I am curious what you think of freeze dried black worms which a lot of people push and i haven't found anything conclusive - they are of course similar to worms but probably less fatty due to freeze dried process (I think)
Discus
- Thread starter Trebor66
- Start date
Hi & welcome to TFF... 
I've kept discus in hard water as well for years. But those were the turquoise discus. But this strain is quite hardy. And I've kept them at 24°C without any problems. I even had offspring. I also had two other strains (cobalt blue and red pigeon) which went well but that was just about 6 months before I ended keeping them. I sold all to make space for my first goodeid tank which I didn't trust with the discus fish I had.
I can't tell that much about other discus strains for I only have kept three strains.
All good advice has already been mentioned by others. For they all want you to keep those future discus fish safe.
Well, I do have to agree that I also kept and still keep tetras in hard water. Same goes for those discus fish I've kept. Can't tell if all discus strains will do well in hard water. But I do believe that people have their own experiences with these fish.
I've kept discus in hard water as well for years. But those were the turquoise discus. But this strain is quite hardy. And I've kept them at 24°C without any problems. I even had offspring. I also had two other strains (cobalt blue and red pigeon) which went well but that was just about 6 months before I ended keeping them. I sold all to make space for my first goodeid tank which I didn't trust with the discus fish I had.
I can't tell that much about other discus strains for I only have kept three strains.
All good advice has already been mentioned by others. For they all want you to keep those future discus fish safe.
plebian
Fish Crazy
Discus love black worms, live or dried. The first time I kept discus I supplemented their dry food with live black worms. They loved the worms without becoming addicted to them. I think I may have just been lucky. I've had the opposite experience with both frozen and dried blood and tubifex worms. I've always had one or two discus refuse to eat anything else once they were introduced. In any case, the key is to only feed worms as a supplement. Aside from protein and fat, they have very little nutritional value.
My advice for successful discus keeping is to keep them in a bare bottom tank as they require clean water. Do not feed them freeze dried bloodworm as they more often than not end up upsetting their digestive system.
Keep them in water that is 31 degrees C or higher as they can be prone to stopping eating however the higher temperature ensures their metabolism demands more food.
If you buy the discus from one supplier do not go to another supplier as they are prone to cross contamination which will wipe your stock out.
Do not put the fish tank containing discus in a high traffic area. They are well known to get startled and frantically swim all over the tank to get away from unfamiliar things. They will often bang their head on the glass and kill themselves in the process.
Finally do not be tempted to use injected co2 if you want to put them in a planted tank. My experience is that if the co2 is cut off or the co2 canister becomes empty, the resultant pH swing can make them very I’ll.
I've kept them for about 30 years and was quite obsessed with breeding them at one time. Currently have about 18 in a 6x2.5x2 tank
Unless theyre wild discus which are gorgeous but higher maintenance I wouldnt worry too much about soft and low ph water. Mine are in 7.5ph water I keep the temp at 29 and I have about 3 pairs breeding regularly although the eggs or babies are soon eaten
Far easier to keep than people make out, really easy to feed as they are gannets, more boistrous and confident than people say and can be quite aggressive with each other
I change 50% twice a week, using tap water through an HMA filter feed a fine pellet in the morning and chens beefheart mix in the evening. I personally wouldnt not feed a good beefheart mix as I have always had the best results with my discus using it
Best advice would be spend more on initial fish getting bigger than you think you can afford. Baby and small discus can be challenging and its easier to start with say 4" fish rather than the 2-3" fish you see in shops
Unless theyre wild discus which are gorgeous but higher maintenance I wouldnt worry too much about soft and low ph water. Mine are in 7.5ph water I keep the temp at 29 and I have about 3 pairs breeding regularly although the eggs or babies are soon eaten
Far easier to keep than people make out, really easy to feed as they are gannets, more boistrous and confident than people say and can be quite aggressive with each other
I change 50% twice a week, using tap water through an HMA filter feed a fine pellet in the morning and chens beefheart mix in the evening. I personally wouldnt not feed a good beefheart mix as I have always had the best results with my discus using it
Best advice would be spend more on initial fish getting bigger than you think you can afford. Baby and small discus can be challenging and its easier to start with say 4" fish rather than the 2-3" fish you see in shops
Wow, that must be quite an experience!. I once kept a marine tank and drove every week to the beach just to do water changes for my lion fish.
