Discus and Cardinal Tetra Quarantine

I am getting ready to stock my 60 gallon with discus and cardinal tetras. I’m planning on getting 5-8 discus and about 60 cardinals. I’ve heard different things on what to do about quarantining them and I came here to get more opinions. Should I put the discus or cardinals in the tank first? Also please suggest how to quarantine them and if I should use any meds, how long, etc. I will be quarantining them in a 40 gallon setup with a large sponge filter. Thanks.

 

I am getting ready to stock my 60 gallon with discus and cardinal tetras. I’m planning on getting 5-8 discus and about 60 cardinals. I’ve heard different things on what to do about quarantining them and I came here to get more opinions. Should I put the discus or cardinals in the tank first? Also please suggest how to quarantine them and if I should use any meds, how long, etc. I will be quarantining them in a 40 gallon setup with a large sponge filter. Thanks.

Your profile says you don’t know about the nitrogen cycle is that still accurate? Personally I quarantine for a month and just observe, before adding any meds. It’s tricky to ask for advice on how to quarantine because so many people feel differently about it.

 

I am getting ready to stock my 60 gallon with discus and cardinal tetras. I’m planning on getting 5-8 discus and about 60 cardinals. I’ve heard different things on what to do about quarantining them and I came here to get more opinions. Should I put the discus or cardinals in the tank first? Also please suggest how to quarantine them and if I should use any meds, how long, etc. I will be quarantining them in a 40 gallon setup with a large sponge filter. Thanks.

I would put in the tetra first as they are the less aggressive ones. I would do a general fungus killer and such. Quarantine for 2-4 weeks

Side note: I think that the 60 gallon is way to small for this idea. The discus would get way to big, and with the tetra, I think it would be quite overstocked.

 

I would put in the tetra first as they are the less aggressive ones. I would do a general fungus killer and such. Quarantine for 2-4 weeks

Side note: I think that the 60 gallon is way to small for this idea. The discus would get way to big, and with the tetra, I think it would be quite overstocked.

Agreed I think this would be overstocking

 

Yes 60 cards is way to many. But they are a weak fish. So if your buy 60 you may only have 20by the end of the month. I bought 8 about a month ago and have no survivors. 4 died within 24hrs and the last for died after a water change. Just them discus and cherry shrimp showed no signs of a problem.

For me I would put the cards in the 60 and let them qt there. Put the discus in the 40 as a bare bottom tank and change 20g daily. Also change the water in the cards tank to get them used to the water changes.
Where are you getting your discus from?

 

Why would you medicate in the QT? Why not kust put them in the tank, keep up with water changes and observe.
And don't Cardinals need lower temperature than Discus?

 

I didnt

Why would you medicate in the QT? Why not kust put them in the tank, keep up with water changes and observe.
And don't Cardinals need lower temperature than Discus?

I want to put them in the qt tank before I put them in the 60 gallon because I do not want to risk a sick fish getting into it and dropping parasites or something in my substrate to where I would have to treat the whole tank and possibly restart it. I would rather just buy a cheap used 40 gallon I could throw away then risk that. Both cardinals and discus can be in about 82° water from what I’ve read.

Your profile says you don’t know about the nitrogen cycle is that still accurate? Personally I quarantine for a month and just observe, before adding any meds. It’s tricky to ask for advice on how to quarantine because so many people feel differently about it.

No, that is not accurate. I don’t remember ever putting in that I don’t know about it. Would you recommend putting in any meds after a month even if they do seem healthy just as a pro caution.

I would put in the tetra first as they are the less aggressive ones. I would do a general fungus killer and such. Quarantine for 2-4 weeks

Side note: I think that the 60 gallon is way to small for this idea. The discus would get way to big, and with the tetra, I think it would be quite overstocked.

Thank you. I’ll take this into account and I will not put in as many fish. I’ll try maybe 4 or 5 discus and maybe 30 cardinals and see how that is.

