Opinions on a single discus?

[OliveFish05]

Hello! I do not have a discus nor am I in any place to get one, but I wanted to know what people thought of having a single discus? I don't know enough about discus to have an opinion, but wanted to hear everyone else's!

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

Just to preface this, I know next to nothing about discus.

I'm pretty sure you can keep discus alone in a community tank, but discus also interact well in groups. Apparently they're very social. But I can't see an issue with keeping one alone.

 

[Guyb93]

As above I’m no expert on discus but I’m pretty sure you can keep one , these are social fish mind and you would probably miss out on there unique social interactions , if I was going to keep one I’d make sure it was the dominant fish in the tank and make sure all tank mates are suited

 

[Colin_T]

Discus are only social when young. Once they mature, they live in pairs or on their own until they find a partner. Mature fish are highly territorial and will bully smaller weaker discus in the tank. These smaller weaker fish stop eating and die.

So yes you can have just one discus in a community tank.

 

[Byron]

I would agree with Colin depending upon how the one discus came to be in the tank. Discus when born are shoaling cichlids just like angelfish. As fry they expect to be in a large group, this is programmed into their DNA so denying it sets off one problem. As they mature they develop social behaviours, also part of their DNA. They pair off, and need the space as Colin said, and the aquarist has to recognize this and provide suitable options. Very large tanks obviously can work...I have seen incredible discus displays with 6-12 mature discus. But not everyone can manage something like this. If you know a local discus keeper/breeder, who can give/sell you a bonded pair [they must select their mates] that's an option. Or an older discus the survivor of a shoal or pair needing a home. But I would not recommend purchasing one (or two or three or four for that matter) small immature discus. That is contrary to nature and not in the best interests of the fish who is forced to accept what we give it.

 

[itiwhetu]

I have always bought Discus as young fish 6 or more at a time, as they sort themselves out I move the ones that are not happy. Never move the happy fish, as when you move them they will become unhappy. Keeping Discus is a bid commitment taking multiple tanks and patience.

 

[OliveFish05]

Wow! Thank you all for sharing your opinions and experience!

 

[Jords]

I have a discus in my tank with american Cichlids awaiting to move him to a discus tank that is almost complete but he is very happy in my Cichlid tank and if you ask any cichlid fish owners they suggest not keeping them together but mine has been absolutely fine

 

[DoubleDutch]

My opinion is that not any (social) fish should be kept single / alone.

If we can't provide the environment / space to let them expose their normal / natural behaviour we shouldn't keep them.

 

[Byron]

I have a discus in my tank with american Cichlids awaiting to move him to a discus tank that is almost complete but he is very happy in my Cichlid tank and if you ask any cichlid fish owners they suggest not keeping them together but mine has been absolutely fine

I see something like this a lot, on this forum and elsewhere. Aquarists take relatively normal actions like swimming, eating, even spawning, as proof their fish are "happy." This is a false assumption.

First of all, unless we could talk to a fish, there is simply no way we can know they are happy; it is a biological impossibility because we have no means of communicating such things back and forth. The will to survive is the strongest motivation in all animals, and fish are no different. Placed in a negative situation, they have two options, either fight it, or succumb. The stress the situation itself places upon the fish can be considerable, but unseen externally--until it is too late. Aggression, dominance, etc does not need to be physical attacking, it can be the chemical signals (pheromones and allomones) fish use to communicate. The actual situation in your cichlid tank may be very alarming, if it were possible to see it; for example, the wrong combination of species can create such a negative environment that fish are unable to "be themselves normally," so what appears to us as tranquility is in fact anything but peace and calm.

In my earlier post I referenced the fish's behaviours being programmed into their DNA. We are not going to change these, but we can often affect how the fish responds, negatively or positively, to the environment we force upon them...and they have no means of escape, as they would in nature, but can only "grin and bare it" somehow. And unfortunately, this is usually to the fish's detriment.

This is why we research a species, to learn what it "expects" of its environment, and then we provide as best we can an environment within the aquarium that matches. To cite how to provide healthy conditions for aquarium fish from The Manual of Fish Health, "The first step is to gather as much information as possible about the natural environment and behavioural characteristics of the fishes you wish to keep. The more the conditions you provide differ from those in the wild, the more likely the fishes are to be stressed and susceptible to disease."

 

[Avel1896]

Hello
If by "single" you mean the only one of its kind, response is 1°) no and 2°) yes.
1°) Before being adult they need to live in group of 5 specimen minimum.
2°) When adults they often live as a couple or alone.
What's tank measurements ? Even one Discus, that can grow up to 22 cm, requires large tank.
Buying young Discus is "cheaper" that adult.

 

[OliveFish05]

What's tank measurements ? Even one Discus, that can grow up to 22 cm, requires large tank.

I had no specific tank or any plan to get discus, just was curious to hear others opinions and thoughts as there seems to be much controversy on the internet!

 

[Avel1896]

I had no specific tank or any plan to get discus, just was curious to hear others opinions and thoughts as there seems to be much controversy on the internet!

In case you decide to get some, Discus need plenty of space (horizontally and vertically) so a tank around 50″ x 20″ x 20″ (130cm x 50cm x 50cm) is required for 5 juvenile fishes (less than 8 cm) or a pair of breeding adults.