Should I get Discus?

[SamH]

Being the sensible fishkeeper I am :angel:, I thought it'd be a good idea to find out if Discus are the right fish for me.


I've got 1x empty 24" cube aquarium, some black sand on the way, I plan on having good lighting for a heavily planted aquarium and probably a 15g sump. The tank itself holds 216L/57G and is euro braced but I'll probably keep the lids or a tight fitting hood on.

So here's my questions:

Can I have a pair of discus in that setup?
Are young discus hard to keep without bare bottomed tanks?
If so, would raising some in a 20G 31"x10"x15"(80x25x40cm LxWxH) aquarium be okay until they're old enough?
Are discus sensitive to strong light e.g 250w+ MH?

Thanks

[Eddie]

Hey there Sam and welcome!

Are discus for you.....thats definitely a wise question that many don't even bother to ask. So you are starting off in the right direction. With a 57g cube aquarium, that tank could house a pair, yes. Would they be happy, could be but there could be a little fighting at times. The idea about growing some young ones out in a 20 is not advised as they will quickly need to be moved into something like your 57g. If you were to begin with juvies, 6 or more would be the best option. So if you are gonna go with the 57g being a display tank, best to get an adult pair IMO.

First off, water conditions are very important in keeping discus. Even in keeping adults, water is important, maybe not as frequent changes in water but you need to maintain quality and stability. Especially when you do change the water, making sure it is of the same parameters on the tank. There is a TON of information to read about in the stickies of many of the sections of the forum, from the basics to feeding to disease. I would definitely familiarize yourself with these subjects and think about whether or not discus are for you. If there is one thing I always preach, its that water is the answer. If you have your water worked out, the rest is easy.

Glad to meet you!

Eddie

[tcyiu]

Being the sensible fishkeeper I am :angel:, I thought it'd be a good idea to find out if Discus are the right fish for me.

Very sensible Kudos for asking first. I didn't. The result was that one of the two I bought was harassed to death ... then I found SimplyDiscus.


Can I have a pair of discus in that setup? Unless the 2 fish are a pair (actively breeding or not), chances are No. Any new school under 5 is NOT a good idea.

However, you should be able to find adult pairs being sold as proven/confirmed breeders. Just a note, these will typically be at the end of their breeding cycle which is why they're being sold. But the fact that they're not as fertile may not matter to you. The important thing is that you need fish that can live together with out killing each other.


Are young discus hard to keep without bare bottomed tanks?

The orthodoxy is that you MUST have bare bottom. I am a heretic and I will tell you that you can have substrate. Just be prepared to do more work. Young ones should be fed a lot. Then they poo a lot which means more work cleaning the substrate. I've raised four juveniles on substrate (gravel). They turned out OK, a bit on the small side. Coloration not great. But heck they're adults. Having done that before, I will NOT do it again. My current juvies are BB all the way. I can now see all the poo that is involved.


If so, would raising some in a 20G 31"x10"x15"(80x25x40cm LxWxH) aquarium be okay until they're old enough?

My concern with the 20G tall is that there is not much surface area for the fish to spread out and for oxygen-CO2 exchange. I raised my previous four juvies in a 20G tall, so it can be done. But I will repeat what I wrote earlier, I would not do it again.[/QUOTE]

Lastly, don't know about lighting. I suspect that if your tank will be planted, they'll be fine. BUT this is just plain conjecture - no real experience here.

Good luck.

Tim

P.S. and ditto what Eddie said about water.