Should i get 3" Discus or 4" Discus? first time

[CanuckGame]

Basically, im thinking of turning my 75 gallon into a Discus tank.

my supplier has a LARGE variety of discus, but the prices vary greatly, i heard 4"+ Discus are the best to get as their immune systems are strong by this point and you are past the "hard" part of keeping Discus.

now he has 3"Discus for 40.00 which is reasonable, but once they get to 4" he sells them for $80.00-$195.00 each! so im saving a BOATLOAD of cash by getting 3"

now, how long and what should i do to grow them out as fast and healthy as i can if i do get them at 3"? i have to drive 4 hours ONE WAY to pick these fush up, so obviously, if i will save money in the long run by getting 4" Discus i will, as i dont want to get a batch of 3" fish and have them die right away on me.

[Skip]

4".. get them shipped.. probably cheaper than 8 hours of driving.

[Nick Klimkowski]

I would go with the 4 in fish, because yes they will be a little hardier. However if you are willing to put a little extra work in, you could do 3 in fish. You will have to make sure you are doing your daily water changes as well as regular feedings. But in the end you will have to be doing this for the 4 in fish as well. If you can drive to pick your fish up do it. In the end it is safer for the fish.

[SMB2]

6 inches:p
If you go with three inch you might consider a BB grow out tank and let the 75 gal mature with cories etc.

[Cabe]

Get 3 inch fish if you are going to change water everyday and feed well. They will be 4 inches before you know it.

[treemanone2003]

Honestly, only you can make the decision as what to buy. What everybody else has suggested, you can't go wrong. It really depends on the amount of time you are willing to (or can) put into them. As for me, I would look at the sponsors here, wait for another shipment, and see what really sparks your eye. All of the sponsors have phenomenal reviews. That's why they're sponsors. I've ordered from Kenny, have a trip in the plans to visit Hans, and still waiting to finish my stock. Please keep in mind that it's been recommended (many times over) to not mix from different suppliers and if this is your first go with Discus, partake in a lot of reading to be successful with them. There are a multitude of stickies in the beginner area that may help you make that choice. Above all, no matter what you've "heard", if you didn't hear it here, I probably wouldn't believe it. Hope that helps and best of luck in your decisions.

[BODYDUB]

As other people have suggested go with the bigger fish, as they will be hardier for a beginner. My opinion, take the trip to purchase them as you will be able to select them yourself as to having the supplier choose them...........

[Elliots]

I do not know where you are located. Discus Hans is in Maryland. He lists the different fish he has and prices for almost all sizes. His big price step up was from 5" to 6". I made an appointment, visited and bought 5" fish.

[discus rookie]

It is not just about them dying but with smaller discus if you are not on top of things they could be stunned easily. Once they are stunned, they will not look very nice and in a way you have wasted more than you can save. Some people do not care but if you want your tank and your discus to be something you can be proud of then you really need to put in much more work with the 3" discus and it is not going to happen overnight so it is quite a bit of commitment and dedication. If it is your first time, even if you have done everything by the books they may not turn out that nice. In a group of 6, one may be much smaller, some may not be that round, 1 may be much bigger than the rest...
I would say buy the biggest you can afford (5" is even better). With the big guys like 5-6" you know what you are getting; with small ones like 3-4" things could change quite a bit quickly depending on your care, experience, and things like that.
The lower risk of stun, the less amount of water change, lesser chance of needing medication (if you have made some mistake), lesser chance of growing them all to different sizes in the group, and the immediate enjoyment of being able to have big beautiful discus in your tank versus having to take many months with massive water change and feedings to may be grow them to a nice size and shape, is why it is worth more money.

[4discusdude]

Well it depend on how u kept them in. Are they going to be bb tank? Like other member said 6in would be better since is ur first time keeping discus. Or else buy 3 in n learn the require for them.