How many discus in 55 gallon?

[BradC]

Hello everyone!

Ok I have searched and found many threads on this issue but never found a straight answer.

I know (pretty sure) that discus need 10-15 gallons each. I also know that they like to be in numbers of 5-6+.

My plan is to have 6 2.5" discus with cory cats as a clean up crew in a planted 55 gal. Most would say that fish of this size need a BB tank to be grown out but if water quality is kept high is this something that is do-able? Also would like to keep the original 6 in the 55 gallon and not have to move them out once they grow.

Please post your opinions, concerns, or what number of discus would be able to thrive in a 55 gallon planted tank with out aggression taking over.

Thanks!

[dadecountyalan]

6!

dont go with any less or your going to have to deal with what im dealing with. lots and lots of aggression

[Skip]

brad.. go with some larger discus.. they are more stable and you will have less chance of getting a stunted/runt.. since the breeder will have already culled them )) you get 6 2.5.. and your chances are greater for them not to grow as well.. try less then 4". . just a little fyi.. good luck

ps.. i have 5 in my 55.. 3" to 5" or so thinking about adding a couple of my other grow outs.. the largest ones

[discuspaul]

6 would be just fine, whether juvie or near adult/adult. With a planted tank though, you'll just have to be more diligent with your cleaning, vacuuming, filtering, etc., to maintain high water quality, and not neglect those large, frequent, and regular water changes.

[BradC]

Thanks warlock and discuspaul!

The only reason I was going smaller was one they are cheaper and two b/c I thought younger would be better for the size of the tank.

Warlock it's good to see you have almost the same situation going on in your tank with much success. I will also look into getting bigger discus 3-4"

Discuspaul I'm hoping due to the plants it will not only keep the water clean of impurities but also give more of a natural (enjoyable) environment for the discus.. I agree that WC's and everything that comes with them are key and will be done several times a week.

Thanks again!

[discuspaul]

Brad,
I too prefer a planted discus tank for the look - and one thing for sure is that with the wc's and plants, nitrates are always consistently maintained at "0", or just a trace. I do 50% wc's 2-3 X a week, and keep 10 juvies -3" to 4" or so, in my 75 gallon. No problems - they're doing just great. Have a look:
http://s1105.photobucket.com/albums/.../flamingsnakes

[BradC]

Brad,
I too prefer a planted discus tank for the look - and one thing for sure is that with the wc's and plants, nitrates are always consistently maintained at "0", or just a trace. I do 50% wc's 2-3 X a week, and keep 10 juvies -3" to 4" or so, in my 75 gallon. No problems - they're doing just great. Have a look:
http://s1105.photobucket.com/albums/.../flamingsnakes

Great looking tank and discus! They look really happy

Do you just have sand as a subtrate? If so are you using root tabs for the plants?

[discuspaul]

Yup - just silica pool filter sand. And yes, I fert with root tabs, (replaced every 4 months or so), along with 2 X weekly dosing of Flourish Excel and Comprehensive Supplement. Seems to work just fine.