Bigger tank or more water changes?

[SNap0283]

Lets pose a scenario, you have two tanks a 100 gallon and a 50 gallon. You want to raise 8 juvie discus that are in the 3-4" range. You are completely limited to those two water sources. Would it be better to raise them in a 100 gallon where you could only change half of the water daily, or in the 50 gallon where you could change 100% water daily. Is more space or more water changing better? Anyone ever tested these out either on purpose or just by chance and noticed much of a difference? Id be curious what others think......

[Larry Bugg]

I would take the 50 with the 100% change. I would even take the 50 if you could only do a 50% change. I don't like growing out discus in larger tanks unless you are talking about growing out a larger quantity. I would take the 100 if I was growing out 20 to 25. I think the smaller tank keeps the discus thinking they need to compete for food and they seem to me to be much more aggressive at feeding time when they are in the smaller tank. It is also much easier to keep the water in a smaller tank pristine than it is in a larger tank.

[rickztahone]

I would take the 50 with the 100% change. I would even take the 50 if you could only do a 50% change. I don't like growing out discus in larger tanks unless you are talking about growing out a larger quantity. I would take the 100 if I was growing out 20 to 25. I think the smaller tank keeps the discus thinking they need to compete for food and they seem to me to be much more aggressive at feeding time when they are in the smaller tank. It is also much easier to keep the water in a smaller tank pristine than it is in a larger tank.

I agree. If you have a huge brood, say over 25, then a larger tank, say 75g or so, is better suited. You will eventually need that 100g though.

[monching]

I agree. If you have a huge brood, say over 25, then a larger tank, say 75g or so, is better suited. You will eventually need that 100g though.

+1

[Quintin]

Good question.if you have 8 discus in 75 gallon and you had 8 discus in 100gallon and lets say they were 4 inch fish would you have to change the same amount of water.or would you say do 80% per day in the 75g and 50% per day in the 100g.i think that's where this thread is going.forgive me if I'm reading this wrong but the bio load would in theory be less in the 100g compared to the 75g

[DISCUS STU]

Better to grow out the smaller fish in the smaller tank first then go to the bigger tank. 50% daily would be fine, 100% even better.

[CliffsDiscus]

If you already have the 100 use that tank and fill the tank with 50 gallon of water and raise the level as the Discus grow out.

Cliff