Yes 60 cards is way to many. But they are a weak fish. So if your buy 60 you may only have 20by the end of the month. I bought 8 about a month ago and have no survivors. 4 died within 24hrs and the last for died after a water change. Just them discus and cherry shrimp showed no signs of a problem.

For me I would put the cards in the 60 and let them qt there. Put the discus in the 40 as a bare bottom tank and change 20g daily. Also change the water in the cards tank to get them used to the water changes.
Where are you getting your discus from?

I was getting a 40 gallon to qt them because I didn’t want to risk the 60 gallon getting any parasites or diseases in it since it has been a process to get it the way it is now. I would hate to have to restart it with all the time and money put into it. I’m not sure where I am getting my discus from yet. I’ve been looking around for trustable and good sites. My local store also has some I can take a look at and choose from.

 

Discus can be kept at 82 but are much better at 84-86. My tanks are at 85. Hard to find good dither fish. I have cory cat,ottos and SAE in my tanks and so far doing fine. One tank has been running for over a year with these fish. Next I have rams. But I think it still to hot for rams.
Big thing is where you get your discus from. What are you doing with the tank? Substrate or bare bottom?

 

I didnt

I want to put them in the qt tank before I put them in the 60 gallon because I do not want to risk a sick fish getting into it and dropping parasites or something in my substrate to where I would have to treat the whole tank and possibly restart it. I would rather just buy a cheap used 40 gallon I could throw away then risk that. Both cardinals and discus can be in about 82° water from what I’ve read.

I am a firm believer in QT, my question was more why you want to proactively medicate?

 

It is recommended that you do medicate just to be safe. Lots of Discus that appear parasite free are not. Remember, these fish will likely have been shipped at least twice before you get them. All the stress reduces their immune systems. Worm with Levamisole, treat for hex with Metro at 500 mg daily for 12 days, and for external parasites. I use PP but there most folks use PraziPro.

The stocking level for Discus is 1 adult fish per 10 gallons. I think 6 Discus and 20 Cards would be OK if you keep up with WC.

Good luck!

 

Where do you live? Your best chance for success is to buy from a seller. I recommend Hans Discus. Mine from 2 months ago to now

 

Hans is good, but there are several importers who are also good. like ssinit I want to know where you live.

 

Discus can be kept at 82 but are much better at 84-86. My tanks are at 85. Hard to find good dither fish. I have cory cat,ottos and SAE in my tanks and so far doing fine. One tank has been running for over a year with these fish. Next I have rams. But I think it still to hot for rams.
Big thing is where you get your discus from. What are you doing with the tank? Substrate or bare bottom?

It’s a black sand bottom. Planted tank.

I am a firm believer in QT, my question was more why you want to proactively medicate?

I was just looking for suggestions because I’ve heard of people putting in meds during qt even when there isn’t signs of anything just to be safe.

 

Nice tank!

 

I live in Orlando, Florida. I was looking on Discusguy.com and it seems they have a good selection but maybe there are better sellers nearby.

Hans is good, but there are several importers who are also good. like ssinit I want to know where you live.

Orlando, Florida

Where do you live? Your best chance for success is to buy from a seller. I recommend Hans Discus. Mine from 2 months ago to nowView attachment 726031View attachment 726032

Nice tank and pretty fish. I can’t wait til mine is finally stocked and on display.

 

Thank you. I’ll take this into account and I will not put in as many fish. I’ll try maybe 4 or 5 discus and maybe 30 cardinals and see how that is.

I see! Personally I don’t ever really medicate, if a fish where to get sick in qt I treat with salt otherwise I put them right into the new tank. I live in Canada and don't really have access to any meds. So far this has worked well for me. Update pictures when you have the fish I’d love to see, sounds like you have a really cool tank planned out Also you can update your profile and even add info about your tank if you click on your profile picture in the toolbar at the top of the screen then click account details.

