JakeTeque

Hey everyone,

I really want to start a discus tank. I already have the tank ready with a Aquarclear 70, 300gph for a 55Gallon tank. I would want it to be planted with flourite red substrate. I was thinking 3-5 discus with maybe some cardinal tetras. How many times a week do you think I would have to do a water change? I want to keep it to a minimum, as I already have 100gal with Oscars.

aquarist48

Discus are beautiful but can be a bit tricky. Their water has to be so pristine. They are a big fan of water changes. I'm sure some Discus people will answer you before long.

Slug

Are not a big fan? You mean they are.

In the tank you are describing it really depends on what you are going for and what you are feeding. Of course the bigger you want them the more you must feed and the more WCs you must do. You must also do as many WCs as you can stand to keep them from becoming stunted.

I'd do at the very least, one a week. I'd squeeze in 2 if possible. At least. The more the better.

Get them as big as you can afford to start as well. Larger discus stand less of a chance of becoming stunted in such a tank and usually adapt a bit better then the smaller fish.

pepetj

I'm waiting on a custom built 110gal (*) 4 footer (footprint 48"Lx18"W). Tank temp in my office is easy to keep around 30C.

I don't mean to hijack this thread but to hitchhike in it: what would you recommend JakeTeke (55gal) and me (* say 90 or 110, there was an unsolved issue with glass height availability) as for the optimum number of Discus to keep that tank easy on maintenance (I don't mind doing WC at all, indeed I confess doing them way before Nitrates reach 25ppm in all my tanks).

What is the acceptable nitrate level for Discus in your experience Matt? What about other parameters? I've read some conflicting info as for their flexibility in GH, KH, DO (I guess wild caught are sensitive but are those farm raised as sensitive too?).

Thank you Jake for asking this question

Pepe
Santo Domingo

JakeTeque

1 - 2 water changes are not as bad as I thought. Is my filter GPM appropriate for the set-up I have? Also, how sensative are discus to water change temperatures? If I change 10-20% of the water, would I need to heat the new water beforehand or would it be fine?

aquarist48

Typo...corrected!

capekate

Hi Jake,
you will need to make sure that the water temperature going back into the tank is the same degree or as close as possible to what is in the tank.

Slug

Try and hit the water temp pretty close. Though i've done it before with a pretty wide gap in temps and they are usually fine. I usually try and match it, by hand lol, to the tank water but as long as its not like a very drastic change they should be fine. If anything go Hotter then colder.

Pepe, the domestic strains seem to be pretty hardy comparably these days. The wilds are quite sensitive yes, but the domestics can be forgiving sometimes. GH, KH, pH...they can vary depending on who you talk to. I've known people to breed discus in water as hard as 8.0 and as low as like 6. Stability and proper introduction (acclimation) are the keys.

The general rule of thumb is 1 Adult discus per 10gals of water. This can vary with your maintenance schedule and other fish though. In the 55gal i'd keep anywhere from 4-6. In the larger tank, up to 10. You can always vary this number, but i wouldn't go below 4 since they like being in a group. If you are buying them small and can get a good deal, get more then you're probably going to keep. Chances are some might die, we all lose discus no matter the experience level, and that way you can pick out the ones you want to keep.