You can have ten 3 ins discus in a 55 gallons tank providing you do a big water change everyday.
Can you stock a dozen of discus in a 55 gallon tank if you do frequent water change eg: every day or every other day?
You can have ten 3 ins discus in a 55 gallons tank providing you do a big water change everyday.
Grasshopper
Francis
They will get bigger and then you will need a bigger tank or get rid of some of them.
Chris
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."~ Mahatma Gandhi
and more WC
Henry
Back to Discus grin:
Just to give you an idea, i have a 46 gal bow front tank that is home to 4 adult discus. They all get along very well and no fighting but if you want my opininon my tank would be just perfect for a pair (2) discus.
Hope this helps
While I don't personally subscribe to the 10 gal/discus "rule," in your scenario, I would not do it. It has to do with the fact that most 55gal tanks are the "tall" variety. This means that there is not much surface area to provide enough oxygen exchange for the bio-load. While you could aerate the water column, you also run into the problem of not enough "floorspace".
In other words, at night, when they settle down, a number of the fish will be forced to sleep out in the open, which could be kinda stressful.
BTW, I have a 60 gal long. Not that I will, but I would overload this one and NOT the 55 because the 60 has a lot of surface area.
Tim
Tim makes a very good point and yes it is very "possible" to do what you are asking.
Chad Hughes
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Heavily stocked tanks are inherently less stable environments, for starters. When things change, sometimes for the worse, that'll happen a lot faster than in sparsely stocked aquaria.
As the discus grow, they'll need more personal space, which they seem to establish in a horizontal sort of way. When they don't get it, aggression levels and stress increase, not necessarily in a linear fashion... it can get ugly for the weaker members of the community. The stronger fish will attempt to create the space they want, one way or another... the weaker members become more prone to illness, which, once established, spreads...
I'm sure that what's been proposed would work, for awhile, but plans for change need to be made, because change will occur...
Also very good points! Well said.
Chad Hughes
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The "10 galon" guide line is not a hard and fast rule but....Discus get big. Even if you can keep them healthy with WC more than 1 BIG discus per 10g will look crowded. All IMO; Don T.
well can someone give me a 250 gallon tank?
I had four 6 inch plus discus in a 40 gallon breeder...they grew to that size in that tank. But once a pair formed, I moved two out and the pair now occupy the 40 breeder....and they are so MUCH more comfortable. They breathe much slower, swims very slowly and intentionally...and really act like the regal kings that they are supposed to be. Of course, the fact that they are a pair also make them happy by themselves. They are just so much happier by themselves. mike
No, silly boy...
But you might find somebody "almost" giving away another 55 or even larger tank on Craigslist...
Having made a bum deal on a 75, I generally don't buy tanks that aren't filled with water when I show up to negotiate, however... Show 'em the money- cash does funny things to people...