Keeping dime sized discus for the first time

[lipadj46]

After keeping a high tech planted tank with angels I feel like the only challenging thing left for freshwater are discus. I have the summers off so figure that I have the time to start off with really small (and affordable) fish. So I am starting off with 7 dime sized discus.

My water is soft (around 2 dKH and dGH). I have a 10 gallon bare bottom tank that I keep cycled as a hospital tank and I also have a 12x8x6" refugium with a powerhead that I use to separate a fish that needs a break. My plan is to start them off in the refugium for the first few weeks and them move them to the 10 gallon and then eventually move them to a 55 gallon low tech planted tank I have set up with amazon swords and java ferns.

My plan is to feed beef heart to start and add in various flakes (worm and beaf heart) later. With the10 gallon doing large daily water changes will be easy. My question is at what size should I transfer them to the 55 gallon? And also besides bad water and nutrition, what else will cause the stunting of discus?

[Skip]

RULE of THUMB you don't want to grow out juvies in a planted tank.. too much food is feed and gets trapped in gravel..

ask LENVER.. he grow out some dime sized feeder fish.. in a 10gallon.. this april.. and then put them into a Planted tank..

i will let him tell you.. or you can message him directly

[lipadj46]

yeah I've read that, this tank has pool filter sand that I generally vacuum up everyday, still not good? What is the issue is it dissolved organics or nitrates just wondering. I could just as easily remove the sand and keep the swords planted in pots, the java ferns are on the driftwood. At what size should I remove them from the 10 gallon into the 55?

[Lenin]

I've kept them in the 10g untill they were 1.5 to 2", no more, this was with daily water changes, daily no compromises, it was for about a month, the 10g had nothing in it only a heater and sponge filter, on the planted tank if you use a small layer of sand, the plants in pots and the java ferns on driftwood it would be ok, but the first 4 months they will need a high protein diet and lots of water changes, you do that and they will grow very well.

[lipadj46]

thanks for the good info