Starting discus grow out tank

[Rosskeegan24]

Hi all, i have a 44 gallon tank which i have decided to fill with 4-5 2inch blue pidgeon blood discus, i will be growing them out untill i get a pair and selling the rest,i understand that this tank is relatively small for this but i think if i stay on top of my constant water changes and ensure the water is always pristine i should be good , this is not my first discus tank however i do have some questions.
1. What type of filtration should i be running on this tank in order to produce healty, non stunted discus?
2. Because they are a PB strain i know peppering is to be expected however i do want to try to keep it to a minimum , i currently have the bottom, the back and 1 side painted white. Any advice on how to further prevent it ?
3. What water change shedule should i be keeping to i.e percentage,how frequently ? I currently age my water for 24 hours, agitate it, aerate it, heat it amd dechlorinate it.
4. What food should i be feeding in order to achieve maximum growth ? Also should i invest in an auto feeder to keep up with the feeding while i am out during the day ?
5. I will be ordering them online and getting them delivered by courier , what acclimation technique should i use ? Also what medd should i treat them with to get them back to full health from the shipping ?

Any other advice/comments are welcome ?
Thanks , Ross

[Rosskeegan24]

I have recently been able to get my hands on a 65 gallon so i have a bit more room, anybody have any advice at all ? Thanks

[discuspaul]

With 2" fish, you'd be well-advised to maintain a complete bare-bottom tank, with large (75% or more) daily wcs, certainly until they're 3.5"-4", and with multiple daily feedings. It might be best to start them off in the 44 gal. for a couple/few months before moving them to the 65 gal.

Filtration is not a major consideration with the large daily wcs, but you might consider 1 (or 2) sponge filters in the 44 or an AC 70 for ease of cleansing/handling, and say 2 sponge filters for the 65 or an AC 110.

Your white bottom & sides for the PB's is just fine - you can't really do more than that to avoid or limit peppering.

Feeding should be concentrated on high protein content, and certainly with at least 1 daily feeding of a beef heart mix, with clean up immediately following - suggest you think about 1 feeding of beef heart in the early morning, and another in the late afternoon or early evening when you have time to clean up afterwards. At 2", the fish should readily take to brine or mysis shrimp for a while - and you can research good flakes or other foods which have reasonably good protein content.
Al's freeze-dried blackworms are a good example.
A good auto feeder may be the answer to say 2 or so daytime feedings while you're away.

The fish will be going into a pristine environment when received, so besides ensuring the temp & pH in the tank and the shipping containers are reasonably aligned, then do a simple plop & drop into the tank. Empty each bag of fish into a net held over a bucket & then drop the fish from the net directly into the tank.

Assuming you're getting quality domestic fish from a well-known reputable, experienced source, no medicating is needed.
Good luck with your grow-out.

[Filip]

Hi all, i have a 44 gallon tank which i have decided to fill with 4-5 2inch blue pidgeon blood discus, i will be growing them out untill i get a pair and selling the rest,i understand that this tank is relatively small for this but i think if i stay on top of my constant water changes and ensure the water is always pristine i should be good , this is not my first discus tank however i do have some questions.
1. What type of filtration should i be running on this tank in order to produce healty, non stunted discus?
2. Because they are a PB strain i know peppering is to be expected however i do want to try to keep it to a minimum , i currently have the bottom, the back and 1 side painted white. Any advice on how to further prevent it ?
3. What water change shedule should i be keeping to i.e percentage,how frequently ? I currently age my water for 24 hours, agitate it, aerate it, heat it amd dechlorinate it.
4. What food should i be feeding in order to achieve maximum growth ? Also should i invest in an auto feeder to keep up with the feeding while i am out during the day ?
5. I will be ordering them online and getting them delivered by courier , what acclimation technique should i use ? Also what medd should i treat them with to get them back to full health from the shipping ?

Any other advice/comments are welcome ?
Thanks , Ross

Hi Ross and good luck with your future journey .

1. Get 2 sponges , or a hob and a sponge , or a canister filter filled with bio filtration . Mechanical filtration I.e. sponge only on the intake.

2.Nothing else except what you've already done .

3.60-70 % daily at night before lights are off .
Regilular siphoning and glass wipe down , daily too.
Aged water is perfect .

4. High protein food such as Beefheart, shrimps and FDBW along with granulated food and artemia .
Autofeeder is good to replace 1 -2 meal , just be sure they readily eat the food from the feeder.

5. put the bags closed in the tank to adjust the temperature and drop them right away in your tank once the temperature is equalized.

Good luck and keep us updated Ross

[Rosskeegan24]

With 2" fish, you'd be well-advised to maintain a complete bare-bottom tank, with large (75% or more) daily wcs, certainly until they're 3.5"-4", and with multiple daily feedings. It might be best to start them off in the 44 gal. for a couple/few months before moving them to the 65 gal.

Filtration is not a major consideration with the large daily wcs, but you might consider 1 (or 2) sponge filters in the 44 or an AC 70 for ease of cleansing/handling, and say 2 sponge filters for the 65 or an AC 110.

Your white bottom & sides for the PB's is just fine - you can't really do more than that to avoid or limit peppering.

Feeding should be concentrated on high protein content, and certainly with at least 1 daily feeding of a beef heart mix, with clean up immediately following - suggest you think about 1 feeding of beef heart in the early morning, and another in the late afternoon or early evening when you have time to clean up afterwards. At 2", the fish should readily take to brine or mysis shrimp for a while - and you can research good flakes or other foods which have reasonably good protein content.
Al's freeze-dried blackworms are a good example.
A good auto feeder may be the answer to say 2 or so daytime feedings while you're away.

The fish will be going into a pristine environment when received, so besides ensuring the temp & pH in the tank and the shipping containers are reasonably aligned, then do a simple plop & drop into the tank. Empty each bag of fish into a net held over a bucket & then drop the fish from the net directly into the tank.

Assuming you're getting quality domestic fish from a well-known reputable, experienced source, no medicating is needed.
Good luck with your grow-out.

Thanks for the advice paul ! Much appreciated knowledge

[Rosskeegan24]

Hi Ross and good luck with your future journey .

1. Get 2 sponges , or a hob and a sponge , or a canister filter filled with bio filtration . Mechanical filtration I.e. sponge only on the intake.

2.Nothing else except what you've already done .

3.60-70 % daily at night before lights are off .
Regilular siphoning and glass wipe down , daily too.
Aged water is perfect .

4. High protein food such as Beefheart, shrimps and FDBW along with granulated food and artemia .
Autofeeder is good to replace 1 -2 meal , just be sure they readily eat the food from the feeder.

5. put the bags closed in the tank to adjust the temperature and drop them right away in your tank once the temperature is equalized.

Good luck and keep us updated Ross

Thanks filip , ill be sure to start a grow out blog when they arrive !.