Round bodies and swimming room

[Anonapersona]

I was thinking about something that I'd hear about goldfish and wondering if it had any application to dicus. I've heard that with fancy goldfish, the round body types, that it is better to keep them in tank that do nto allow great lenghts for swimming. The theroy was that great open swimming spaces would make longer slimmer bodies. The pond fantails I have have elongated bodies.

Does this also apply to young discus? I was wondering if the crowded tanks used for growout would tend to help keep rounder, not elongated, bodies?

Conversely, if you had too few juvenile discus in a large tank with lots of open areas, is it the lost food that makes them small, or the long swimming areas that make them football shaped?

Just pondering using an available 20 gallon for growout or getting a 75.

[April]

hmmmm interesting . coudl be lots of factors. but i do know some people pack them in small tanks for more even growth....better eating and feeding frenzies and less aggression.
i think 20 gallon is too small though to keep your water good. how many are you thinking of getting? a 36 is ok for some groups of maybe 5 or 6 for a bit. but large wc's.

[Anonapersona]

Sorry, I've been away.

To answer your question, "IF" I got discus, that would be 2 1/2 inch size, maybe 5 or 6, in the 20 gallon -- with an air powered sponge filter and a penguin 170 biowheel with sponge prefilter. That would be for a few months, maybe 2 months, until I got a 75 gallon.

That 75 gallon would have to be in the kitchen, a rather busy place. I'm not sure they would tolerate it well.

Hmm, guess I wouldn't want to drain tank water into the kitchen sink would I?

I'm just not sure I can make this work out yet.

[Carol_Roberts]

Don't be silly. The kitchen sink is the perfect place to drain the tank. Do you see the kitchen sink behind the fish with the green python sitting in it?

[susankay1]

And dont worry about all the activity. I have my tanks in my office and the fish love all the people moving around....or maybe its just that everyone feeds them ;D

[crazy4discus]

well i grew out 10 babie discus at dime size in a 20 gal for 2 months now there 3.5-4inches grew very rapidly just got to keep up with the w/c and feedings thats all and carol nice discus tank you got there!!!!!

[Alan]

Hmm, guess I wouldn't want to drain tank water into the kitchen sink would I?




If you're worried about discus poop mixing with wasted human food, guess what? Discus poop has less oil content (higher oil content will be in a beefheart diet) that will clog your pipes. Also, humans eat more toxic food than discus do. :o ::)

As for the smell, I've done enough handyman plumbing work to say that it's going to smell the same once they're in your pipes. Besides, if you do your regular WC's it (water being vacuumed out of the tank) won't smell as bad. ;D

[tony1313]

I say drain it to the closest place(sink, tub, window, etc..).
WOW Carol great looking discus!

Tony

Don't be silly. The kitchen sink is the perfect place to drain the tank. Do you see the kitchen sink behind the fish with the green python sitting in it?


Gorgeous setup, Carol! I bet you have a tank in every part of your home. LOL Very very nice. Love those fishies! ;D

**Ang**

P.S. Discus loves the attention. So it's not important if you have a lot of traffic in one room or another.

[Tristanyyz]

A little bit of siphoned poop relative to, in my case 75 gallons, of water being drained...that poop is half way to Lake Huron by the time im done my water change :P

Beautiful Discus Carol, and the convenience of having them in the kitchen, fry one up with a little butter.... :-X

[Murphy]

Don't be silly. The kitchen sink is the perfect place to drain the tank. Do you see the kitchen sink behind the fish with the green python sitting in it?


Wow Carol nice fish, I especially like the red and yellow ones with the spots. What are they?.

[Carol_Roberts]

That picture is nearly three years old. The orange ones are pigeon bloods. All the fish in that tank had been fed axastanthin to deepen the red color.

[yogi]

Discus have evolved in the wild to be round. Fancy goldfish on the other hand are man made mutations of wild goldfish. I don't think that theory about to much swimming space will apply to discus.

Your second point is much more valid. To small and to few discus in a large tank will make them miss out on some of the food.

Carol your discus look like there suspended in the air. very nice

[Anonapersona]

Problem solved!

I just picked up a used 58 -AND- a 105.

Looks like I can have a 58 gallon grow out tank and a 105 gallon planted show tank for the adults.

Patience, patience, I need to find good homes for a few fish that are in these tanks. THEN I can start.