Reply With QuoteI have a 125 gal.six footer and IMO 8-10 large discus is plenty in that tank.I think 12 is a couple too many.
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Re: Discus stressed from water change
Your understanding is wrong.If you have 10 juveniles in 64 gallon tank and when they get close 3 to 4 inches(7 to 10 cm) it would time to re house them in a bigger tank.The prudent thing to do, is aim to house only 6 adults in that size tank.If not mistaken you juveniles are 5 to 6 cm now here is a sample of growth rate .You may be ok for 3 months depending on how fast they grow after that You can make you own judgement how to go forward.Originally Posted by LoGeek
5 ~ 6 cm in 3 months
7 ~ 9 cm in 4 /5 months
10 cm in 6 months
12 cm in 9 months
15 cm in 18 months
18 +cm in 24 months
Quote from Colin Powell
"There are no secrets to success; don’t waste time looking for them. Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty to those for whom you work, and persistence. You must be ready for opportunity when it comes"
Re: Discus stressed from water change
I have a 125 gal.six footer and IMO 8-10 large discus is plenty in that tank.I think 12 is a couple too many.
Re: Discus stressed from water change
I feel a bit dim since I don't fully follow the reasoning
How am I suppose to ain for 6 adults when they need to school with at least 10 others as younger? I'll need a bigger tank before they are big enough so that I can sell a few, and then I might as well keep them since the tank is big enough for all of them anyway.
I suppose you are rigth and the best thing to do is to get a large tank. I don't want to make any more mistakes. I have already made my share of mistakes by starting with a small tank and not properly cycled filter.
In order to squeeze as many gallons as possibly in a little space I find "cubes" and "corner aquariums" to be very space efficient. Hoping to find a big one close by soon.
Today 11/12 are looking healthy and eating. Now there's only one poor guy who is very dark and not eating at all.
Last edited by LoGeek; 08-29-2016 at 11:21 AM.
Re: Discus stressed from water change
Discus are better off if they are kept in groups of 5 or more and there is no rule that they must be kept in a school of 10.A group of 10 increases the chance of getting more than one pair out from them.As a matter of I have six about 8 cm in size housed in a 55 gallon tank. The reason I suggested that you should aim for six adults is because of the tank you mention( 64 gallons). As time goes on you will have to reduce from the original group of ten or twelve that you have now . Perhaps you can get hold of a small tank soon to isolate the poor guy who is very dark.Soon it will get very very sick if it does not come around and it contaminate the tank and you will end up with more issues .I feel a bit dim since I don't fully follow the reasoning
How am I suppose to ain for 6 adults when they need to school with at least 10 others as younger? I'll need a bigger tank before they are big enough so that I can sell a few, and then I might as well keep them since the tank is big enough for all of them anyway.
I suppose you are rigth and the best thing to do is to get a large tank. I don't want to make any more mistakes. I have already made my share of mistakes by starting with a small tank and not properly cycled filter.
In order to squeeze as many gallons as possibly in a little space I find "cubes" and "corner aquariums" to be very space efficient. Hoping to find a big one close by soon.
Today 11/12 are looking healthy and eating. Now there's only one poor guy who is very dark and nnned to ot eating at all.
Quote from Colin Powell
"There are no secrets to success; don’t waste time looking for them. Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty to those for whom you work, and persistence. You must be ready for opportunity when it comes"
Re: Discus stressed from water change
Thanks Akili for you informative replies. Yes maybe 6 fish and a smaller tank is an option. I've just read in several places including Stendkers website that the risk of them finding someone to bully to death is much higher if you have less fish. I've had discus once before and did experience some of that. Also Stendkers website mentions that "competitive feeding" increases with more fish which is good for growth. I'll try to find a larger tank but it's great to know that I can separate them once adults and have a few of them in my 64gallon showtank in my livingroom
I have plenty of small tanks to isolate him if needed. I was just thinking that he is still suffering from stress and all the ammonia/nitrite I've had problems with. I definately don't want it to contaminate the tank. Recommendations on when to isolate?
