I want discus. Why do I think am crazy

OK, found out about 2 fish stores in Belgium today, so I took my mom there in the hope of getting her bitten by the fish bug. One was appallling. No substrate (unless you count dead fish piling up) or decoration or plants. Lots of rotten stuff and algae. Horrid.

Looked at the meds and they were leaking and dusty. Really bad.

Shame, as he had a nice bit of space.

Anyway, went to this other one and it was discus heaven (well it IS called discus centre!). It's really reminded me how hooked I am on these fish and I am now seriously contemplating buying them. So here's my million questions on them:

1 what's the minimum amount of discus I could get. Pair, 4, 6?
2 what's the minimum tank volume for them (I know, depends on answer 1)
3 my pH is 8.0, is that a huuuuge problem?
4 are they good community fish?
5 are they picky eaters?

I don't know why, I remember thinking that they were totally unattainable for me, but maybe they're not.

 

I am not a discus expert but I think they need a much lower pH of about 6.0-7.0. I have heard they can be very picky eaters and there are some fish that can go with them, like bettas.
Tom

 

HI Armadillo
How nice it must have been to be able to find a store called Discus Centre!! wowowow.. I'D be in heaven too! ;D You know, its really not that hard to have discus fish. Tho I am new to Discus with about a month under my belt. But with the care that you give to all your fish, it would work out alright. Discus need someone that is going to maintain the water quality they require. Granted I do not do 2 - 3x's a week of wc's, but sometimes it is required to do so. Nicole has a lot of experience with her Discus and maybe she will be able to respond when she is online.
1 & 2) Yes it depends on what size tank you plan on using. I wouldn't recommend anything smaller than a 30 gal for Discus. I think that a 30 gallon can support two discus at adult size or possibly three if your pushing it.
3) PH at 8.0 is ok. The main thing to remember is not to keep trying to change your PH level, that in itself is detrimental to the health of your fish. You wouldn't want the water to be too acidic enough to burn the fish tho. A lot of Discus owners have their PH at 8.0 and report success.
4) I have cardinal tetras in with mine. It seems that is the choice of many that keep Discus. Because of the high temp you need to keep them at, which is around 82*-86* it will limit you tankmates. I have had Angel fish in with my Discus with no problems, just the occasional aggression that a lot of cichlids show. Once my angelfish pair off, I will be moving them for the reason they get pretty territorial. Right now I have a divider in the Discus tank and keeping the Angels and Discus separated, as I just got new Discus who are pretty shy.
5) They are not picky eaters at all, unless there is something wrong with them. I feed mine, HakarI frozen brine shrimp, HakarI frozen Krill, Omega One freeze dried bloodworms. I now have a stock of live brine shrimp that I'm feeding them as well.

I would think that they would be hard for folks to take care of that are not willing to give them the attention they need. That is the folks that do not change the water often, those folks that do not test the water and those folks that do not vacuum their gravel.

So it is not impossible to keep Discus, I was worried at first myself, but all is well and I really love them.
I would love to see more folks here having Discus and joining in the Discus forum, sharing information! ;D

Hope I was some help for you! ~ kate

 

HI Armadillo,
Discus Centre I so want to know what's in there..jumpin on a plane today lol..that sounds like my kind of shop. Heck I have to get most of my discus freighted from other parts of Aust as the prices are so expsensive here and my limited choices..I wanna Discus Cenre
I'm not going to add to what Kate has already said, I reckon she's covered it all for you and very well at that. Yep would love to see more Discus supporters here. Anyway any questions fire away...
Just go for it Armadillo set that discus tank up..I'm pushy,hey
Nicole~

 

Grrrrr Discus Centre...Imagine what is in there...Where is it that your from again??Somewhere over the other side of the world :'

 

Discus are usually much more sensitive than most fish we all have here. They do take quite a bit more work, but everyone I read about that has them loves them. I was also interested in having a discus tank at one time, and from what I have read, they like to be in groups, I would say of at least 4, so I would probably have at least a 55 gal. tank for them. They don't like real active fish (especially nippers), so even cory cats can stress them out. Otos may be okay in their tank for algae control, but are known to suck on the discus slime coats, so they may have to be removed. I have read blue rams are good tankmates, as well as rummy nosed tetras. As long as you acclimate the discus slowly to your tank, the ph should not be a problem unless you want to breed them. I can't remember what the ph level needed is, but if it's too high, the eggs will become too hard, and the fry won't be able to hatch. They can also be very picky eaters. A lot of discus owners make their own food. It will probably be just trial and error to see what your fish like. If I were you, I'd research this decision carefully before going any further. Discus are absolutely beautiful, but they can be quite expensive and time consuming. I decided at this time, that I did not want the responsibility because I like to go out of town for long weekends, and week long vacations, and I don't think the discus would do well with that schedule. Plus, I have abnormal work hours, and could not commit to extra water changes. Once you have read what discus owners here on FishLore have to say about their experiences, for further research, go to www.simplydiscus.com. These folks are finatical about their discus, and the site is exclusively about this fish. They are also very good at answering newbie discus questions without being snobbish about it, so don't be afraid to ask questions.

