Disus Experts Anywhere?

[DiscusKeeper403]

well. thats not helpful at all.


and they are completely fresh water right? but enjoy slightly acidic

Yes, they are complete fresh. Why not just get a pair? You can sell back the rest of the Discus, and keep the pair, it's the best thing to do in this senerio.

 

[roseK]

well, what if the pair hate each other or something. idk lol

if i get a pair. what other fish do you think will work with them?

 

[jayjay]

What are the dimensions of the tank? Anything less than 18" tall and the discus will not grow properly. You shouldn't keep them in groups less than 5 unless you have a breeding pair. You would ideally want R.O. water depending on what water the fish was raised in but that isn't always necessary. Basic empty tanks, with no substrate are preferred for raising the fish. Also raising fish less than 4" is more effort than it's worth, just buy larger discus.

 

[roseK]

my tank is like 18'' exactly, a little bit more not including the gravel.

i dont know how and where im going to be able to buy a pair. i kno my LFS has one thats about 3.5'' but thats one

and when i go to places like aquabid its like a million dollars to ship and half the places dont ship to canada...


theres one big fish store i kno has a few, BIG BIG ones. but i think they are plenty expensive two

and if i get a pair, they wont be very friendly to other fish now would they...


EDIT: i kno this would be bad, but theres a small on at the store *as said above* and for some reason i want to save it because i know its a crappy place... and most at the tanks are infected with something.. and when i look at my tank now all my fish are shoaling and i have one of them... (expect krib pair)

i kno it wouldnt be happy but it kills me.. and its alone now... AHH

 

[freerunner416]

Hi,

I am having the same thoughts about getting a discus tank and am away to have a new tank build for them. I have found it very useful to go to the discus forums as well to get information.

the two guys helping you here have ticked every box that they have and have given you great advice!! The only thing i wanted to add was to look for breeders in your area. In UK there is many people who breed disc and then sell healthier, better prepared fish for lower prices. Most LPS over inflate the prices on discus and you do not get a fish that is as healthy as it could be depending on the store.

Also if you buy locally from a breeder you may get discus that are already suited to your water quality so it will take less work to get them used to your set up.

Good luck anyway mate and if your still living at home you have years ahead of you to get a massive discus tank setup!!

Craig

 

[roseK]

Good luck anyway mate and if your still living at home you have years ahead of you to get a massive discus tank setup!!

lol i plan on it. and thanks. im going to start looking for breeders, but i dont think there is going to be too many here. not alot of fish people where i live

 

[Tolak]

Your best bet is finding a local club, they would probably be able to direct you towards a breeder; http/fins.actwin.com/dir/clubs.php?c=2

 

[parker313]

well, what if the pair hate each other or something. idk lol

if i get a pair. what other fish do you think will work with them?

Just to clarify - the suggestion wasn't to *buy* a pair, but to get 5-6 juvies and let them pair off naturally, then rehome the others. Many LFSs will take fish back in exchange for store credit. Buying a proven pair of discus would cost a pretty penny.

 

[roseK]

well im not going to do anything until i rehome my fish now, or get a larger tank (which is probably not, unless my parents win the lottery[MOST LIKELY NOT]) lol

but everyone is saying its best to get from a breeder, and i checked local listings and it is alot cheaper, but i dont think i can return them if i buy more than i need

 

[ArauraDiscus]

You don't buy more than you need. THis may sound blunt, but if you don't have the werewithal to plan for them appropriately and know how many Discus you can or want to get, then you shouldn't be getting them. They are a huge commitment and cost a lot of money.

Just throwing out there what has probably already been stated.

I would get 6 discus and let them pair off. If you do get a pair then yes you can sell the others and keep the pair in their own tank. ALso it may be a better idea to keep them in a species tank. Judging from what I read in the first few posts, it seems you would want them mostly in a well setup and possibly planted tank. However discus seem to thrive in a bare tank with no ornaments save those they can breed on. Make sure you give them their own special diet. They need more than flake food to stay alive. They need beef heart, bloodworms, and tetra color bits in addition to flakes if you want them to grow up and justify the 40-100 dollars you will have to pay for them.

 

[bugsy66]

Hi, I am by no means an "expert" on Discus. I have "one" yes you read right I have just one. I use to breed Angels on a large scale but do not consider myself an expert. I have found with these types of fish if you have a true breeding pair then two is alright, if you do not have a true pair with 2 or 3 you are asking for trouble. Been there and done that.

I would suggest that you get 5 young Discus, let them pair up if they do and then you might have to get rid of the rest. They also may live in harmony too, hard to tell.

Discus require very very clean water. More so when they are young. Many breeders do a 50% water change each and every day. As they get older you can get away with once a week. I do my water changes once a week. I keep my one discus with an Angel, some don't like to mix these two but in my case I lucked out and they are the best of buddies. But...... the Discus is the King of the tank and that shows.

Discus are not readily available here and are very expensive for me to have them brought in. So I just have the one and quite happy with it. It is not spooky since I added the Angel and is a nice size now.

Bottom feeders, cory cats and Bristlenose are the best. The regular Plecos will suck onto these fish and I had to return my young one because of that and bought a bristlenose instead.

As for other fish, I recommend some schooling tetras: rummynose, cardinals, neons if they are not to small, etc.

Keep any fast moving aggressive fish out of the tank.

I also do not adjust my ph, I have high ph and bred my angels just fine with it. When I tried to lower it I killed more fish that it was worth. Discus and Angels will adjust to your wate just fine. But if you are wanting to do the breeding end of things you might have to lower it for that. But if you just want to enjoy these beautiful fish I would suggest to just leave your water alone. I am not a big fan of any additives to my tanks, they all do just great.

Hope this helps, this is what works for me but might not work for others. They are truly beautiful fish that require attention to be paid to their water quality.

bugsy....

 

[kev_kb]

Don't want this post to sound harsh, so sorry if it does...

If you need to ask questions as posted in this thread you are not ready for keeping discus and need to do a lot lot more research.

Discus should not be kept on their own, most of the time it will lead to illness and death.

Discus should be kept in groups of at least 5, unless you have a breeding pair. IMO breeding pairs should be raised to breed, not because thats all you have room for. They get to be big fish and I would only them in breeding tanks whilst breeding.

So I'd suggest you keep reading up Discus and start saving for a larger tank... You have plenty of time to do it, maybe buy a smaller Cichlid and attempt to breed them while your waiting?

 

[roseK]

well i have decided im not going to do anything until iget a bigger tank. i dont want to be a bad mommy.

and thats for all your helps guys. with care and other fish and such. i feel a lot better.