Discus care clarification

[fishot]

I am a reasonably experienced fishkeeper, and I am looking to keep discus.

but I have heard many conflicting things about discus. I have heard that they need bare bottom tanks, huge shoals, sky-high temperatures, and only live foods. then I've also heard from a few sources that you should not do this! because if you do, they will become crazed neurotic wrecks that will not live very long, or happy lives. please clarify!

 

[Coradee]

Hi if you haven’t already, have a read of some of the stickied threads at the top of this discus board, lots of useful info there.
Here’s one to start you off
For Beginner Discus Keepers | Discus Fish Forum | 486447

 

[MacZ]

I am a reasonably experienced fishkeeper, and I am looking to keep discus.

but I have heard many conflicting things about discus. I have heard that they need bare bottom tanks, huge shoals, sky-high temperatures, and only live foods. then I've also heard from a few sources that you should not do this! because if you do, they will become crazed neurotic wrecks that will not live very long, or happy lives. please clarify!

It depends on your views and goals and the fish you expicitly want to keep. And what fish exactly you get.

Wild discus are often kept in biotope tanks, so they need room, big groups, high temp, low pH, and soft water. Just as many people keep domestic strains that simply cost a lot of money and many of these people keep them basically under quarantine conditions which includes bare bottom. Other people have other goals with the fish and so in the end it depends on what you want.
This is what I got from listening to discus keepers, which I am not. But when you keep fish over a long time you will get to that conclusion for many specialists groups. It's all about your idea of it.

As a blackwater nut, and from what I could observe all over, the biotope approach might generally the best choice for these fish, the closer they still are to wild fish. So wild fish at least in the water parameters of their habitat, F1-F5 possibly too, while super colourful domestic fish like Stendker Discus are already used to hard water.

 

[Donthemon]

I am a reasonably experienced fishkeeper, and I am looking to keep discus.

but I have heard many conflicting things about discus. I have heard that they need bare bottom tanks, huge shoals, sky-high temperatures, and only live foods. then I've also heard from a few sources that you should not do this! because if you do, they will become crazed neurotic wrecks that will not live very long, or happy lives. please clarify!

Hi , I have had discus for 3 years now. So no expert but here is what I know. Bare bottom not necessary but does make cleaning easier. I have a breeding pair now and there tank is bare bottom. Temp 82-86. School size 5 at least to spread out any possible aggression. Main thing with discus is you need to do water changes a lot and consistently. They are easier than I was led to believe. I feed flake and frozen foods. No live due to chance of parasites. There is a discus forum on here.

 

[86 ssinit]

Discus can be done in many different ways. What they need is clean water and dedication. Warm water is needed. 82-86. Live food should be avoided as stated to many bad things in live food. Bare bottom is best when growing out your fish from small sizes. If bought bigger they can be put into lightly planted tanks. But should still start in a bare bottom for at least the first month getting 50% daily water changes. This gets them used to your water.