I would like to know the big shift from marine to discus fish, what inspired you ?
As a fish keeper discus fish is a full time job. If you don't give a 100% it's gona fade away.
This forum has some great experts and guidelines, which I'm sure will guide you.
All the best and good luck
.
plebian
Fish Crazy
I spend less than 2 hours a week maintaining my aquarium. I'm a lazy aquarist and wouldn't even keep fish if it required much more than that. I'm also cheap. No RO equipment. No expensive filters or filtration media.
I agree with Plebian, if he is happy with his discus growth rate and health for the number of years he has been keeping them.
For a new aquarist you want your discus to grow to its full potential and that's alot of work than 2 hours a week for me monitoring them and caring for them.
An Asian discus breeder Andrew soh explained discus grow fast when fed at night time.
But that doesn't work for me as I got plants in a discus tank and lights go off by 5.00pm.
Most people will argue if it works for them, spending more or less money for results is not the question? But will my discus fish hit full potential in growth and health is the question.
fishorama
Fishaholic
I have limited discus experience. I bought 10 "breeder size" 2 inchers (think smaller). I fed 5-6 times a day (never the same 6 foods), changed more than 60% water every day & wiped down the tank almost every day. Lots of food = lots of poo. I lost 2 early on from jumping into the tank lid. When they got to 4 inches (by my eye) I fed less often & did a bit less maintenance.
Then after a year, we had to move coast to coast. So, I "sold" them to a friend. 4 were 6+ inches, 4 smaller. They immediately paired up for him!
My best advice is to buy the largest size discus you can afford & work like heck until you get a feel for how much care is enough. They can be stunted easily when young. Don't get less than 6, they like friends. Stick to 1 strain if you might hope they breed. The "Easter egg" 1 of every color approach will lead to possibly mismatched pairs & less pretty fish. I prefer wild or old strains like turquoise. anewbie has lovely wilds in a huge tank! But you don't have to go that far.
Then after a year, we had to move coast to coast. So, I "sold" them to a friend. 4 were 6+ inches, 4 smaller. They immediately paired up for him!
My best advice is to buy the largest size discus you can afford & work like heck until you get a feel for how much care is enough. They can be stunted easily when young. Don't get less than 6, they like friends. Stick to 1 strain if you might hope they breed. The "Easter egg" 1 of every color approach will lead to possibly mismatched pairs & less pretty fish. I prefer wild or old strains like turquoise. anewbie has lovely wilds in a huge tank! But you don't have to go that far.
There needs to be more information about that before it can be used as a model on caring for the fish. I found fish grow fast when fed regularly throughout the day.
Plants are a good thing to have in discus tanks and makes them healthier and happier
I wonder what he will say about my terrible English.
Most fishes will keep growing their entire life so if you want to maximize their potential try for longevity over burst of speed when young. Feed them a healthy diet but not too frequently (frys are exceptions which need more feeding; but we can argue when the cut off is from fry to juvi); less feeding means less dirty water. Less dirty water means healthier fish. Mine are wild caught and i do use ro water not just because of them but because most of my aquariums are blackwater due to well being occupied by blackwater fishes (people confused blackwater with dark water which is a sad by product of the chosen name - isn't it weird how blackwater is softer than clearwater); anyway i do a manual water change on my discus tank once every 7 to 14 days - depending on a number of factors and factoring into the factors - i will say they hate water change day. It isnt' the new water that bothers them - they are fine with that it is the minute i put something into their aquarium (such as a python) they object.
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