Discus per gallon vs water changes

[discushobbies]

I currently have 6 juveniles Giant Floras in my 55 gallon tank. I wanted to bring up the topic of fish per gallon vs water changes. It seems accepted that a tank with discus is suppose to have at least 10 gallon per discus. What if water changes were increased could more fish be added? I am asking this because I feel 6 is so little in such a big tank and I am changing 50% every day. If I were to bring the tank up to 14 juveniles to grow them out, how would it turn out? Would I keep changing 50%? I notice a lot of the big breeders with a bunch of juveniles in tanks but it seems a big no no to have too many in a tank as hobbyists.

Also, since water changes are so large, is a biofilter even important for the tank?

[Kyla]

i like having filters and biomedia on a tank, even if wc r large and frequent. big wc can really cut down on ammonia and nitrite present in an uncycled system, but discus r still constantly producing ammonia all day (even between the water changes). having beneficial bacteria present will ensure a constant conversion of that ammonia > nitrite > nitrate
as fast as it is being produced by the fish so it doesnt build up between wc.

it might feel like ur tank is empty now but with reg wc those discus will get nice and large and fill in the tank as they grow.

[ddr1981]

I grew out 14 Discus that were 3" at purchase time in a 55 gallon bare-bottom tank. I'm certainly no expert but think it can be done if the tank is only used short-term. Within a few months you'll need a bigger tank, at least twice that size. I also did 2 water changes per day, 50% in the morning after they ate, and 100% every night. Once mine were 4.5-5" I moved them to a 110 gallon tank which is still technically overstocked. I haven't had any issues because the tank is bare bottom and I still do a minimum of 50% daily water change.

I think a biofilter is important just in case a water change was ever skipped to help make sure you don't get any spikes in ammonia, etc. I'm not saying a filter is a replacement for a water change though. I had two hang-on-the-back filters on my grow-out tank mainly to move the water and keep it oxygenated.

[Filip]

I currently have 6 juveniles Giant Floras in my 55 gallon tank. I wanted to bring up the topic of fish per gallon vs water changes. It seems accepted that a tank with discus is suppose to have at least 10 gallon per discus. What if water changes were increased could more fish be added? I am asking this because I feel 6 is so little in such a big tank and I am changing 50% every day. If I were to bring the tank up to 14 juveniles to grow them out, how would it turn out? Would I keep changing 50%? I notice a lot of the big breeders with a bunch of juveniles in tanks but it seems a big no no to have too many in a tank as hobbyists.

Also, since water changes are so large, is a biofilter even important for the tank?

Its no use to put 14 discus . You will have to buy a bigger tank in a month or two as they start growing and eating like pigs. Breeders separate and select them as they grow .
I also think that bio fitration is a must, although there are examples of discus hatcheries/farms that only rely on WCs.

[Surfnturf]

If your tap water has stable ph and you're not having to age it you can easily up your water changes to 90-100% with little extra work. The python water changer made a world of a difference for me. Also, I have seen some people on here that are keeping one per 5 gallons. That may be for more experienced discus keepers. You could also add volume to your tank with a sump and/or add pothos plants to help with nitrates (they grow out the top with their roots sitting in the water).

[Surfnturf]

Or you could add some manzanita branches to make it look fuller. I found some good pieces on eBay.

[ericNH]

Also, since water changes are so large, is a biofilter even important for the tank?

That's an interesting question, and I'd like to see more answers on this. I feel like the answer is "No." If one is to change say, 75% or more of the water daily, how can the bio-filtration make an appreciable difference? But I still think it's important to have the mechanincal filtration and water agitation that filters bring to the table.

[Second Hand Pat]

There are Asian farms which do not maintain bio in their discus tank BUT they do two 100% WCs a day. There is a video floating around showing this. Remember if your tank has no bio you can not miss a WC.
Pat


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWMnPZKJWaE

[DJW]

... since water changes are so large, is a biofilter even important for the tank?

This depends to some extent on the pH, ammonia being more toxic at higher pH.

Having no biofilter is like driving a car with a 2-gallon gas tank.