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Hello all,
I am looking to dive into the wonderful world of discus after transitioning a 125G reef tank to a planted tank. I have been lurking for a while gaining as much knowledge as possible before pulling the trigger on a group of discus. Hoping there may be some breeders/groups around the Twin Cities to meet up with or purchase livestock from. There doesn't seem to be too large of a selection locally from what I have seen. Anyhow, good to finally be registered and posting! :D
Welcome. Please consider adult discus as your first experience if you go the planted tank route. Just a 16 hour drive over to Hans Discus....
I will most definitely consider adults. 16 hour drive is a bit much though. Lol. Is there any reason in particular you would suggest adults over juveniles for planted tank?
Juveniles do much better in a clean/clear/bar bottom tank as they are touchy during their growth period. Planted tanks/substrate are hard to keep as clean as you need them for young discus. Adults have done most of their growing and can adapt easier to less-than-ideal conditions. Young discus need frequent large water changes (daily or every other day) which usually doesn't match with the needs of a planted tank.
Check the sponsor section here and you will find some excellent quality discus. Shipping costs will suck a little but you can rest easy knowing you bought some of the best on the market.
Hi Tony and welcome to SD! To add to what Mike said, the general recommendation is for groups of at least 6 adults (4+")from the same source. That number seems to minimize aggression and supports their social nature, and the same source helps avoid mixing I think bacterial environments. Mike mentioned Hans, and I would encourage you to check out the sponsor section. They've basically all been vetted as reputable sellers. There are also a number of good hobbyists that sell in the Marketplace section. I'm not familiar with anyone in Minneapolis, but I know there are a few members through Wisconsin and Illinois.
Prices will vary with each sponsor, but if you're buying nice adults, I'd expect to pay between $100-$150 per fish. Can be more depending on what you like.
*I wrote 4" as a minimum, although at that size they are still likely "teenagers." 5" is a better adult size.
G'day from Down Under and have fun here! I am new to the forum as well. Looks like the best Discus knowledge data base in the world is HERE,, good luck
Welcome to Simply Tony!
I agree with Mike and Steve about the planted tank. If you wanted to go smaller you could grow them out yourself and add some plants when they reach adulthood. The forum is great to help keep people from making mistakes that we all have been through. You can save yourself a lot of time, money and disappointment. Many people try to save money on the small ones but don't realize the cost of raising them, food, water, invested time, electricity makes them equal by the time they are grown.
Enjoy the process what ever path you take. There are many good people here to help you along the way. Keep us posted on your progress.
Hi Tony, welcome aboard. I hope you found your answers here.