noob question

[pomby27]

hey all, i'm new to discus keeping, and i was wondering whats the minimal number of discus to keep together to ensure that they are happy and healthy. and what size tank would they require, ( i have a empty 30 gallon tank) thanks.

Chester

[BlueTurquoise]

Hi Chester,

6-8 is a good number. That way they feel safe, the bullying is spread out and most importantly there is competition at feeding time which helps them eat more and fast!

Good luck with whatever you decide!
Chong

[redlines]

I am with Chong on this.

Buy 6-8 at 3 to 3.5 inches. Grow them out for 3 months and trade a LFS the 2 or 3 you like least for FOOD or a BIGGER TANK.

Adult pairs do good in a 29Gal. IMO I would NEVER go smaller.

Right now I have twelve 5.5 to 6 inchers in a 70 gallon tank & it is crowded. I will be selling off a few and moving up to a 120 gallon really soon!

Andy

[BlueTurquoise]

That is a great tip Andy!. Some LFS are happy to take in Discus. They make a lot of money from them, esp if the ones you don't want are still of very good quality, health and size. I am thinking about selling soon and many LFS that I have aproached are ready to take them in!

Chong

[YZFR1rider]

What kind of price does the LFS give when you trade in your discus?

Matt

[BlueTurquoise]

Depends on size, quality, health, strain, the popularity of Discus with that particular LFS, how much they want to pay, how much the LFS will bargain you down, depends on if they have a system of sell back or not.

Generally I buy my juveniles at around AU$40 to Au$60 and some places will take them back at 1/3 retail price as policy and some will just do a total amount for the lot, some will offer on eyeing them etc.

Just to give you an idea, the guys that buy for 1/3, sell their larger 4-5 inch discus for AU$180 for 1 so 1/3 would be around the AU$60 mark which is resonable. Another place will probably do around the AU$80 mark per fish. It all depends and varies greatly on many factors. Also it's best to go to LFS that move alot of Discus in their trade. That said many will just say no...

Take a pic of your fish and aproach LFS and you will get a good idea. That's what I did or you can just call around. The other option may be Ebay or the like.

Chong