Thinking Of Discus

[HODDY]

Hi sorry for all the posts but i cant help my self .After christmas i should have 2 4ft tanks set up and am considering discus.Im just wondering how many would go into a 4ft and would i be able to keep any other fish with them.And would i have to do dayly water changes(i am willing to do this).thanks a million.

 

[Griz]

Here's a good place to start: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=42070

Discus require a great deal of commitment and are not forgiving of mistakes or lack of proper care. My advice is to do a lot of reasearch before you decide to spend the money on them, a group of discus isn't cheap.

 

[HODDY]

ok thankyou,Would you i should get 2 fm's,2 convics andsome other fairly big cichlids for the tank?

 

[annka5]

NO!!!!!! Sorry, but discus really don't do well with anything remotely aggressive /boisterous. I'd personally recommend keeping them with a shoal of rummy nose or cardinal tetra, maybe some cories (of a kind that can cope with the slightly higher than normal temps), and try to get adults /bigger ones to start with.
As to number, I'd say a minimum of 6, do you know the volume of the tank? Typically recommended is allow 10 galls per fish with a minimum of 6 fish-so a 60 gall tank(could do 55 gall if you had no choice). Have a look at the link above or just search the forum under "discus".

 

[HODDY]

i didnt mean keeping fms and convicts with discus.I was saying should i keep fms and cons instead of discus?Or if not any of those what could i keep in a 4ft tank.the dimenions are 4ftx12x18 thanks.

 

[DazedNCoNfUsEd]

FM's and convicts are pretty cool, just beware that if you get a pair of convicts and they decide to breed, which they apparently do alot, they become VERY aggressive and may terrorize the rest of the tank.

How about one convict, one FM, and a Severum?

 

[annka5]

oooohhh.... that makes much, much more sense! sorry!!
They're pretty different fish, discus and firemouths /sevs; I reckon either would be good in the tank you have. Just a question of preference and time commitments really.

 

[kev_kb]

Consider your tank dimensions, you need 18" height for Discus and a deep tank is good. Just in case you have a 48 x 12 x 12 or something....

 

[beechey]

defo go for discus great fish....

mine are now nearly 2 weeks old....... and aint died ....lol
they change colour every day....

 

[kev_kb]

defo go for discus great fish....

mine are now nearly 2 weeks old....... and aint died ....lol
they change colour every day....

They should not change colour!

The colour will develop in young fish, but not sure you'd see a difference each day. They will also darken when stressed.

Are all the fish in your sig in the same tank? If so they could well be stressed out, do all the fish even have the same water requirements?

 

[Halfsleeve]

defo go for discus great fish....

mine are now nearly 2 weeks old....... and aint died ....lol
they change colour every day....

They should not change colour!

The colour will develop in young fish, but not sure you'd see a difference each day. They will also darken when stressed.

Are all the fish in your sig in the same tank? If so they could well be stressed out, do all the fish even have the same water requirements?

Discus are pretty timid fish, I have been keeping them for about a year now and have grown about 2.5 inches since I have had them, once settled they generally keep one colour like Kev has said dark/black bars or all very dark indicates they are not happy, I would check water params big Ph fluctuations will certainly not help, they like the water a little warmer also I would recommend a tank for just discus or with a few cardinals harlequins etc something that will not threaten and scare them, steady water conditions is the key to keeping them.

 

[HODDY]

ok thanks for the advise.The 4ft tank i was going to get sold the day we tryed to buy it .BUT me and my dad found 2 ft tanks on a steel stand for very cheap.The dimensions are 4ftx2ftx2ft! i think this is 100g but im not sure.Whta would i be able to put in this?

 

[kev_kb]

Good size for Discus! Depends on your experience, and if you want to put the extra effort/cost in I guess. Look through the fish index and find something that appeals to you.