 

That's good advice,yep check out that site its helped me alot,do some research..as I'm sure you would..I just like this forum as its a happy enviroment even though there aren't that many discus owners here it would be good for this part of the forum to grow with more info ect, even though most here on fishlore own different types of fish..anyway as I've already said any questions just ask..There is a stereo type with discus that they are harder than most to look after..and I found when I first decided to get into them all the info was overwhelming and made it sound really hard you know..ph has to be this..hardness has to be that..and so on..I've found if you look after your water..keep it clean..then the fish do well.I could go on forever but I'll leave it there.Oh yeah I didn't mean for you to rush out and buy them at the drop of a hat..just merely words of encouragement and fun.
Nicole~

 

nicole look in the yellow pages there is a few places that specailise in discus I checkeed and I want dicus 2 wahahahaha what size tank for 3 maybe?lol

Peace Out Callum!

 

Thanks, Tom. That's an interesting one: discus with betta. Does anyone have that experience?

I am not a discus expert but I think they need a much lower pH of about 6.0-7.0. I have heard they can be very picky eaters and there are some fish that can go with them, like bettas.
Tom

 

Thanks so much Capekate for your thorough answer. It covers all my questions. Am thinking of checking out the sizes of 40Gs and having 4 in there.

Would you have any recommendations as to the male/female ratio?

Do you or Nicole (or any other Discus owner) have any thoughts on the idea of a betta/discus mix?

HI Armadillo
How nice it must have been to be able to find a store called Discus Centre!! wowowow.. I'D be in heaven too! ;D You know, its really not that hard to have discus fish. Tho I am new to Discus with about a month under my belt. But with the care that you give to all your fish, it would work out alright. Discus need someone that is going to maintain the water quality they require. Granted I do not do 2 - 3x's a week of wc's, but sometimes it is required to do so. Nicole has a lot of experience with her Discus and maybe she will be able to respond when she is online.
1 & 2) Yes it depends on what size tank you plan on using. I wouldn't recommend anything smaller than a 30 gal for Discus. I think that a 30 gallon can support two discus at adult size or possibly three if your pushing it.
3) PH at 8.0 is ok. The main thing to remember is not to keep trying to change your PH level, that in itself is detrimental to the health of your fish. You wouldn't want the water to be too acidic enough to burn the fish tho. A lot of Discus owners have their PH at 8.0 and report success.
4) I have cardinal tetras in with mine. It seems that is the choice of many that keep Discus. Because of the high temp you need to keep them at, which is around 82*-86* it will limit you tankmates. I have had Angel fish in with my Discus with no problems, just the occasional aggression that a lot of cichlids show. Once my angelfish pair off, I will be moving them for the reason they get pretty territorial. Right now I have a divider in the Discus tank and keeping the Angels and Discus separated, as I just got new Discus who are pretty shy.
5) They are not picky eaters at all, unless there is something wrong with them. I feed mine, HakarI frozen brine shrimp, HakarI frozen Krill, Omega One freeze dried bloodworms. I now have a stock of live brine shrimp that I'm feeding them as well.

I would think that they would be hard for folks to take care of that are not willing to give them the attention they need. That is the folks that do not change the water often, those folks that do not test the water and those folks that do not vacuum their gravel.

So it is not impossible to keep Discus, I was worried at first myself, but all is well and I really love them.
I would love to see more folks here having Discus and joining in the Discus forum, sharing information! ;D

Hope I was some help for you! ~ kate

 

Oh yes you did. Because of you I feel COMPELLED to go buy them now. OK, off to the FS! (kidding. didn't feel pushy at all and I am going to do my research and stuff but it's starting to feel like a realistic idea!)

Oh yeah I didn't mean for you to rush out and buy them at the drop of a hat..just merely words of encouragement and fun.
Nicole~

 

Would be totally cool if you got discus too, Callum. It's not like a big tank would scare you, you're got huuuuge tanks already!

nicole look in the yellow pages there is a few places that specailise in discus I checkeed and I want dicus 2 wahahahaha what size tank for 3 maybe?lol

Peace Out Callum!

