Questions About Keeping Discus

[Ed Green]

Fist off, I am not sure if this is in the correct place – sorry if it needs moving.

Well - I was going to start a marine tank, I had an Orca 550 ready to go but had a change of heart. I dont like the costs and more importantly an RO unit isnt a possibility where I live so with the money from selling the orca I want to set up a nice medium sized planted tank - and I think I want to try out Discus.

I am still researching but at this stage have read a lot of contradictory stuff.

So my questions:

1) If I get a 180L tank - how many discus can I expect to house? I would have a few other small fish in there.

2) PH - is something between 6.3-6.9 right? how do I lower/raise my ph?

3) Is water hardness an issue? How do I lower/raise this if necessary?

4) Is there anything I am missing unique to keeping Discus?

Whilst I am at it if anyone out there can answer the next question i would appreciate it - I am thinking about getting a Juwel Rio 180 - I can pick an older one up relatively cheep but want a high tech pressurised CO2 set up- do the newer models that come with T5 Highlight tubes (instead of T8) make plant growing considerably better? Ill fork out for a new one with the High-Lites if they are considerably better.

Thanks!

Ed

 

[kelly528]

Honestly, I don't know much about discus, but I do know that they require a LOT of homework before buying... you need impeccable water quality, and at a minumum of $50 per fish x at least 5 discus, mistakes are pretty costly. They are almost a seperate world from fresh and salt, once you get into them! Start reading your discus forums!

 

[ALW]

You still need RO water for Discus

 

[Ed Green]

You still need RO water for Discus

I have been told and read that I do not need an RO unit.

 

[drobbyb]

Some people say yes, and some say no. I know people who do it both ways with success, but your mileage may vary.

 

[stiffler69]

You still need RO water for Discus

no you do not

my fish live and have raised young in treated tap water.

 

[kelly528]

I think it depends on the water hardness in your area?

 

[Mr._Fishy]

^^^ That and what kind of discus you are getting. Wild ones will generally need a ro system. Tank bred that have been raised in hard(ish) water may not, but it isn't a bad idea.

 

[crazychris]

My lfs owner just keeps discus in the same water as all his other fish and says you can do at home and that they're no harder to keep then any other tropical fish. Is he fibbing then?

 

[kelly528]

Ha ha probably a teeny bit... I'm assuming he doesn't guarantee his discus. But then again when you know enough to run a fish store I'm sure most freshwater fish seem pretty easy.

 

[Mr._Fishy]

Discus are for sure not as easy to keep as say, a danio or a guppy. They need pristine water and don't take aggression well at all. They're pretty sensitive fish in general, especially the wc ones.

 

[Mr._Fishy]

Triple post somehow

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

So my questions:

1) If I get a 180L tank - how many discus can I expect to house? I would have a few other small fish in there.

2) PH - is something between 6.3-6.9 right? how do I lower/raise my ph?

3) Is water hardness an issue? How do I lower/raise this if necessary?

4) Is there anything I am missing unique to keeping Discus?

Hi Ed,

1. 180 litres puts you around 50 gallons, so you could fit 5 Discus into your set up.

2. What exactly is your pH? As another member mentioned adjusting pH is normally only needed in wild stock or German stock. Most Discus are bred in Asia, where the they keep the pH relatively high (extra minerals are great for growing Discus.) You probably won't have to worry about adjusting pH, and if your going to use pressurized C02 this will lower pH slightly anyways.

3. Water hardness can also be adjusted with R/O but again, should be alright.

4. Temperature should stay around 30C. Juveniles have a hard time growing in planted tanks, so you should be aiming at buying Discus 4" or larger. Other then that buy from a good source (breeders are normally far superior to LFS.)

don't take aggression well at all.

Mine beat the crap out of each other. I siphon scales out of my adult tank

You still need RO water for Discus

Are you ever correct?

 

[Mr._Fishy]

don't take aggression well at all.

Mine beat the crap out of each other. I siphon scales out of my adult tank

I housed mine temporarily with a semi mature green terror because of a broken tank. It didn't go very well.The discus had just underwent a move so that could have been part of it. However, about 1.5 weeks after the move, once the gt was gone they appeared much less stressed. It probably wasn't a good idea to house them together but the tank with the gt was broken in the move.

EDIT: The discus in this case were not fully mature and I only kept them for about a year so I probably don't have as good of an opinion of their behavior as others.

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

don't take aggression well at all.

Mine beat the crap out of each other. I siphon scales out of my adult tank

I housed mine temporarily with a semi mature green terror because of a broken tank. It didn't go very well.The discus had just underwent a move so that could have been part of it. However, about 1.5 weeks after the move, once the gt was gone they appeared much less stressed. It probably wasn't a good idea to house them together but the tank with the gt was broken in the move.

EDIT: The discus in this case were not fully mature and I only kept them for about a year so I probably don't have as good of an opinion of their behavior as others.

Your correct, they won't stand a chance with any highly aggressive fish. I will just being a goof, but seriously, mine rip each other to shreds and like I said, I siphon out scales! They can get pretty nasty with each other!