 

I see! Personally I don’t ever really medicate, if a fish where to get sick in qt I treat with salt otherwise I put them right into the new tank. I live in Canada and don't really have access to any meds. So far this has worked well for me. Update pictures when you have the fish I’d love to see, sounds like you have a really cool tank planned out Also you can update your profile and even add info about your tank if you click on your profile picture in the toolbar at the top of the screen then click account details.

This is the tank right now. I just updated everything in my profile with all my tanks so it should be good now. I’ll definitely post some pictures of the fish once I get them.

 

I was just looking for suggestions because I’ve heard of people putting in meds during qt even when there isn’t signs of anything just to be safe.

Fair enough. As a beginner I am always interested regarding the pros and cons of proactive meds, just curious.

 

Fair enough. As a beginner I am always interested regarding the pros and cons of proactive meds, just curious.

Same here I’m still learning after 3 years.

 

As to meds. I’ve never used them. Many times meds are the reason for dead fish. This is the reason why I suggest buying from a known seller of discus. As Liz suggested there are many discus sellers. Most of these sellers know their breeders for years and wouldn’t be in business if they sold sick discus. Next there are also fly by night sellers. Please ask before you buy. Most local pet stores will be dealing with the latter. Some may have local breeders. These are better but again I say don’t risk it use a good seller. Visit the thread here discus gang updates. You will see what I mean. When buying from a known good seller your fish will not need to be medicated it’s all been done before you get it.

 

Yes 60 cards is way to many. But they are a weak fish. So if your buy 60 you may only have 20by the end of the month. I bought 8 about a month ago and have no survivors. 4 died within 24hrs and the last for died after a water change. Just them discus and cherry shrimp showed no signs of a problem.

For me I would put the cards in the 60 and let them qt there. Put the discus in the 40 as a bare bottom tank and change 20g daily. Also change the water in the cards tank to get them used to the water changes.
Where are you getting your discus from?

Ive had the same luck with Cardinals. One batch of 16 I have 2 survivors. I purchased another batch of 16 2 weeks ago and so far 13 are still alive. Beautiful fish but man they've been tough to keep.

 

I strongly suggest that you stay away from this seller. Among Discus keepers he has a terrible reputation. His pics have been stolen from Kenny's Discus' site. Kenny told him to stop, but he continues to do it. People's reviews of him on my Discus forum are terrible as well. Fish are often not the right strain and some come in with deformities. He does not allow people to visit his facility. Yet people keep buying from him because his prices are cheap.

When possible it is always best to see the Discus you are interested in buying in person. If not, at least you should be able to see pics of the exact fish you will receive rather that one of a perfect specimen from another seller. Gabe at Wattley's Discus is a 3 1/2 hr drive from you. He has a good rep.

Also, the experts maintain that unless you have at least 6 Discus in your aquarium you will have problems with aggression. Try 6 Discus and 20 cards.

 

I strongly suggest that you stay away from this seller. Among Discus keepers he has a terrible reputation. His pics have been stolen from Kenny's Discus' site. Kenny told him to stop, but he continues to do it. People's reviews of him on my Discus forum are terrible as well. Fish are often not the right strain and some come in with deformities. He does not allow people to visit his facility. Yet people keep buying from him because his prices are cheap.

When possible it is always best to see the Discus you are interested in buying in person. If not, at least you should be able to see pics of the exact fish you will receive rather that one of a perfect specimen from another seller. Gabe at Wattley's Discus is a 3 1/2 hr drive from you. He has a good rep.

Also, the experts maintain that unless you have at least 6 Discus in your aquarium you will have problems with aggression. Try 6 Discus and 20 cards.

You suggest I stay away from Discusguy.com?

 

Yeah he is definitely one of the fly my night sellers!! His pictures are from other sellers . Another bad one is ifish. Thou his pics are his own his fish are from warehouses and not known breeders of his.
Being it’s your first time again I suggest Hans. His fish at 2” are around $30. His shipping is reasonable. If fed and water changed regularly you will have success. Beware thou this is an addicting hobby . There are many good sellers. Hans to me is just a good starting place.
So what are your plans for the tank?

