Learning the hard way.. Is my discus stunted? help on growth rates

[diegote]

I liked the color of this one when I saw it however -after reading other posts- looks like good color in small fish is a sign of a stunted discus... any clue as to whether this one is really stunted? It's in the range of 2-2.5 in
On the other hand, say I get a healthy 2in discus, how long would it take for it to grow to 7.5in assuming I'm feeding BH and doing 80% daily WC ?
Thanks.. here go the pics (sorry couldn't figure out how to rotate them...they look good in my computer)

[chuckiesmalls]

can't see it's eye too well to see if its truly stunted but you are correct regarding colors.

Also, even with impeccable husbandry, not all discus grow to 7.5'. Most will get over 5.5' but it really depends on genetics as well as the particular fish when it comes to size.

Like how full grown human adults can be 5'5" and some basket ball players are 7'. Genetics and luck of the draw need to be considered.

If you want to grow out discus that are small, I highly recommend buying from a repiutable dealer and not an lFS. Perhaps one of the sponsors on this site.

Going to a LFS is just too much of a risk unless you really know what to look for.

Good luck

[1077]

Would try and mix other food's in with the beef heart.
Believe there are some good food mixes posted here on the forum.
Agree with chuckiesmalls,good quality fish from the get go will produce best result's.
Can feed beefheart and or other food's to runt's and or cull's with little expectation of fishes reaching growth potential.

[diegote]

Thanks, good tips. and with regards to timing, at a high level how long would you say it takes to grow from 2" to say 4" or the point in which growth starts to slow down. Thanks again.

[1077]

Me thinks I see where this is headed.."how long with the daily water changes?"
I would plan on three or four feeding's a day for six month's, and no fewer than three water changes a week.(every other day if your up for it)
Would want hose and pump to make water changes easier than say bucket's.
Opinion's vary.

[diegote]

LOL.. I guess you got it right... it has to do with summer vs winter time. During Winter is way more difficult to keep up with the daily water changes due to the aging wáter pre-heating. I guess that spring will be a good time to grow out the next batch and at least avoid pre-heating.
Thanks, that was very helpful.

[Skip]

Thanks, good tips. and with regards to timing, at a high level how long would you say it takes to grow from 2" to say 4" or the point in which growth starts to slow down. Thanks again.

just buy the 4" fish or larger.. its easier/cheaper to get from 4" to 5-6".. then 2" to 6"..

ps.. yes, your fish in OP. is very stunted.. its not going to grow much more .. if any growth even happens.

larger fish are lot more forgiving to the owner's mistakes.. then the 2"..

[DISCUS STU]

You'll need to send pictures where we can actually see the Discus in detail.

[Willie]

Large and sustained water changes will do wonders for discus. Since these are bare bottom tanks, why stop at 80% and not just go to 100%? It'll make a big difference.

If you really are focused on getting large fish, the obvious need is to have a reliable source of well aged water for water changes. Making water changes only in the Summer is not going to cut it. Think about adding extra tanks or drums to age water and make W/C a really simple process. In my fish room, I can change every discus tank (100%) in less than two hours by hand. Others set up mechanical change systems. If you focus on getting a quick and convenient way to change water, your discus will get a lot better.

Buy your discus from one of our sponsors or a local breeder. There are too many things that can go wrong with buying from a LFS.

Willie