More fish or Less Fish?

[brewmaster15]

Hello all,
I've asked this question from time to time and thought I would do so again. Curious as to where you all are in the Hobby today? Compared to last year or the year before, do have more more tanks or less? More discus or less? Have you branched out to other fish species besides Discus? Often the responses to this questions have a strong relationship to employment, health issues,budget,family etc. Please feel free to share that info if you want to as I know it makes a difference. It played a strong roll in my past decision to shut down the fishroom and only keep a few tanks.

I'm pretty much where I was last year... one 125gal display tank of Discus, a few smaller tanks with non-discus...Keyholes at the moment...

I do have plans to add tanks and Discus. I have been really missing having more of them, and breeding them this past year.. I'm just about done with my renovations and should be adding more tanks again soon. In the meantime whats left of my fishroom is being stored on site,outside...:) and a few 125s are inside.


88517


How about you all? Where are you at in the hobby of Discus Keeping, fishkeeping, and life in general?

al

[John_Nicholson]

I am about the same.....There is only so many fish that one man can take care of....LOL.

-john

[Second Hand Pat]

As you know Al I retired about 18 months ago and since have acquired two more tanks, a 50 and a 180. The amount of discus I have is about the same but August of last year I bought a group of 10 dime-sized Altums. As a first time keeping altums I have done rather well with them from what I have read. Once the altums reached a good size for a display tank I added some cardinals, rummy nosed, some small cichlids and small group of cories. I have decided if I raise out another group of altums I will maintain them in a growout tank for the first year vs a display tank.

For the future I hope to entice my wild discus to breed again. I also have a small group of checkerboard cichlids (two males and two females) which I may setup in a breeding tank. Tank wise I have a 240, 180, 90. two 75s, 50, two 40s and a 10. I have room for another 75 and 50 but hoping to just keep with what I have.
Pat

[Allwin]

Lots of time left for me to retire. Started as a discus newbie with a 15gallon couple of years back and now with a fish room of 10+ tanks. I need to slow down ��

[Quintin]

The farm we were renting was sold and we had to move to a flat for now.I have only one discus tank at present with 10 discus.also have another tank with red head cichlid and albino and std convicts.there are some other types of breeder of other fish for my wife's shop.

[strawberryblonde]

I've downsized in the last 3 years to just my main tank, but added more discus to bring the number up to 10. For now I'm content with just trying to grow them out in a planted tank and it keeps me just as busy as having 5 tanks did 3 years ago. LOL

No plans to expand again, instead hubby and I are preparing to head out on the road in an RV for some full time travel in 2 years. Haven't figured out a way to put tanks in my rv... yet! Cats - yes, Dog - yep, fish - nope!

[fishtanktenderfoot]

A year ago, I had nothing. Then we bought a house, and I wanted a fish tank. I picked discus for my first effort, and I love it. But only one display tank with 7 adults. No plans for that to expand. I tried tank mates, and the effort of quarantining, maintaining a second tank, and obsessing over what unknowns I might have been introducing into my tank convinced me I'm happy with status quo for awhile. Daily WC on one tank is great, though. I really enjoy the hobby. (And I'll be posting my one year fish-a-versary results in about 6 weeks, so stay tuned!) :)

[monching]

Had it about 10 years or so ago back home (Philippines) had them also here in Toronto about 5 or so years ago. Sold everything when my hydro sky rocketed and can no longer cope up. Started again December last year with 8 heads of 1" juvies on a 10 gal. tank, took a 30 gal. in that a neighbor threw out, I may be in luck as another neighbor that is moving can no longer take their complete 20 gal. set-up so I took it in. Had a 60 gal. I'm preparing to set up but unfortunately it broke so I need to throw it away. Bought another batch of 1" Juvies (5 heads) last March followed by a 75 gal. Now my 1st and 2nd batch is in my 75 gal., 30 gal. is now a community tank of different kinds of tetras. 20 and 10 gal. are empty, reserved for my future breeders. So to sum it up, I now have a total of 13 heads of Discus size ranging from 3.5 to 5.5. Would love to have a 120 gal. in the near future.

[rickztahone]

No running tank currently, but have 3 tanks in my possession. Got a 75g in the works and that is more than I had exactly a year ago :)

[Keith Perkins]

Hmm, that's kind of tough to answer. Definitely no other types of fish added. I'm sure I've added at least one tank and think I have a few less fish. Doesn't seem to make sense does it? But then again, less than a year to NADA to fill some of those new empty tanks. :D

[William Palumbo]

Right now I am down a handful of tanks. The local market for Discus in my neck of the woods where I am at now, is not as lucrative as it was when I was breeding in Chicago. Electric and water is high dollar, so my breeders have been broken up, and some sold. Less is more...and I should know this because I tell other hobbyists the same...Bill

[Rudustin]

I have eight tanks. Two 20g long tanks are for quarantine or hospital, I have two 125 gallon display tanks and have learned that less is more so there are seven adult discus in one 125g and three adults in the other 125g. Soon the three in the 125g are going to be moved to the other 125g and that empty 125g will house some four new adults that I just received today plus two others from a ninety gallon that currently has seven adults and I need to move just two from the ninety to the 125g that will join the four new adults I received today. Sounds confusing but I hope it sounds sensible. Under stocking I find is easier on the fish and me in the maintenance of the two tanks. I have a fifty gallon which is currently housing my new four adults discus. I have also a fifty five gallon with one pair of adult discus that currently spawn almost every week and still waiting for them to get it right and not eat the eggs on the second day! And I have a sixty five gallon with sump so it's really about seventy gallons with five adult Albino Platinums. I have them in that tank because it came with a black background and they look great in contrast to that tank. All my tanks are bare bottomed with very little decoration. It is my great joy to have made so many mistake in the beginning and to finally get the hang of keeping the discus. I travel a lot but somehow I manage to be able to take care of them with very little effort on my part or at least to me very little effort. Good food and very clean water is the key! I do have three fish in one of the hospital tanks due to a death a fish during a four day trip away but they are recovering nicely and they will stay in the hospital tank for another week while they are being medicated. That's about it for me. Tank mates are a few bristle nose and some worries and in one tank I have five cardinals that are almost four years old! They have survived every mistake I've made. LOL! Hope I didn't bore everyone! Thanks Al for asking the question. Rufus