 

Yes. And I explained why you should stay away.

 

6 discus and 20 tetras seems a bit too much IMO. Discus are already water sensitive and 60 g is borderline minimum to consider a pack of discus.

Dunno. If this is really what you want I’d go to a 75, everyone much happy and more feasible.

 

A 60 will work. As long as you keep up the cleaning. Remember first is the discus. Me I would worry about the cards. Get the discus going and down the line you can add dither fish. I would add some Cory’s though. Just to clean the bottom.

 

All my tanks Discus tanks are BB and I do 30% WC daily. Done that way 6 adults along with 20 cards won't be too much.

 

I recommend stocking the cardinals first because they are smaller and therefore more vulnerable and should get comfortable in the aquarium first.
For qt I recommend the meds trio: Maracyn, Paracleanse, and Ich-X

I don’t see any issues otherwise. Good luck with your tank!

 

A 60 will work. As long as you keep up the cleaning. Remember first is the discus. Me I would worry about the cards. Get the discus going and down the line you can add dither fish. I would add some Cory’s though. Just to clean the bottom.

How long should I cycle the qt tank before getting them? I have 2 new sponge filters running on it and the water temp is set at 84 for now.

 

Why not do the QT in the 60? It's empty of fish, right?

This will be of no help to you but I never cycle a tank. If I don't have a sponge to spare in my existing tanks I just toss in sterile sponges and change 100% of the water daily until the filter catches up. I QT'd 6 adult show quality Discus that way once and never had a problem.

 

Media from another tank will help. But for new discus it’s like a fish in cycle anyway. You will be changing water daily. Another reason to wait for dither fish. Small discus will eat 7+ times a day and need the water changed daily. So the difference is changing 30 in the 60 or 20 in the 40 .

 

Media from another tank will help. But for new discus it’s like a fish in cycle anyway. You will be changing water daily. Another reason to wait for dither fish. Small discus will eat 7+ times a day and need the water changed daily. So the difference is changing 30 in the 60 or 20 in the 40 .

How many times a day do you feed your discus, what and how much. I’m trying to get a better idea of how much I’ll really need to feed them.

 

I feed. Freeze dried black worms the most. 5x a day as much as they’ll eat. I add tank water to the worms and spill in a little. When they finish those I spill in some more. Come back latter I do it again. Then I feed a black worm mix flake. As in I mix about 5 types of flakes and feed them that 2-3x. The flake mix has nutri-diet discus flakes as part of it. I also have a mix of pellets I’ll feed once a day. Than every so often I feed frozen brime shrimp mixed with the fdbw and frozen blood worms. Some discus won’t eat one thing but will eat something else. So I feed a mix. What I’ve found is as they get older they start eating everything.
When 2” I feed till there bellies are full. Than feed again when they’ve used it up. These fish grow I’d say for a good year and a half.

 

I feed. Freeze dried black worms the most. 5x a day as much as they’ll eat. I add tank water to the worms and spill in a little. When they finish those I spill in some more. Come back latter I do it again. Then I feed a black worm mix flake. As in I mix about 5 types of flakes and feed them that 2-3x. The flake mix has nutri-diet discus flakes as part of it. I also have a mix of pellets I’ll feed once a day. Than every so often I feed frozen brime shrimp mixed with the fdbw and frozen blood worms. Some discus won’t eat one thing but will eat something else. So I feed a mix. What I’ve found is as they get older they start eating everything.
When 2” I feed till there bellies are full. Than feed again when they’ve used it up. These fish grow I’d say for a good year and a half.

Thanks I’ll try some of these foods. How many hours apart do you recommend feeding for 2”-3”?

 

It’s all up to if your around to feed them. Young discus will eat every hour. I was working nights last year and was around during the day and fed them often and changed water every other day. This new group my wife was doing the day time feeding till I hurt my knee. Now I’ve been home for the last month so they’ve been eating and growing more .