 

nicole look in the yellow pages there is a few places that specailise in discus I checkeed and I want dicus 2 wahahahaha what size tank for 3 maybe?lol

Peace Out Callum!

Hey Callum..there is nothing in my yellow pages but in melb and all over there is heaps of places..oakley aquarium is pretty cool,they are discus importers, check them out.

 

Armadillo your not going to fs to buy discus your going to DISCUS CENTRE... ...lol.
I have a friend who keeps a betta in her discus tank..have also seen them together in lfs but you know what lfs are like..I've never done it as I don't know much about bettas but yeah it is done and possible I think.
I wouldn't worry too much about male female ratio,it doesn't really matter.
What are the prices of tanks like for you???Just curious because they are exspensive here unless you buy secondhand.
Good Luck to you and your new adventure,hope it all works out for you.
Nicole~

 

I'd be looking at second hand I think. New, for a 250L, you'd be looking at something around 500 euros or something, for a (that'd be 750 AUD's. No idea what the xchange rate is )

Mmmmh. Interesting about the betta. Definitely worth looking into.

 

Is there any reason why discus would mind being in direct sunlight (in a 250L tank, so I don't think the water would get that hot that quickly)? I'd get a decent algae eater. It's for my mom. I think she'd really like discus too and she has this perfect place for a tank.

 

You could put a few discus in a 250litre tank..in direct sunlight as in under a window with the sun coming over the top?

 

I think she means right against a wide bay window.

What sort of algae eaters do you have in your discus tank?

 

I don't suppose I could put any dicus in a 30 gall could i? I'll understand if u say none

Peace Out Callum!

 

I think she means right against a wide bay window.

What sort of algae eaters do you have in your discus tank?

I have bristlenose in mine,plecos are good with discus..Ohhh I'm not sure.I mean is she going to have a background on the tank? Because that would be a good way from stopping direct sunlight going straight into the tank itself...I don't reckon it would be a problem..actually that would look really nice...in summer turn heaters down a notch..there is allways a way

 

I don't suppose I could put any dicus in a 30 gall could i? I'll understand if u say none

Peace Out Callum!

Callum your so funny..hey you go down to oakley aquarium and check it out ..have u ever been there?

 

nah I'll have to ask my mum about that i'm searching for a tank so I'll see the biggest I can get and then work on from ther on my dicus hehehe

whats the adress of the aqurium I'll have to check it out

but there is a really really really really nice aquarium in richmond on victoria street with hepas of fish and even willd caught

Peace Out Callum!

 

I'll pm you the address tomorrow cause I have to look for it..

 

ok awesome thanks I'll pm u the adress of the one in richmond just in case

Peace Out Callum!

 

Right, so you're not recoiling in shock and horror at the suggestion. That's a good start. At least I know it's not a totally silly idea.

Yep, the temp would really need to be closely monitored. Good one about the background.

BN plecos. Great stuff, thanks for the suggestion!

I think she means right against a wide bay window.

What sort of algae eaters do you have in your discus tank?

I have bristlenose in mine,plecos are good with discus..Ohhh I'm not sure.I mean is she going to have a background on the tank? Because that would be a good way from stopping direct sunlight going straight into the tank itself...I don't reckon it would be a problem..actually that would look really nice...in summer turn heaters down a notch..there is allways a way

 

Hey Armadillo! You beat me with this! I'm still trying to get a second hand 30/40gal for discus! I've started my research though and I see you got all the help you needed!
Goodluck!
Wow! Cape kate, I didnt know ph 8.0 would be fine! All what I read says 6.0. Good that's another thing to file away! I read that its better to buy 4+ so as to let them pair up as its difficult to sex them, right?

 

Hey Armadillo! You beat me with this! I'm still trying to get a second hand 30/40gal for discus! I've started my research though and I see you got all the help you needed!
Goodluck!
Wow! Cape kate, I didnt know ph 8.0 would be fine! All what I read says 6.0. Good that's another thing to file away! I read that its better to buy 4+ so as to let them pair up as its difficult to sex them, right?

HI Sabi
I got that information on the PH level at SimplyDiscus and they are pretty right on with their advice and knowledge. Ive learned a lot from them. Well, you really don't have to 'pair' them up. Not being able to tell the gender well, you can end up with 4 females or males anyway. So I wouldnt worry about that. Just pick out some Discus that you really like and let nature take its course. One thing that Nicole mentioned about the gender information was that the males have a more pointed upper and lower fins, whereas the females are more rounded. Also read that the males eyes are a much brighter red.

They are happier in groups since they are shy fish. I started out with three and they were fine and happy. Now I have seven. Even if you could only fit two in a 30g, they would be happy. Personally I wouldnt put more than two in a 30 gallon tank.

