Should I get Discus?

[Farhan]

Been going back and forth over this for quite a while now and am really contemplating discus. I feel like now that I have some funds I would like to dive into discus. I have a 75-gallon tank with a Rio Nanay Scalare and a Green Severum. I know the severum probably wont work out here but say I were to keep 4-5 discus in the tank with just my angel (almost fully grown). I have a sunsun canister on the tank. Currently change 50-75% a week but can up that to 2 maybe 3 times. I can buy the discus as 4 inchers from Monster Aquarium inc here. I think they are pretty reputable, I got my angelfish from them. Anyone advise otherwise? I probably won't add any other tankmates with them for a while until I get comfortable with the discus. Also hoping to add a universal rocks background, "Deep Water" and my substrate is sand. I know BB would be better but I'm not sure I can do BB.

https://www.universalrocks.com/fish/...nds/deep-water

[LizStreithorst]

Go with 6 Discus plus the Angel. Keep you WC up like you say and don't get lazy. Keep up with your water parameters at first and most of all watch the fish. They will let you know if they are comfortable or not. Good luck.

[jeep]

You're starting off the right way. Too many people jump right in and have a hard time. If you really want substrate then you know what lies ahead - clean water and regular maintenance to keep the bio load in check. For a tank with substrate, I wouldn't go below 4" discus. Good luck and keep the questions coming!!

[Iminit]

Hey good to see your back. I’d hold off on the back ground and the severum. As to places to buy on the island there is a seller called Winnies discus. This is a seller of discus only. They breed and sell discus from select discus sellers. Another good choice is Hans discus.

[Farhan]

Sorry for the long respone-

Yeah, I got caught up with a lot of things during the pandemic and during that point, the tank was just stagnant. No new fish no deaths (besides a single silvertip - the last of its school that I've had for many years.) The manzanita branches I had in the tank had shrunk and started to break off. I was thinking I would get my fish from Monster Aquarium Inc here in NYC as they seem pretty reputable and sell 4-inch discus of a whole bunch of strains for good prices.
Im not looking for show quality discus or dinner plate sized ones but discus that will look good and are healthy. Also, why wait on the background?
I can only shell out 60-80 USD per discus at most and want them as big as possible. I'm not sure if I should buy them all at once or once a week or anything like that. I don't want to overload the system. Contrary to what I would have done in previous years I want to keep the stock relatively low so that maintenance is manageable alongside school work and all that.
I am hoping to get the least amount of discus possible so that there isn't pressure on water quality. What is the difference between getting 4 or 5 or 6 discus? I know 4 may be too small. 5 is the bare minimum correct? 6 I would love to get because, well more discus but I already have the angel.
Off-topic but let me tell you all about this angelfish. Got it from Monster Aquarium Inc for a pretty penny but by far the best investment ever. It is a true Rio Nanay angel with a curved snout and longer pelvic fins that curve back. Its spotted and has red coloration on the fins. high recommend anyone to get one if they have the chance. If I cant go discus I would definitely go with these guys or Manacapurus. Or schools of angels and discus if I had the space.

[Farhan]

Also, I seem to be facing an algae problem even with my lights off at all times (mine broke and haven't come across to get a replacement) and only feeding twice a day. Should I get an algae cleaner if I am doing discus and angels? If so which ones?

[Iminit]

For algae get the 24w green killing machine. Look online for best price.
As to Monster. Same as last time. I’ve been there it’s a nice store. But it’s a pet store. For discus Healthy discus it’s best to buy from one of the sponsors here. Check out the new thread from Forrest discus Pingo discus. Yes you’ll pay for shipping but much stronger fish. I recomended Winnies because they are close to you and you can make an appt. and see and pick what you want. Only thing with them is I think there discus are in the large size. Not sure if they sell 4” discus. Next I picked Hans. Hans to me just has great discus. I would actually call them beginner discus. I’ve bought 14 from him now and have only lost one. Another seller that is close is discus madness. They are in Jersey. But right on the other side of the Hudson. This place comes highly recomended. Many on the simply discus Facebook site use them.

As to buying one at a time. This could lead into problems. A big thing now is cross contamination. A place like Monster with discus from wholesalers can have this problem. Next what type of water is monster using? Is it tap water or some type of ro water? Our tap water is great for discus.