 

It’s all up to if your around to feed them. Young discus will eat every hour. I was working nights last year and was around during the day and fed them often and changed water every other day. This new group my wife was doing the day time feeding till I hurt my knee. Now I’ve been home for the last month so they’ve been eating and growing more .

I know in a some thread I can’t find I said I wasn’t going to be able to get the discus but I ended up getting a few. I got 1 Penang Eruption, 1 HB Red Tiger Turquoise, and 1 Super Pigeon Snakeskin. I order from the October batch from Kenny’s Discus. They are all 4.25”-4.5”. I payed a higher price to get some better quality discus as I will keep these fish for many years and I would rather have prettier fish, healthier fish in the long run. Currently in my 60 Gallon Discus Tank I have the 3 discus, 2 koi angelfish, 2 gold rams, 2 grey cories, 1 albino cory, 4 other various cories I can’t remember the name of, 1 bristle nose pleco, and then 1 golden nugget pleco. I am planning on getting 3 more discus, some Siamese algae eaters, and possibly some neon tetras.

 

Nice discus and good choice with Kenny. I also just bought 4 from Kenny in sept. 2 to red and 2 blue tigers. So far I’m happy. They were very skittish for the first 2 weeks but they seem to have calmed down. If your going to buy more I would stay with Kenny’s fish. I like to buy mine in pairs.
Keep up your water changes. Do at least 50% daily. Are the discus and angels together? I’m not a fan f keeping them together. Your other choices should be good but angels can be aggressive. And you don’t see it coming. What are you feeding?

 

Nice discus and good choice with Kenny. I also just bought 4 from Kenny in sept. 2 to red and 2 blue tigers. So far I’m happy. They were very skittish for the first 2 weeks but they seem to have calmed down. If your going to buy more I would stay with Kenny’s fish. I like to buy mine in pairs.
Keep up your water changes. Do at least 50% daily. Are the discus and angels together? I’m not a fan f keeping them together. Your other choices should be good but angels can be aggressive. And you don’t see it coming. What are you feeding?

I have been feeding 3-4 times a day. 1st time cobalt aquatics discus Hans flakes or beef heart flakes, second time discus bio-gold pellets or the opposite flake I feed 1st time, 3rd time blood worms or beef heart, 4th time one of the flakes or pellets. The only aggression I get is from the red tiger turquoise and sometimes the angelfish but it usually only happens after feeding time when the food on the bottom is getting low and they are then fighting over what’s left. Mostly because it floats to one side of the tank which they all go over to, to try and get the last of it. Edit: I have been watching them for the past 20 minutes and I’ve noticed the red tiger turquoise is really becoming a bully to the other 2 discus. He will swim up to them aggressively and nudge them to scare them away and if they get to close he will chase them away. I thought they were supposed to be generally peaceful fish but from the looks of it my batch is a bit aggressive. It might be because they are hungrier then usual, because they haven’t been eating the flakes and pellets I put in. They put it in their mouth and just spit it out. It’s progress though when in the first few days they wouldn’t even touch them. Also do you think 50% everyday is really necessary? I’ve been doing 30% wc every other day. I could do 30% everyday but 50% just seems really excessive and that would be very time consuming for me considering I have to drain it in 5 gallon buckets and then slowly fill up the tank again using the same buckets.

 

I have a pair of angels with my discus. I see virtually no interaction or bullying from the angels except for feeding they out eat the discus and I've made the tough decision to re-home the angels so that the discus can thrive. I wish I could set up a separate aquarium but it's just a tough personal choice I've had to make. The discus will chase and bully each other some to establish their pecking order aslong as you don't see bite marks I wouldn't stress too much. And for water changes the more you can do the better but not everyone is able to do huge 50% daily just do the most you can but remember at this stage they're growing and you want to nurture it as much as possible.