Help! Discus raiser wants to keep a pair in a smaller tank

Hi All,

I am not new to keeping discus; in the past I have often bought small (5cm) fish and succesfully raised them to adults in largers (200-300L) tanks. Due to finishing up my studies and starting the working life, I did not have the time for the daily WCs, feeding them every hour etc etc.

However, since a few months I have that itch again and want to keep Discus again. Other fish just dont cut it for me...

I would like to buy an adult couple and keep them in a smaller planted tank (new house comes with size restrictions) such as a Juwel Lido shaped one for instance. I am wondering if this is even possible at all and if so, what are the minimums and things I have to consider?

Cheers!

I kept a pair of Brown Discus in a 30 gallon planted tank. If I was to do it over the plants would be in clay pots and there would be a bare bottom. To clean the gravel as well as it needs to be cleaned is very hard on plant roots. My last Discus go around I had plants in clay pots and a bare bottom tank. My 75-90% daily water change made the plants and fish grow extremely well. I could also use plant ferts in the pot and not disturb the fertilizer buy sucking it out cleaning the gravel. Less than a 30gal you'll need to choose plants or fish as I personally thinking 20 gallon would be too small.
either way you'll need to do a good 50 to 75% water change daily.

I personally would not keep an adult pair in a tank under 50g. And that has nothing to do with discus and more to do with keeping fish in humane conditions in general. They simply get too large to be confined to such a small tank. Beyond that, the larger the tank the more forgiving it will be.

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Originally Posted by number1sixerfan

I personally would not keep an adult pair in a tank under 50g. And that has nothing to do with discus and more to do with keeping fish in humane conditions in general. They simply get too large to be confined to such a small tank. Beyond that, the larger the tank the more forgiving it will be.

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If you abide by the 1 fish per gallon as many here do then a 20 gallon tank is okay for 2 breeding discus. Humane or not that is how it is done. The larger tanks will make it harder for the fry to find the parents, which is why breeders lower the water level of a tank after a spawn. For example if you have a 30 gallon breeder tank and lower the level by 1/3 you are left with 20 gallons. So 20 gallons is reasonable for a discus breeder. At this moment I am watching a proven pair located in a 20 gallon. Those two fish are using about 25% of that tank with 75% left unused.

Why do you want to keep a mated pair in a small, planted tank? They won't be able to spawn successfully under such conditions. Best to keep some other fish and wait until you can do discus right - as they're not a forgiving species.

It sound to me that your answer is between 20 and 50 gallons with 20 requiring close to a 100% daily water change. Assuming I am correct, how much water change would be required in a 50 gallon for a 6 inch pair to maintained good health only?

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Originally Posted by alron2

It sound to me that your answer is between 20 and 50 gallons with 20 requiring close to a 100% daily water change. Assuming I am correct, how much water change would be required in a 50 gallon for a 6 inch pair to maintained good health only?

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Willie is 100% per day while I am 100% per week. Twenty gallons is sufficient for a pair. After the fry are free swimming and feeding heavy then increase water changes are required.

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Originally Posted by peewee1

If you abide by the 1 fish per gallon as many here do then a 20 gallon tank is okay for 2 breeding discus. Humane or not that is how it is done. The larger tanks will make it harder for the fry to find the parents, which is why breeders lower the water level of a tank after a spawn. For example if you have a 30 gallon breeder tank and lower the level by 1/3 you are left with 20 gallons. So 20 gallons is reasonable for a discus breeder. At this moment I am watching a proven pair located in a 20 gallon. Those two fish are using about 25% of that tank with 75% left unused.

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He's not even talking about breeding or keeping them in a small tank temporarily. Can a pair be kept in a 30 gallon tank forever without dying? Sure. Is it humane, smart or ideal? No. It's just not.

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Originally Posted by number1sixerfan

He's not even talking about breeding or keeping them in a small tank temporarily. Can a pair be kept in a 30 gallon tank forever without dying? Sure. Is it humane, smart or ideal? No. It's just not.

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You are going to create many disagreement with that statement. Of course a hobbyist can keep as may as 5 discus in a 30 gallon bare tank as long as the water change is consistent with the bio load. Only a fish would know that is humane or not.

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Originally Posted by peewee1

You are going to create many disagreement with that statement. Of course a hobbyist can keep as may as 5 discus in a 30 gallon bare tank as long as the water change is consistent with the bio load. Only a fish would know that is humane or not.

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And that's totally fine, it's a really subjective topic. One that you and I and I'm sure some others will disagree on. No harm no foul. Again, I'm not talking about whether you can keep discus alive or not. Keeping discus in a 30 gallon tank (and especially in a planted tank with plants taking up space) is similar to you or I living in a 200 square foot apartment. If you're fine with that then cool, I'm not and wouldn't suggest it. But to each their own.

I'm not arguing about space and water changes here, rather that fry cannot survive in a tank with substrates. So if breeding is not the objective, why keep an adult pair?