tall is a good tank for discus. My favorite tank is a 48"x 24"x 30", 150 gal. Perfect for a group of a dozen or more adults. The Glasscages 135 is a good tank as well for discus, as is the 240 tall. I have both, with over 20 adults (I've lost count) in the 240.

[discusjoe27]

135 72 x 18 x 25 Tall would be my chose, i just picked up a 110l (72x16x22) now all i got to do is buy flourite, and a canister or sump.

[Ed13]

Well, kinda subjective and in my opinion it will depend mostly on your goals and limitations. So I'll just narrow it down assuming you wanna display these guys out.;) These are my thoughts

AS much as I love a shallow tank discus don't "fit" in these setups, so I say no to tanks much shallower than 20" tall.

While I also love 48" long tanks, 9-11 discus require some space and they do look awesome playing "follow" the leader. So I say no to any tank under 60" long unless it has 24" or more in width.

Really tall tanks are a pain to clean so 30" tall is as tall as I like, but discus do look best in these high tanks

IF you have to grow them out in this tank a 48" long tank and around 20"tall would be easier.

Add to the above any space, money, or any other limitations and I come up with either a custom order 60"long x 24"wide x 20"-24" tall or from your list (which I imagine is the standard sizes provided by GC) the 120g (48 x 24 x 25 Tall) or the 125g (72 x 24 x 17 Tall)

Then again, these are only my thoughts.:crazy:

[AZJeepDude]

Thanks, all, for your recommendations. I've not made a decision yet, but your responses helped me narrow down my choices. Thanks again!

[whiskeyd]

I would go with a 135 gallon. I have a 150 tall right now but I think im going to resell it and try to find a 135 or 180 gallon.

[Darrell Ward]

I would go with a 135 gallon. I have a 150 tall right now but I think im going to resell it and try to find a 135 or 180 gallon.

Let me know when you want to sell that 150. I'm sure we could work out a trade or deal. I have several larger tanks I'm not using, and I'm not that far away. :D