Getting Some Discus - Several Questions

[Tiffi]

Hi guys!

First of all I am glad I have found this wonderful informative forum!

I am planning on getting some discus some time soon and have some questions on my setup.

I have a 70gal planted tank (have been a plantgeek for several years) and there are currently two female German Blue Rams and several Endlers in there. I know I will have to rehome the Endlers if they are not supposed to end up as snacks. I am planning on getting one or two more GBRs and a group of 6-8 Corys (maybe panda corys).

1) Would it be ok to get 2 discus or do I have to have more, because of the picking on each other? How many discus can/should I get?

2) I am also planning on making 50% water change a week, since the plants take most of the nitrate out of the water. Would that be ok?

3) I am planning on feeding: beefheart (salad shooter), Tetra Color Bits, Hikari Spirulina Brine Shrimp and Bloodworms, Kent Zoe Vitamin Supplement
(going to get an automatic feeder) Sounds ok?

4) Is Sera Discus Granulat any good?

5) Would Rocky Mountain Discus be a good place to buy healthy, quality discus fish (pm me if neccessary)? What are their prices (they didn't email me back yet)?

[swinters66]

Hi there...welcome to the site...this place has been VERY helpful with me (I just got my discus tank up, and I am learning a lot here!

Read a bunch of the posts here...and you will learn what you need to! It's great! :)

[sleonard]

If in a planted tank from the gitgo I would buy adult discus. Young discus don't seem to grow well in tanks that have substrate.

Get at least 5. They are semi-schooling fish and will feel more comfortable and will spread the aggression.

The automatic feeder will not work with frozen food (duh!) and adults need be fed only once or twice a day so the auto-feeder doesn't seem necessary. I would also try adding New Life Spectrum Discus or Hikari Discus as the main dry food and colorbits as a supplement.

Don't know about Sera.

RMD is a sponsor here so they should be a good place to get your discus. I have no personal experience with them though.

Scott

[Dissident]

Hi guys!

First of all I am glad I have found this wonderful informative forum!

I am planning on getting some discus some time soon and have some questions on my setup.

I have a 70gal planted tank (have been a plantgeek for several years) and there are currently two female German Blue Rams and several Endlers in there. I know I will have to rehome the Endlers if they are not supposed to end up as snacks. I am planning on getting one or two more GBRs and a group of 6-8 Corys (maybe panda corys).

1) Would it be ok to get 2 discus or do I have to have more, because of the picking on each other? How many discus can/should I get?

No, get at least 5 adults



2) I am also planning on making 50% water change a week, since the plants take most of the nitrate out of the water. Would that be ok?

Not if you plan on feeding frozen foods. I would do 2x75% with adults. NO3 uptake by plants is irrelivant, it is more than just the NO3 that is bad for the discus.



3) I am planning on feeding: beefheart (salad shooter), Tetra Color Bits, Hikari Spirulina Brine Shrimp and Bloodworms, Kent Zoe Vitamin Supplement
(going to get an automatic feeder) Sounds ok?

If you are getting adults stay with dry foods, it is a lot easier and feed frozen on the days of waterchanges as a treat.



4) Is Sera Discus Granulat any good?

Dunno, you listed enough good foods anyway. I only feed my adults ColorBits and the Frozen as a treat once in a while.



5) Would Rocky Mountain Discus be a good place to buy healthy, quality discus fish (pm me if neccessary)? What are their prices (they didn't email me back yet)?
That would be fine. There may be some local breeders in your area as well.

[diskboy]

1) Would it be ok to get 2 discus or do I have to have more, because of the picking on each other? How many discus can/should I get?
as everyone says you need at least 5 but 6-7 would be better (i just love more 5 is still ok to go with)

2) I am also planning on making 50% water change a week, since the plants take most of the nitrate out of the water. Would that be ok?


yah your going to need more than that so go with dissidents wc routine

3) I am planning on feeding: beefheart (salad shooter), Tetra Color Bits, Hikari Spirulina Brine Shrimp and Bloodworms, Kent Zoe Vitamin Supplement
(going to get an automatic feeder) Sounds ok?

sounds ok but yah frozen in a auto feeder would smell after a day out in the open and adults dont need to be fed that often

4) Is Sera Discus Granulat any good?
never heard of it

5) Would Rocky Mountain Discus be a good place to buy healthy, quality discus fish (pm me if neccessary)? What are their prices (they didn't email me back yet)?
they are good..i havn't bought any from them but i hear they are ok to deal with.

kevin

[lhforbes12]

Hi Tiffi,
I pretty much agree with everyone above. I would only differ on a couple of minor points. I don't feel you need to get full adult discus, but they should be at least sub-adult (4"-4 1/2 '). The reason for this is that young discus just need to be fed too often and their water must remain too clean to try and raise them in a tank with a substrate. It's next to impossible to keep clean enough. This is especially true if it's your first discus.
Waterr changes are very important to discus. Dissident and I are both plant geeks too, and so we can understand why you would prefer doing only a 50% water change a week. I agree with Dis, at least two 75% wc's a week, I think even better would be a 50% every other day. There are ways to mitigate algae growth even doing large wc's. If you need advice in that direction just ask. I do a 50% wc every other day and have zero algae, so it can be done.
As to the Sera foods for some reason many Americans dislike them, many others swear by them. I think if your discus will eat them, they are a fine food.

Larry

[Tiffi]

Thank you guys for the quick answers!

I was not planning on putting frozen food in the feeder. I am blond but not that blond :crazy: . I will get a different main food then instead of the Color Bits.

So would it be fine to get 5 discus AND a couple more GBRs AND 6-8 Corys? Sounds a little like overstocking to me.

I am definitely going to get at least 4" discus. I've already read up on the fact that it would be too difficult with smaller ones in a planted tank.

[lhforbes12]

Thank you guys for the quick answers!

I was not planning on putting frozen food in the feeder. I am blond but not that blond :crazy: . I will get a different main food then instead of the Color Bits.

So would it be fine to get 5 discus AND a couple more GBRs AND 6-8 Corys? Sounds a little like overstocking to me.

I am definitely going to get at least 4" discus. I've already read up on the fact that it would be too difficult with smaller ones in a planted tank.

Tiffi,
With those fish you could add more and still be a little understocked IMO. Go ahead and get them.

[White Worm]

It may be a little pricey but buy all the discus you plan to have at once so you dont have a couple and then try to add a couple (ask around and get many references before you buy) Nice quality starting stock is the key to really enjoying the hobby from the get-go!!.... Dont skimp on the $ because you will be disappointed later. 5-6 would be a good # and the other small fish dont really fall into the equation. The rule of thumb is 1 adult discus to 10g of water. I dont know the plant side but clean water is the key for discus, not just nitrates. Mike

[steve.ryall]

Welcome to SD Tiffi

I hope all goes well with the new fish

Steve :)

[TrevorB]

Hi Tiffi.

I am pretty new to keeping discus also, but I bought my first fish from Rocky Mountain Discus. I was very happy with the fish and have some more coming in a week or so. The owner (Al) is great to work with, but I'm not sure he always gets his email. I found it's easiest just to call, he's very helpful over the phone.

HTH,
Trevor

[pcsb23]

Hi Tiffi, advice so far given is good, to answer you about the Sera food, as I'm in europe;) personally think it is as good if not better than any other I've used.

btw welcome to Simply.

hth,

[Elcid]

Hi:

My suggestion would be to get a pair of your favorite color strain from someone like Dan of Gulfcoastdiscus. I don't have any affiliation with him but 5 or more 4" discus in a 70 gallon with numurous other fish would definately require more than a once a week water change IMO.

HTH,
Sandeep

[Harriett]

Tiffi
Welcome to Simply, and good luck in getting your new project off the ground! I have not much to add from the great advice you're recieving, except a note re the statement you made below:

"I was not planning on putting frozen food in the feeder. I am blond but not that blond . I will get a different main food then instead of the Color Bits."

Color Bits work great in an autofeeder and from my experience they are a terrific food for discus. Young i.e. still growing discus do better (growth, healthy imune systems) with color bits as a part of a food regimen that includes lots of live food (like frozen bloodworms, etc), but once they have attained size, it has worked well for me as a main food for years. I do about 2/3 Color Bits to 1/3 Hikari Frozen Bloodworms with other occasional treats for my adults. Glad to see another plant geek here! We need as many as we can convert!
Hope this helps
Harriett

[AADiscus]

Welcome to Simply.

The only thing I will add to what everyone else has mentioned is: If you are going to be feeding the beef heart then feed it on the day you will be doing wc's. You don't want any leftovers down in the gravel, etc. You might try doing a few more wc's a week if possible. Keep your heat in the tank no less than 82. Actually 84-86 is best but 82 is the lowest you really want to go.

[Tiffi]

Thank you all for the wonderful advice!

I have thought about getting either 2 adult discus or four 3-4" large ones now. Since I have a 70gal HIGH tank, I think it will look funny once I have 5 or 6 adults. In a bigger aquarium that would probably look great! But in mine I would prefer to go with 2-4, exspecially because money is not unlimited as I am a college student.

I am going to make 50% water changes twice a week and I've decided I am going to feed the following:
New Life Spectrum Discus Pellets,
Hikari Freeze dried Bloodworms,
Hikari Frozen Spirulina Brine Shrimp,
Beef Heart

[White Worm]

You will surely want to save the pennies and purchase the 4 all at once and get decent size around 3-4inch. Even if you get 2 adults, they still may not get along. Go with a group, you will be better off.

[Dissident]

You will surely want to save the pennies and purchase the 4 all at once and get decent size around 3-4inch. Even if you get 2 adults, they still may not get along. Go with a group, you will be better off.

Seconded

[lhforbes12]

Thank you all for the wonderful advice!

I have thought about getting either 2 adult discus or four 3-4" large ones now. Since I have a 70gal HIGH tank, I think it will look funny once I have 5 or 6 adults. In a bigger aquarium that would probably look great! But in mine I would prefer to go with 2-4, exspecially because money is not unlimited as I am a college student.

I am going to make 50% water changes twice a week and I've decided I am going to feed the following:
New Life Spectrum Discus Pellets,
Hikari Freeze dried Bloodworms,
Hikari Frozen Spirulina Brine Shrimp,
Beef Heart

Tiffi,
Since you have already talked to Bill Egan I don't believe I will be telling tales when I say, Bull will sell you some discus large enough for your tank at a very good price. Get at least 5, you will probably have "pecking order" problems otherwise. Again he is getting in some new discus soon. I would hold off on buying any until his are out of quarantine.

Larry

[Tiffi]

Ok,

so maybe I will get 4-5 young adults then. I will have to wait with buying some anyway, since I first want to get some more corys and German Blue Rams and make sure they are all healthy. I only have one little quarantine tank ;) .

[Kindredspirit]

Decisions decisions decisions yes Tiffi? You have great advice here ~ are you excited? Have you gotten your Rams yet? I think I read it somewhere that you were or did or something! lol! I have German Blue Rams too:) In fact they just laid some eggs the other day but they are gone now:) They are so fun!! Here is a pic if you dont mind~



Marie ~ http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/16/16_4_10.gif

[lhforbes12]

Ok,

so maybe I will get 4-5 young adults then. I will have to wait with buying some anyway, since I first want to get some more corys and German Blue Rams and make sure they are all healthy. I only have one little quarantine tank ;) .

Tiffi,
LoL, Bill is getting in Blue Rams too. Hmmmm... it sounds to me like he could be a "one stop shop" for you. As to QT'ing, if you buy everything at the same time there is no need to QT IMO since they will all be from the same place and established at the same time. You may have to ask Bill, but I don't recall him having cories for sale though.

[Tiffi]

It really does sound like I am going to buy a whole bunch from Bill. And yes, I am excited, exspecially to see how they will be doing, since I've never had discus before.

First thing I am going to get some crys here in a little bit and then wait about a month and get the discus and GBRs from Bill. I just can't decide on a color yet, but I am sure my husband can help me with that.

I've just bought some new plants yesterday, because some of mine weren't standing up to the high temperature.

Those GBRs in the picture are really gorgeous. I had mine spawn before too, but the Endlers ate the eggs, when the parents weren't watching.

[Dissident]

What plants did you get?

Even with the higer temp most plants should do fine with enough light and CO2.
Your CO2 Is right on mark, you could go a little higher with discus, but you will want to start them out ~10-15ppm and raise it upto ~25ppm over the course of a few weeks.

Mine tend to show stress ~30+ppm CO2 so I keep it ~25ppm

You would be fine with some more light since you are injecting CO2 1.8Watts/gallon in a 70gal is still considered low-light. ~3W/gal would be perfect. 4W/Gal and higher tends to be a lot harder to maintain.

[Tiffi]

I got a red melon sword, some Bacopa caroliniana, and an Echinodorus cordifolius. I know all that about the plants. I really have to post a picture of how my tank looks like now but I have to make the pics first :D .

One question to Bill's discus though: Can I see some good pictures of his discus somewhere? I can only find the kind of bad ones he made himself. I would really like to know how the Brilliants, Red Turqouise and Snakeskins look like that he's got, but I don't want to buy them unless having seen one before.

[Dissident]

http://www.xs4all.nl/~hlc/fons/strains/pictures.htm

[Tiffi]

Thank you very much. I can still use that for future reference, since I've just found out that Bill doesn't ship any discus and he is quite far away from me.

Anyways, I guess I will be getting my fish from Al then. He is just about 3.5 hours away from us and shipping would be really cheap too.

[lhforbes12]

Tiffi,
<doh!> For some reasom I thought you were in Chicagoland. Sorry