Re: Discus stressed from water change
When I started to keep Discus in the 1980's back then I started with six of them and numerous times I have purchased 6 of them and it has worked for me. At the same time I should mention that I have never had Stendkers. You can wait a couple of days and see if the fish is not improving then move it.
Quote from Colin Powell
"There are no secrets to success; don’t waste time looking for them. Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty to those for whom you work, and persistence. You must be ready for opportunity when it comes"
Re: Discus stressed from water change
Ok, sounds like an option then. Thanks!
Yes I'll give him a couple of days with lots of fresh water. Have worked miracles for the other fish.
Re: Discus stressed from water change
Lots of water changes has worked many many times,if you watch the video that was liked by me it is mentioned in there by Al Sabetta.Keep us posted how it turns out.
Quote from Colin Powell
"There are no secrets to success; don’t waste time looking for them. Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty to those for whom you work, and persistence. You must be ready for opportunity when it comes"
Re: Discus stressed from water change
Last night the little guy who has not eaten looked drastically worse. He started floating with the stream bouncing into things.
As all the other fish are now eating and looking good I figured that something more serious is bothering him. I had one fish like this last time I kept discus as well. QT and medication would get him to eat but soon the problems would start all over. Is it common that a school of juvies contains one weaker fish who seems to turn sick much easier?
Anyway, I decided the best thing to do was to end his misaries which I did. Spending a lot of time trying to treat him would probably just end in more suffering for him, as well as less time and energy for w/c for the other fish.
Last picture of the sick fish.
2016-08-30 08.19.23.jpg
Re: Discus stressed from water change
Every group of living beings in general has some weaker and some stronger representatives.You did the right thing , If you didn't have time and resources to cure him , he is better off culled .
On this last picture his eye is much bigger than it supposed to be for his growing age , and his shape is already football like , so to me he looks like he was already grown and stunted fish to start with .
As for stocking levels . I Would raise them all 11 in 64 g BB tank and start taking out the smallest or the least desirable one by one until I get to max. 7-8 best looking discus of the group for the long run.
Last edited by Filip; 08-30-2016 at 03:12 AM.
Re: Discus stressed from water change
Thanks for encouragement Filip!
I don't believe he was stunted to begin with since I recieved them straight from Stendker and all looked identical in shape and size. But he didn't eat at all. You're right though, that he was so skinny that the eyes looked huge and the shape was like an american football.
Yes some just seem stronger than others. Even among my healthy discus I can already notice significant difference in growth. Some really stuff themselves full with food every meal and are 20% bigger than the rest. Just look at the difference between these two pigeons that were identical and came in the same bag a couple of weeks ago:
2016-08-30 17.33.49.jpg
Turning my 64 gallon planted display tank into a bare bottom discus tank is compelling, due to the fact that my wife and three kids also would like some space and money. But it would be more fun to keep my aquascape and get the discus a 100 gallon tank instead
Last edited by LoGeek; 08-30-2016 at 11:35 AM.
Re: Discus stressed from water change
When moving my discus to another tank, can I just move the sponge filter and filter media along with them to immediately have a cycled tank? Or do I need to do a full cycling with other filters in the new tank after hydrogen peroxide disinfection?
Re: Discus stressed from water change
Move the sponge filter and filter media along with them to the sterilized tank.You can add the sterilized filters with new media to tank but it will take time for them to get cycled,One can also add media from cycled one to a new filter.
Quote from Colin Powell
"There are no secrets to success; don’t waste time looking for them. Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty to those for whom you work, and persistence. You must be ready for opportunity when it comes"
Re: Discus stressed from water change
Its perfectly normal if you transfer your current filter media from this tank on your new tank to do an instant cycle.
It's not advisable to use cycled media from other tanks with other fish in it because this can pose cross contamination issues.
Re: Discus stressed from water change
Ok. Sounds easy to move them to another tank once the filters are fully cycled then.
I've found a tank that I could buy. It's about 60x20x20 inch (100 gallons). If I ever in the future get a pair and would like to learn and try some breeding, is it the possible to put a divider in one end of the tank for the breeding couple? To give them a 20x20x20inch space? That would make w/c easier but also one less tank to fit somewhere...
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