New Discus Tank!

[aquadon2222]

Hello fellow Discusites!

I'm a long time aquarist and was in the process of trying to set up a 1000 litre (appx 300 gallon) cube saltwater reef tank, but when I saw the discus at my LFS I was hooked and want to make a discus tank. I've decorated my tank with mostly hardscape but also with some nice plants, and am in the process of cycling the waterin my tank getting ready for my discus. I'v'e got water parameters perfect and have 6 discus from Hans and Kenny, all about 5". With a 280 gal tank, I was told that I can get up to 28 fish. My plan is to continue to slowly add more fish, including some wilds. I will post pics when my tank is looking good.

Any tips are appreciated!

Water: 6.5 ph
Temp: 28-30 celsius
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 0
GH Hardness: 40

[dkeef]

my advice. add as many as possible from 1 source. GL!

[wild4discus]

That's a nice size tank, but the max number of discus I would keep in that tank would be 15-18 IMO. Reason is so they are not packed in like sardines and have room to move around. This also makes it easier to keep better water quality. I agree with above post to try to get discus from one source as this will help reduce your chances of problems with disease. Good luck with your new tank.

[lipadj46]

I would put 25 or so in there

[aquadon2222]

Thanks guys. I have a quarantine tank that I use, but good advice buying from one source. I can already see that I'm going to have a hard time though from not overstocking, because I've keep a file of pictures of Discus that I want and there are about 30 pictures already. I've noticed the ones I do have seem to like to stick together - in fact even with all of the room that they have now, they actually seem to brush up against one another frequently, almost like it comforts them to know they're close to each other. It's also an open top tank, so I lose nearly 5 gallons of water a day to evaporation alone which I replace when doing water changes.

[OC Discus]

Even after hours of chasing by the bully, they all huddle up together for a group hug. I think a lot of the chasing is playing, like dogs wrestle with each other. They are setting up a pecking order, but not usually trying to kill one another.

Thanks guys. I have a quarantine tank that I use, but good advice buying from one source. I can already see that I'm going to have a hard time though from not overstocking, because I've keep a file of pictures of Discus that I want and there are about 30 pictures already. I've noticed the ones I do have seem to like to stick together - in fact even with all of the room that they have now, they actually seem to brush up against one another frequently, almost like it comforts them to know they're close to each other. It's also an open top tank, so I lose nearly 5 gallons of water a day to evaporation alone which I replace when doing water changes.

[a volar]

It's also an open top tank, so I lose nearly 5 gallons of water a day to evaporation alone which I replace when doing water changes.

Be careful discus can and will jump sooner or later........

[BODYDUB]

My advice. Would be to put those 6 in a 76G tank, then watch, learn, read and grow as a discus keeper before you move to a 300Gish. A 300Gish tank is gonna be a PITA when something goes downhill, especially with the number of fish you "may" add. To me it sounds like a recipe for disaster.........

[aquadon2222]

My advice. Would be to put those 6 in a 76G tank, then watch, learn, read and grow as a discus keeper before you move to a 300Gish. A 300Gish tank is gonna be a PITA when something goes downhill, especially with the number of fish you "may" add. To me it sounds like a recipe for disaster.........

Too late now! Seriously, though, I've got a discus expert from my LFS who comes by every 2 weeks to check everything out, I've already learned a lot.

[aquadon2222]

Be careful discus can and will jump sooner or later........

I've heard that...someone said they usually freak out and run into the glass and then go straight up and out, rather than just jumping, so I've got a 2" lip around the tank to "hopefully" prevent jumpers.

[Elliots]

Not only get your Discus from one or very few sources, get your Discus all at once if you can.

[nc0gnet0]

I've got a discus expert from my LFS

Now, there is an oxymoron if there ever was one. You have plenty of people in Texas in which have 1000x the experience as any LFS store employee, I suggest you direct any questions you may have towards them instead.

Not a big fan of planted tanks, but if you must, you must.

Mixing sources is one thing, and can be done if acclimated properly. However, keep the domestics with the domestics, and the wilds with the wilds. DO NOT mix these.

[BODYDUB]

Too late now! Seriously, though, I've got a discus expert from my LFS who comes by every 2 weeks to check everything out, I've already learned a lot.

Be careful with those so called LFS discus experts..................

[Skip]

Be careful with those so called LFS discus experts..................

Exactly. . In my 4 years in Austin. . I have never found any lfs person who knew much about discus..
sounds to me u are paying monthly for a person to come over and say "yep, looks good.. here is service invoice"

[aquadon2222]

This guy knows his stuff. He even has a place in the Amazonas Region of Venezuela that borders Brazil in the Amazon basin and goes there twice a year on "discus trips" traveling by boat up the various Amazon tributaries. He's not your average LFS guy!