For all those folks that are worried that they wouldnt be able to care for Discus, I have to tell you all you have to do is keep the water clean, at a higher temperature and thoroughly clean the gravel every week. Even twice a week water change is fine. I'm still doing a once a week water change and the tests are coming out great. That is not the advice from most Discus owners however, so don't go by that, just wanted to let you know that even with a once a week 50% wc your Discus will be fine.
PH levels can be from anywhere of a 6.5 all the way up to an 8 and they will do just fine.
It gets difficult if you want to breed them, then you would have to really maintain a higher water quality and give them special attention as you would if you wanted to breed any tropical fish.
Good luck with your decisions and searches for tanks.... I really do hope we get more Discus owners on board here! ;D
~ kate

 

Yeah me too Kate..
Its really good to see this part of the forum being used more activally..more info on here is what is needed..Kate you should do a basic care sheet and sticky it up the top of the forum..
Nicole.

 

Hey Armadillo! You beat me with this! I'm still trying to get a second hand 30/40gal for discus! I've started my research though and I see you got all the help you needed!
Goodluck!
Wow! Cape kate, I didnt know ph 8.0 would be fine! All what I read says 6.0. Good that's another thing to file away! I read that its better to buy 4+ so as to let them pair up as its difficult to sex them, right?

HI Sabi
I got that information on the PH level at SimplyDiscus and they are pretty right on with their advice and knowledge. Ive learned a lot from them. Well, you really don't have to 'pair' them up. Not being able to tell the gender well, you can end up with 4 females or males anyway. So I wouldnt worry about that. Just pick out some Discus that you really like and let nature take its course. One thing that Nicole mentioned about the gender information was that the males have a more pointed upper and lower fins, whereas the females are more rounded. Also read that the males eyes are a much brighter red.

They are happier in groups since they are shy fish. I started out with three and they were fine and happy. Now I have seven. Even if you could only fit two in a 30g, they would be happy. Personally I wouldnt put more than two in a 30 gallon tank.

For all those folks that are worried that they wouldnt be able to care for Discus, I have to tell you all you have to do is keep the water clean, at a higher temperature and thoroughly clean the gravel every week. Even twice a week water change is fine. I'm still doing a once a week water change and the tests are coming out great. That is not the advice from most Discus owners however, so don't go by that, just wanted to let you know that even with a once a week 50% wc your Discus will be fine.
PH levels can be from anywhere of a 6.5 all the way up to an 8 and they will do just fine.
It gets difficult if you want to breed them, then you would have to really maintain a higher water quality and give them special attention as you would if you wanted to breed any tropical fish.
Good luck with your decisions and searches for tanks.... I really do hope we get more Discus owners on board here!
~ kate

HI Capekate!
Thanks for the info I'll keep it in mind. I'l probably only get the discus next year unless I strike lucky. The person I was suppose to get the tank from needs that tank now so I'll have to look else where. And the also the price wise i've to find out. Adults I believe can be on the exipensive side. Also they need some special type of filter (peat? or something?) for the water. You'l find me coming up with random questions, every now and then!

 

HI Sabi
that special filter your thinking of is a RO filter, reverse osmosis. That is good for breeding. I have two filters going in the 55 gallon tank at all times, and that seems to be enough. You really don't need the RO filter which can run into lots of big money!!...

 

Ooooh do they? Thanks for letting me know. Would any regular filters do? I like the 'resun' internal power filters for instance.

 

Yeah me too Kate..
Its really good to see this part of the forum being used more activally..more info on here is what is needed..Kate you should do a basic care sheet and sticky it up the top of the forum..
Nicole.

HI Nicole... YOU should do the sticky care sheet!! I mean.. I can, but you have had the longer and more experience with Discus than I have. Ive just been doing a lot of research and learning as much as I can about these now favorite fish of mine. I wouldnt feel qualified enough with my recent experience with the Discus. Tho I feel qualified to answer posts that I know I can bring advice to, and if you did do a sticky care sheet, well.. I can always add to it right?
~ kate

 

Ooooh do they? Thanks for letting me know. Would any regular filters do? I like the 'resun' internal power filters for instance.

Any filter that is meant to be used on the size of tank that your going to get will work fine. With that, I would be adding two filters to the tank to really help keep that water clean.

 

I was just going to ask you and Kate to collaborate on a caresheet because you girls are our resident discus experts. I've offered my services as 'caresheet secretary' so basically, if you do a caresheet, pm me and I'll adapt it to a standard(ish) format/structure for a common look and feel across species throughout fishlore. