Question about planted tanks

[cabin1]

Hey everyone,
Are adult discus less susceptible to lower water quality? I am asking this because I have consistently heard that it is safe to keep adult discus in a planted tank, but not encouraged to do so for juvenile discus. Is this due to the amount of feedings and water changes that juveniles require, or is there another factor? Thanks in advance for any help.

-Chris

[swinters66]

Maybe it just might be easier on you and the discus being juvies to keep a minimal tank set up.

Although, if you keep a bare bottom tank for the juvies, you can get small terra cotta pots and use those as anchors for live plants. Discus would have places to hide and feel more secure and it would make water changes a whole lot easier. Makes moving plants around the tank super easy as well.

For me personally though, I don't like keeping discus in tanks with nothing in it.

I would think adult discus would be more hearty than juvies, so maybe that's why adult do better in a planted tank? I'm not really sure. I think though with water changes, good water, healthy plants and good filtration your discus would thrive whether they are juvies or adults.

[cabin1]

Would 2-3 weekly 50-60% water changes be sufficient for 5 adult discus in a 55 gallon planted tank?

[Alight]

I do a 60% water change every 4 days in my 55 gallon heavily planted high tech tank with 5 adult discus in it.


It takes lots of food and lots of clean water to grow out juvies to their full potential.

Dicus like to "graze" sort of constantly, after the intial frenzied gulping of their food. The problem with gravel is that the food falls down in the gravel making it difficult for the discus to get at. Worse, the Discus "achilles heel" is that they do not tolerate high bacteria counts well, and bacteria grows quite nicely in gravel that is salted with excess food that the discus cannot reach.

Put this altogether and you have the situation where, although it is possible to raise Discus to adulthood in a planted tank, it's really not worth the effort. There are those of us, including me, who have done so, and would never do it again.