Stocking my tank [Archive]

Fordcobra1986

02-13-2020, 11:34 AM

Hi everybody,

This is my first post on the forum, but I have been a considerable amount of reading in the forum, so I figured I would post a first topic. So, I've recently purchased six 2.5 inch Stendker Discus from Hans. I'm wanting to home them in a 37 gallon tall bare bottom aquarium to grow them a bit before I transfer them to a 120 gallon tall aquarium. I plan on changing around 75% of the water around 4-5 days a week. My 37 gallon is prepared for them (cycled, etc.) so that is not my current concern. For planning purposes, at what point do I need to consider moving them to my 120? I guess I'm mostly asking about at what size will they be before I need to do it? I'm going to try and feed them mostly freeze dried black worms and some flakes hopefully.

Thanks for any info.

jeep

02-13-2020, 12:38 PM

Welcome to Simply!! It sounds like you have a well thought out plan. A 37 is perfect for this size, number and especially for QT. It won't take them long to out grow this tank, so if you don't have another intermediate tank on hand I would personally transfer them when they hit about 3.75", although with your excellent water change routine you may be able to make it to 4". Pounding them with food early on is your best chance to get some good growth on them at this early stage of development so just make sure to stay on top of your water changes!!!

Fordcobra1986

02-13-2020, 01:43 PM

Thanks for the reply! So, it sounds like I have a little bit to go ahead and set my 120 up and get it cycled? Maybe a couple months (assuming getting plenty of nutrition and good water quality)? After that, can I get by with a 50% water change every other day in the 120? I was just asking, because I've read on here that some people do multiple major water changes a day, and I want to be responsible enough to give them a decent life.

jeep

02-13-2020, 02:13 PM

6 in a 120 is pretty under stocked so I think you will be fine with that schedule. You can certainly make adjustments as you gain confidence in your water and your routine. 6 juvies in a 37 is not under stocked so keep up the water changes until you move them. Adjust up or down according to feeding. With this routine I see no reason you can't put an inch per month on them, then they should slow their growth when they hit around 4". By the end of a year they should be around 6"+.

If you decide to add more, just make sure you run them through proper QT even if you buy from the same source!!!

L200GreenPhantom

02-13-2020, 04:34 PM

With the plan you have in place, I see your discus reaching 3.5" pretty quickly. This is the size I would move them into the 120.

Fordcobra1986

02-13-2020, 05:42 PM

Thanks for the info. While I am at it, I'm wanting to ask about feed. I had discus several years ago, but they were already adult sized, so I wasn't as concerned about their growth and development as I am about 2.5" fish. So, I am thinking about feeding FDBWs. I'm also planning on feeding some flake food as well for vitamins. My question is, I know Hans feeds his stock his own beef mixture and they may be picky at first. When I had mine years back, they were addicted to FDBW, but I wasn't super concerned because they were bigger. So when I get my 2.5" fish, should I only offer flakes until they eat them before I offer FDBW? I am worried if I offer FDBW at first, they may refuse anything with vitamins, but I do not know if this is a legit concern or if it would even be a problem if they did only eat FDBW.

jeep

02-13-2020, 05:52 PM

I would feed them anything they will eat. I make my own BH mix and they destroy it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9Sac2GRqkc

Fordcobra1986

02-13-2020, 06:23 PM

seanyuki

02-13-2020, 07:08 PM

You could add flakes food to their diet.....I recommend Ocean Nutrition Prime Reef flakes..... Crude Protein (min.) — 53.4%
Crude Fat (min.) — 16.6%
Crude Fiber (max.) — 0.2%
Moisture (max.) — 8.0%
Ash (max.) — 4.2%
Phosphorus (min.) — 0.6%

https://www.oceannutrition.com/dry-foods-detail/prime-reef-flakes

jeep

02-13-2020, 08:43 PM

With the amount of shrimp i put in my BH mix, it binds pretty good. Another food I use it Tetra Colorbits. It's better than most people think and really cheap for the 10oz can on ebay

danotaylor

02-14-2020, 01:29 AM

When you move them to the 120gal you could transfer the filter or filter media with them since it will be used to the bioload of the 6 fish from the 37gal.

Willie

02-17-2020, 12:18 AM

I’ve read that beef heart is about the best thing you can feed. But I’m pretty certain I couldn’t keep the water good if I feed that. So, is in the nutrition in fdbws sufficient to grow them to a good size if that’s all they’ll eat? Thanks in advance for the info.

If you're really going to do large water changes, then water quality is not going to be an issue whatever you feed. A huge advantage of doing growouts in a bare bottom tank is that you can dial in the precise amount of food they'll eat very quickly. Feed liberally and cut back if there's uneaten food leftover. Within a week, you'll be able to feed exactly the amount your fish will eat and no more.

To ensure that your fish will eat a variety of food, I'd start off with flakes first. They'll love the FDBW so you can make that the last meal of the day. They'll likely eat every single scrap and leave nothing on the tank bottom.

I'd delay moving them to the 120 as long as possible. Young discus can be kept in cramped conditions, and they are both in Europe and Asia, with no problem as long as you do water changes. Remember that you won't be able to do as much water change in the 120 as in the 37. As long as you can keep up a consistent W/C schedule, I'd leave them in the 37 until they are visibly cramped. Growth will slow when you move them into the 120.

Good luck, Willie

Fordcobra1986

02-17-2020, 08:13 PM

So, this may be a dumb question, but how can you tell if they’re getting cramped?

Willie

02-17-2020, 10:24 PM

;) Not a dumb question.

Take a look at the Youtube videos on Stendkers and Malaysian discus. You'll see beautiful fish crammed into tanks with 100% - 200% water changes. You can make your own judgement.

Willie

peewee1

02-18-2020, 01:46 AM

So, this may be a dumb question, but how can you tell if they’re getting cramped?

I think it a good question. I would think that fish do not know "cramped" quarters. People do. I have said often that I keep 6 large fish in a 30 gallon. They school on the left side half, or 15 gallons. Sometimes they venture to the right side looking for food. I also have a cone on the right. Sometimes two will peck at the cone, leaving the other 4 to huddle up on the lift side of the tank. I run a 70 gallon capacity filter with heavy air flow and around 100% water changes per week. None appear or show sighs of "cramped" behavior. You should be okay with one fish to 7 to 10 gallons of water. Fresh water always and often.

Willie

02-18-2020, 08:26 AM

I'd go one step further. If you see videos of Stendkers, etc., they're much more cramped than 7 - 10 gal/fish. It's far more dependent on the amount of water changes and the frequency. With heavy water changes, the filter is more of a redundancy.

Once they get to 5" though, I move the best into much bigger tanks. I find it hard to get discus > 6" unless they have room - still with the large water changes.

Willie

Fordcobra1986

02-18-2020, 10:45 AM

I’ve been reading a lot about Discus, and I’ve read that some people have had success growing Discus out in a smaller tank. I’ve got a 120 gallon I’m eventually going to home them in, but I just think it would be easier to keep them in the 37 as long as possible, with all the water changes and aging water and whatnot. I guess my main question is at what point in their growth will leaving them in the 37 stunt their growth, given that the water they’re in stays in good shape through constant water changes?

Fordcobra1986

02-18-2020, 10:46 AM