Need Advice On Soon To Be 65 Gallon Discus Tank

[freshwaterfishlover]

I would defiantly not call myself a beginner. I know how to cycle a tank, all about water changes and can ID fish keeped fish before etc. I also would not call myself a expert because I never keeped a show tank( have kept live plants) or extremely delicate fish.

Just a fe questions? The tank is an already stablished tank. Have been realy doing my homework on Discus

1. When done this is going to be my tank

65 gallon:
6 Discus
12 Sterbai Cory
1 Pleco
1 female Betta.
Would this be overstocked? Would these fish be compatible?

Heard Discus need the water over 80F? Want to buy a heater that will realy do the job any recommendations ?

Have a canister filter. If I turn the flow down will it work with Discus?

Heard do not put plants in a Discus tank when young, but heavily plant it when there full grown. Thoughts on this?

 

[Tuxyu3]

Not experienced with discus but what's with the female betta? I know they are ok with cory's and plecs but the female betta just looks out of place and I can imagine it may not go down too well.

 

[Crossfire]

What species of pleco, may I ask? They prefer cooler water temps

 

[freshwaterfishlover]

Don't remember the name. He has been in the heated 65 gallon for a few months. He survived the 2 months I was not able to clean the tank when like 7 other fish died.

 

[Crossfire]

Is he a common plec?

 

[freshwaterfishlover]

Sorry if I thought it was a Pleco it's a Synodontis catfish at 4"-5".

Sorry if I thought it was a Pleco it's a Synodontis catfish at 4"-5".

 

[thereverendturtle]

Post a pic if you can. The stocking seems fine, you can heavily plant from the start and as for the canister, just as long as the discus aren't being blown around the tank its fine.
My recommendation on the heater is go with 2 submersibles each one about 200 watts. This way if one fails you'll have a backup in place.

 

[dannybgoode]

Hi there

The important thing to remember about Discus is they need really clean water. You're looking at 30%+ water changes twice a week (preferably with RO water), cleaning up uneaten food immediately after feeding etc. 65gal may not be big enough for 6 either. Look at www.bidka.org for everything you could ever need to know about keeping them.

I'm not trying to put you off but just bed sure you can put the time in to avoid (expensive) disappointment. I'd love a Discus tank but know at the moment I don't have the spare time for one.

Good luck what ever you decide.

Cheers

Danny B

 

[creeker]

Don't remember the name. He has been in the heated 65 gallon for a few months. He survived the 2 months I was not able to clean the tank when like 7 other fish died.

That statement there makes me feel you might want to re-think the whole Discus idea. Like Danny said, they are "high maintenance." If the water quality dips, they get sick real easy.

 

[elmo666]

Discus are a truely stunning fish, but as stated above, demanding of both time and diligence. The key word is stability, this is crucial to if you want success. Water quality must be high, ph needs to be maintained. What compounds this is that it needs also to be soft. R/O is by far the best way to go. Feeding needs to be done little and often. High protein foods, beefheart, bloodworm, crustacea supported by something granular as a staple, Tetra Prima for example. Cleaning up after feeding is a must. Use sand as a substrate, all uneaten food will stay on the top. Yes, lots of water changes, testing, feeding, but trust me, the king of aquarium fish will more than reward your hard work. They are truely addictive. Now, am not in anyway trying to put you off, you just need to go into these fish with your eyes wide open. Do some research, have a good think about it. Your tank is a touch small, but you could buy juvenilles, hardest to keep btw, and thin them out as they grow. Emperor tetra, cardinals etc in a decent shoal make a nice addition toa discus tank, as do cory's. If you have the right kit and frame of mind at the outset, discus are a joy to keep.

 

[dannybgoode]

If you're going to go the Discus route the alternative to RO water is a Devotedly Discus HMA filter. Look them up on fleabay - they go for around £40 and then you probably need a new set of filters for them - again £40 (from the Devotedly Discus website where you can drool at fish also) but they last a year or so so not a huge expense and unlike RO systems they don't waste a whole load of water.

Also bear in mind that water temp needs to be around 30c so heating may be a reasonable expense and tank mates chosen accordingly.

One day, when I'm retired or a millionaire and don't otherwise have to work I will have a Discus tank or 5!

Cheers

Danny B