As to the angel you have to remember both these types of fish are cichlids. Cichlids can be territorial and aggressive. Being the angel has been in this tank for awhile it’s probably it’s tank. The whole tank. So it may be aggressive to the discus. If it is the more discus the better to spread out the aggression.

Next no matter what you need to do water changes. Yes there are those who say you don’t. They are few and far between and not around for long. Especially when new. Clean daily 50% water changes for the first month for best results. Than you can slow it down. To every other day than every two days. With a end result of 2 a week.

As to the background.yes it’s nice looking but waste and debris can build up between the stones and cause water issues. That’s why I would avoid it. There are many backgrounds with designs on them that just get taped to the outside of the tank. For discus you want the easiest to clean water.

[Farhan]

Ah, I didn't even think about that with the background, I think ill avoid that for now. WC I plan to do as many as possible, so likely 2-3 50% a week. I am hoping the angelfish won't attack the discus and I'll be sure to add scaping that breaks the line of sight to reduce any aggression that may occur. Maybe even feed in two different areas during feeding. As of now, the severum is the dominant one in the tank but it may take over if the severum is removed. I would like to buy as many at a time as possible but if I were to buy from Hans or Discus Madness the only way I could get all 6 at the same time is if I were to buy them smaller than 4 inches. I am leaning towards Hans.


Winnie's discus has 4-5 inch discus available but only certain strains - all of which are out of stock.
I am hoping to buy as many as possible as big as possible for as little as possible.

What is the difference between 3 inch and 4 inch discus? I know bigger is better and the last thing I want to do is stunt them but if I were to raise 6 in that tank how should I go about it?

Should I stay away from buying from MA Inc? I can buy all 6 at once at decent sizes from there.

Also my canister filter has a built in UV should I use both then?

[Iminit]

Ok look at these discus.http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...ent-Price-list Forrest is one of the best breeders. Pingo is now a seller their discus. I think he’s going to be great and have read and seen may of his fish which have been bought and are now in peoples tanks. In this new listing he has many nice discus at the 3.5 - 4.5” range. I have 4 of Forrests discus that I bought at these sizes and all have grown nicely. Pingo is located in Boston so not to far. And shipping will be quick. Yes these fish are expensive. But buying from these sponsors is your best bet. 750E0B87-B5D6-41E0-BBC9-F366B61362CC.jpg. The 2 far left are from Forrest most of the rest are from Hans and Dennis discus.

[Farhan]

The list you sent me is perfect. They are a good size, affordable and as you say good quality. How much would shipping be in our area?

[Iminit]

Sorry I don’t know. Shipping varies. Best to just contact Pingo.

[Iminit]

I’ve got a thread running here http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...-inches-discus
Farebox added a video. In it he’s got a rock background that looks very good. It’s just taped to the back and a lot cheaper than what you were looking for plus it doesn’t take up any space inside the tank.

[Farhan]

I've decided I may just go with no background. My walls are painted very very light blue almost white so I think because the tank is against a wall it won't really bother me. However, when stocking with discus is there a big difference between having 4 vs 5 vs 6 discus? 6 would stock it more, 5 is the bare minimum and 4 would be a lighter stocking which I prefer but if aggression is an issue I will avoid. What about tankmates if any? I'm wanting to hold off on adding any for a while. Unless adding tankmates, only a small school of cardinals or similar or a few GBR. I saw the combo in your tank and wow. But I'm not yet decided if I will add tankmates but always a possibility. I saw a post about Red Spotted Green Discus (Rio Nanay - gave me biotope inspiration) and I really am looking for something like that except not wild due to the difficulty of keeping wilds.

[seanyuki]

Imo thats what happens when you buy 4 small/young fish, there will always be bigger ones..and smaller ones and middle ones due to aggressive. It always establishes a pecking order. This is the reason people will say to keep at least 6. The higher the number of fish the less you will see the problem as the aggression gets spread out over the entire tank.

[Farhan]

Ah I was going to get 5 but 6 would probably be better.Is 2 50-60% WC a week only gravel vaccing once a week on weekends a good maintenance schedule? May add another WC to the sched depending on how busy I am. i usually put the python in and then go off to do other things but stay nearby to monitor it. Also I saw Iminit's tank with the GBR and I would like GBR and some cardinals to occupy lower regions of the tank but will hold off on it or may not do it at all if it's not smart. Thoughts?