Minimum Discus Temperature

[imatrout]

I have a heavily planted 150 gal. discus aquarium that is minimally stocked with 8 discus, 6 cories and 2 Celebese Rainbows. I have the tank's heaters attached to a Ronco electronic temp. controller and have found it to keep the tank at an incredibly accurate and stable temperature. I keep the tank at 82.3 degrees and it never varies from there regardless of conditions.

Because I keep plants, I am limited as to what I can grow well based on temperature. Some very nice plants will not grow well above 80 degrees. My question is; assuming I can keep it stable, what's the lowest I can keep the temp and not cause harm to the discus? I'd like to go as low as 79-80 if that's possible. What do you all think? Has anybody ever done this?

Thanks

[Tek]

I have 11 at 90gb tank.. My discus fishs love heat.. I always keep above 85 degree. So, i min heat 85 degree.

[ShinShin]

Personally, I don't keep discus at <82F as a rule. In an experiment to see how low I could go and still produce a viable spawn, I achieved one at 79F and kept the temp there for 4 weeks as the fry grew. I then raised it up to 82F. I keep all discus regardless of age between 82-84F. I wouldn't recommend keeping them below 80F for the long term. Perhaps others have, in which case I'm sure they'll share this information. I am thinking, and it could be incorrect memory on my part, that I once read an article by Jack Wattley where he said he caught discus in a small river and the temp was 78F.

Mat

[Kagan]

I keep them about 83F.. But they can handle lower temps as low as 75F for smaller time intervals but they dont move much and respiration rate drops drastically. I recommend between 82-86F..

[pcsb23]

I have tried keeping discus at 78-80f, all seemed well for a few months then they started to go off, get ill and generally not do well, despite immaculate water and conditions. I have found that at temps of 82+ their disease resistance is higher and their general weell being and approach is 'better'. I ran a similar set of discus in the same conditions except the water was at 84f, these discus did not get ill. My experiences tell me the best temps are 84-86f for daya to day discus keeping. Basically at the low temps, they ate less, got white spot, hex and another internal bacterial problem. Also had a case of fin rot too if memory serves.

I run 2 planted tanks, 1 high tech, 1 low tech. Both at 84-86f. Plants don't suffer, and if they did they'd be out. The discus come first.

hope that helps some.

[Alight]

Not sure which plants you've heard won't grow at 85 + F. I haven't found any that I wanted to grow that haven't done very well at 84F and higher.

[Jarrod]

I have tried keeping discus at 78-80f, all seemed well for a few months then they started to go off, get ill and generally not do well, despite immaculate water and conditions. I have found that at temps of 82+ their disease resistance is higher and their general weell being and approach is 'better'. I ran a similar set of discus in the same conditions except the water was at 84f, these discus did not get ill. My experiences tell me the best temps are 84-86f for daya to day discus keeping. Basically at the low temps, they ate less, got white spot, hex and another internal bacterial problem. Also had a case of fin rot too if memory serves.

I run 2 planted tanks, 1 high tech, 1 low tech. Both at 84-86f. Plants don't suffer, and if they did they'd be out. The discus come first.

hope that helps some.

Paul..I'm inclined to agree with you on the temps...I've not had any of mine come up with any hex or anything like that..nor have I had any of them come up ill at all other than the very first ones I got...and their (and mines problem) was the white spots that I saw on their tails after maybe a week to 2 weeks in the tank which I've treated with quick cure and salt and it has seemed to have gone away..for which I feel lucky and good about! As for the day to day temps...I try and keep mine at at least 86 F...I have noticed that if the temps drop down to 84F they tend to not be as active and stay settled down at the far end of the tank and don't seem as active. Even when I feed they don't rampage up to the top of the tank like the ones in the other tank do...but that aspect of it I kind of lay off to being in a new tank and environment...they do eat well and during the wc's swim around quite a bit when the water level gets down to almost the level that I want to change to begin adding the new water. That level is approx 50-80% oer day. The water I use is tap water (private well) and the temps are at the minimum of 86-88F. I'm doing my best to keep all tanks at 86F minimum...at times due to ambient temps it will drop to maybe 84F. So...any input and advice is wanted and appreciated!! Sorry about going on so long on this post..but like you Paul and everyone else on here to me IMO the discus come first..
Thanks to anyone and everyone for reading!!
Jarrod

[Carol_Roberts]

I'd keep them at the temp you have now . . ..

[ShinShin]

86-88F is excessive, and over the life span of the discus, detrimental.

Mat

[White Worm]

83-85F

[Jarrod]

So it sounds to me basically like I'm maybe over reacting to the temp swings in my tanks...the 86-88F I mentioned is the temp I set my tap water to when I do the wc's..so my baseline temps I shouldn't worry about at 84 F then? Given the fact they are all juvies I'm ok then? I wasn't trying to hijack the thread at all...but it was just a subject that I had particular concerns about...and I want to thank you all for the input and answers it helps considerably.
Jarrod

[White Worm]

Breeders 82-83. The rest 83-85. Higher temps in the 80's or 90's if I suspect any illness or bugs.

[keno]

84 for adults, 86-88 for juvies, but as always everyone's mileage may vary in our hobby :)

[pcsb23]

Jarrod, 84f is fine ime. Anything from 82 to 86 works well.

trout if you maintain a steady 82.3f then I'd leave well alone.

[imatrout]

Thanks to all. It seems I should probably leave well enough alone.

[ItsGeoff]

i keep my planted discus tank between 82-85ish. might be alittle cool but i have lots of plants and lots of other fish so i need to make them all happy.