[Rudustin]

I meant corys! as tank mates. Oh, I forgot! I have six adult angel fish in a big Chinese Pot that I converted to a fish pool on my balcony. Rufus

[XAnhLe]

I have eight tanks. Two 20g long tanks are for quarantine or hospital, I have two 125 gallon display tanks and have learned that less is more so there are seven adult discus in one 125g and three adults in the other 125g. Soon the three in the 125g are going to be moved to the other 125g and that empty 125g will house some four new adults that I just received today plus two others from a ninety gallon that currently has seven adults and I need to move just two from the ninety to the 125g that will join the four new adults I received today. Sounds confusing but I hope it sounds sensible. Under stocking I find is easier on the fish and me in the maintenance of the two tanks. I have a fifty gallon which is currently housing my new four adults discus. I have also a fifty five gallon with one pair of adult discus that currently spawn almost every week and still waiting for them to get it right and not eat the eggs on the second day! And I have a sixty five gallon with sump so it's really about seventy gallons with five adult Albino Platinums. I have them in that tank because it came with a black background and they look great in contrast to that tank. All my tanks are bare bottomed with very little decoration. It is my great joy to have made so many mistake in the beginning and to finally get the hang of keeping the discus. I travel a lot but somehow I manage to be able to take care of them with very little effort on my part or at least to me very little effort. Good food and very clean water is the key! I do have three fish in one of the hospital tanks due to a death a fish during a four day trip away but they are recovering nicely and they will stay in the hospital tank for another week while they are being medicated. That's about it for me. Tank mates are a few bristle nose and some worries and in one tank I have five cardinals that are almost four years old! They have survived every mistake I've made. LOL! Hope I didn't bore everyone! Thanks Al for asking the question. Rufus

Rufus, have you tried putting a wire mesh over the cone? It did the trick for me, after that I didn't need to use the wire mesh again because the discus figured those eggs are not to be eaten. :D

[Rudustin]

Rufus, have you tried putting a wire mesh over the cone? It did the trick for me, after that I didn't need to use the wire mesh again because the discus figured those eggs are not to be eaten. :D
Hello, Yes, I've tried that as well several times but to no avail. The female is the culprit and she is very young. So next time I will remove her after spawning and let the male who is older and has successfully spawned before in the tank with the spawn. Thanks though for the suggestion. Rufus

[XAnhLe]

Hello, Yes, I've tried that as well several times but to no avail. The female is the culprit and she is very young. So next time I will remove her after spawning and let the male who is older and has successfully spawned before in the tank with the spawn. Thanks though for the suggestion. Rufus

hope that'll work out for ya :)

[Rudustin]

Me too! LOL. Rufus

[Ryan]

I just bought A LOT more tanks, and then pulled something when I was unloading them by myself. Now I'm taking a break for a few days. :(

It ebbs and flows here. I usually keep the same amount of tanks running but the number of fish changes. Sometimes I'll clear out stock and just have less densely stocked tanks.

[CliffsDiscus]

I have around probably 60 Discus tanks down, this has nothing to do with the drought.

Cliff

[alcastro]

I have around probably 60 Discus tanks down, this has nothing to do with the drought.

Cliff

Can't imagine having that many tanks, woud provably loose my hair

[Phillydubs]

Great Question Al and awesome to hear everyone chime in...

I currently only have one 55 gallon running in my office with plans to upgrade that in the near future... I am down quite a bit from this time last year as I had a 72 bow stocked with discus a 72 bow stocked with Malawi peacocks and a 14 gal nano as well as the office tank... I am in the process of moving and renovating a home. I tried to keep all of my fish at my brother in laws in the mean time and let me telling you moving 2 tanks from an apt. in Manhattan to long island was a huge biotch in itself and the thought of doing it again was torture to me. Also, the time it was taking to get over to his place to do water changes and maintenance was a real strain on my time and energy and my husbandry really started to slack and I was not doing right by the fish. I ended up breaking the tanks all down and selling everything off. One great guy from here on simply took all the discus and nursed them back and is enjoying them today...

It is much less stress on me now but I do miss having more than one tank, species, etc... Once I move I am planning a huge 250-300 Gallon tank... I am torn between discus or giving salt a real try... My wife loves salt so I might go that route and sneak a 125 or something in my basement man cave once I get settled and my son grows and can help! I have a daughter on the way so things could be held off for a while now, I will continue to enjoy my office tank as it brings me a lot of peace and pleasure in a hectic environment.

[wcav]

Many many moons ago I had Three 30gal tanks with Goldfish.That went away.Five years ago my wife came home with 6 Lake Malawi cichlids,that got me started,as they grew I got a 70g and had 24 of them.Them I bought some angels..90g tank .Got a deal on a 50g and 2 Red Devils and that lasted for a year.Finally got introduced to Domestic discus,so I phased out all the guys and gals and went to Discus only.Bam!!! Wild discus and Simply Discus.I blew up.Now two 90g,three 50g, one 70g and a 225g.If I can find more room and $$$$ it will be another 225g or bigger and more Wilds ....sounds crazy .....something bit me and I'm still itching :):).

[Allwin]

lol


Can't imagine having that many tanks, woud provably loose my hair