Help in Setting Up my First Discus Tank

[rahul5781]

HI All,
I am Rahul from Bangalore, India. I have been wanting to get into keeping Discus since very long. So now me and my Wife have decided to setup our First Discus Tank.

Discus is not very commonly available in India. Its a very closed market. Most of the shops here discourage us saying its difficult and high maintenance and many more things. And we do not have Discus exclusive stores here. But Yes there are some good breeders here from whom we plan to buy our juveniles. I will list below my tank size, check list and queries. Please do help me out.

Tank Size : 36in x 18in x 18in
Planning about 8nos of 2inch fish?

Filter : 2 medium size sponge filters Or do i need to invest in a canister filter Or do i build my own sump filter:) ???

Check List:
1. Water PH and TDS checking instruments (please help me with the ideal readings required)
2. A big Tub to treat the water before it goes into the tank.
3. Lighting -LED strips
4. Do i need paint all the 3 sides of the aquarium? and leave only the front open
5. I was planning to keep our aquarium in living room will that be a problem for the fish?
6. How often should i do water change and how much?
7. Does the Aquarium need a roof?

These are few things that I will need you expert advise.

Looking forward to hearing from you All. Thanks in Advance
Rahul

[Redrain]

Hi Raul, with my limited experience keeping Discus:
Q1 API pH test (or just get the Freshwater master) for TDS HM Digital TDS-4 or EZ
Q2 You need a tub for aging and heating water
Q6 most people that had success recommend 50% daily
Q7 yes you need to cover your tank, Discus can jump out if they get spooked and sometimes they do it for no reason

But Raul, if it is your first time keeping Discus, for the love of humanity don't start with juveniles. You can mess them up pretty bad if you don't know what you are doing. You should start with adult fish, I know that it costs alot more, but that is the best thing you can do if you are new to Discus.

I hope other members can answer your other questions

[Akili]

Hi Rahul,let me try to answer some of your concerns,First the tank that you want start with is small and not really recommended to raise juveniles, 8 juveniles of 2 inch will out grow the 50 gallon tank in no time.Get a 75 gallon or bigger if your budget allows.Canister filter is not necessary,sponge filters work very well,there are quite a few members here who use sponge filters only including me.Sump is a nice addition to have,but wait till you have some experience with discus. Water PH and TDS checking instruments are good items to have,and you will need them down the road.Like suggested get a good water testing kit that can do ammonia nitrite nitrates pH GH and KH. A tank cover is very important as it cut down evaporation and stops the fish jumping out. A big Tub or a barrel will be needed to age water for your water changes and from what I understand (did a bit of searching) Bangalore water`s pH ranges from 6.5 to 8 depending where you are in Bangalore.Lighting -LED strips will be okay. Discus love subdued lighting.Painting 3 sides of the aquarium and leaving only the front open is a personal choice but discus in tank like this are less spooked in my opinion.Keeping an aquarium in living room will not be a problem as many of the members of SimplyDiscus have them.Daily water changes are needed when raising juvenile.
Rahul always keep in mind Discus aren't as hard as some folks might make it seem, just lots of fresh, clean, warm water with stable pH.
Lastly To all newcomers to this site and this hobby, I recommend to go through the stickies’ in the Beginner`s Section and watch this video
https://youtu.be/VXe3VKh7qF8 it is about an hour and half long but worth hours of information
P.S. A must read thread form the beginner section http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?86009-Beginner-s-Guide-to-Getting-Started-with-Discus
You are going to be recommended to get Adult discus as they are easier to keep compared to raising juveniles

`olleyadāgali athavā shubhavāgali`I hope I got this right

[rahul5781]

Thanks Akili & Redrain for the advice..
I will be setting up my tank soon.. @Akili let me try and increase the size of the tank.. @Redrain planning to start with small fish only cuz the big ones are way too expensive. Let me try and see.. Wish me luck :)
Also is there any specific discus breed or type that you guys recommend for a beginner?

[Akili]

Thanks Akili & Redrain for the advice..
I will be setting up my tank soon.. @Akili let me try and increase the size of the tank.. @Redrain planning to start with small fish only cuz the big ones are way too expensive. Let me try and see.. Wish me luck :)
Also is there any specific discus breed or type that you guys recommend for a beginner?Getting a big tank is good start.As to which Discus to keep as beginner, there is none,Red Turquoise are about the hardiest. Ruhal you have indicate that the big one are too expensive but when you raise juveniles to adult hood gets expensive too.Juveniles need three or more feedings a day,daily water changes,and cost of heating the tanks and in many cases cost of water too.To get Discus to grow to a decent size of adulthood juveniles are fed a high protein diet.In most countries around the world hobbyist feed beef heart or beef heart mix as beef heart is fairly cheap.You are living in a country were slaughtering of animals for domestic consumption is highly restricted for a number of reasons. What foods are planning to feed?

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[rahul5781]

Sir I am still not really sure what food to feed.. Here Tetra bites are readly avaliable.. Anything better please suggest...

[Filip]

Brine shrimps / Artemia Salina ,Mysis , beef heart- if its available in India , shrimps w/o shell for human consumption , salmon , freeze dried blackworm .

[Akili]

Rahul Discus eat a variety of foods. One can feed flakes, pellets, frozen food and freeze dried food. Some people feed live foods like white worm and mosquito larva. White worms have to be cultured at home. Frozen foods are Brine shrimps, Blood worms, Mysis and Shrimps. Freeze dried are Blood worms and black worms. Lastly on the list is beef heart and beef heart mix .Beef heart can substituted with goat or turkey hearts, but I have serious reservations if your wife is going to let you bring any meat products in your household.I suggest you visit some of the pet stores in Bengaluru and find out what is available from the above list. If you have any more questions feel free to post them and I sure someone will help you out.
P.S In my earlier reply I posted a link to a must read article for a newcomer if you read the Diet and Nutrition part of it you will find that it has most of this in it I hope this helps(kāpāḍi!)

[Redrain]

If you can find Cobalt discus flakes, they are good. Scuba Steve did a review on it.

[rahul5781]

Wow awesome information... Thanks a lot Guys... Really Appreciate it... Will be starting my tank job tomorrow.. Will slowly set it up... Will post as and when I need help.. Thanks once again to All

[Akili]

Wow awesome information... Thanks a lot Guys... Really Appreciate it... Will be starting my tank job tomorrow.. Will slowly set it up... Will post as and when I need help.. Thanks once again to AllGood Luck and keep us posted and remember without pictures it did not happen

[rahul5781]

Hi All.. What is the ideal TDS level for Discus...?

[Akili]

If you have a breeding pair then less then 100 TDS and for juveniles and other adult its does not matter.I have some juveniles and also adults in TDS of 300.

[rahul5781]

Thanks Akili for the TDS info.... Also I am getting a canister filter... So does it have to be on all the time? And is there any special media to use..? I am also going to have a bubble filter in my tank...

[Akili]

Canister filter has to running all the time.There are different kinds media you can use it all depends on how many tray are in the canister.Lots of members here are using some kind foam on the intake which then they can clean on weekly or bi weekly basis.This way the canister does not have to be taken apart for months at a time. One can use ceramic rings or Seachem Purigen.

[rahul5781]

Canister filter has to running all the time.There are different kinds media you can use it all depends on how many tray are in the canister.Lots of members here are using some kind foam on the intake which then they can clean on weekly or bi weekly basis.This way the canister does not have to be taken apart for months at a time. One can use ceramic rings or Seachem Purigen.


Thanks Akili for that info on canister filter.

My Tank will be ready in a couple of days. Now currently i am setting up 2 tanks. 42 x18x18 (55 gallons) and 18 x 18 x 18 (25 gallon). The small one is going to be my quarantine tank and may be my breeding tank in the future ;). I have heard that the tank and the filter needs to be seasoned before getting my Discus for at least a week? Please let me know. cuz after doing all this i dont want to go wrong. And if yes Experts please advice... what will be the best way to go forward?

[Akili]

No need to cycle the quarantine tank,just keep it sterilized and clean and keep away from the main tank, Your 55 gallon main tank may need more then a week to cycle. Do a fishless cycle ................... follow this link how to do a fishless cycle ...............http://www.wikihow.com/Do-a-Fishless-Cycle

[rahul5781]

Hi All, .. I got my water testing kit.. The PH is at 7... And TDS is at 75 ppm.. This is the reading of my tap water... Is this OK for Discus.. ?

[Akili]

That is very good water parameters to keep discus.When get your own discus make sure you acclimatize to parameters of your tank.

[rahul5781]

HI All,

My tanks and stand will be ready by today. ;) ... I wanted to know if we can use Ceramic tiles at the bottom of the aquarium, just to make it look good. I have seen a few videos online about the same. Is doing so going to effect the TDS levels of the water? Will Discus have an issue with tiles in the bottom? Or has anyone tried the same earlier. Looking forward to hearing from you guys.

If that is bad, then any other options for decoration.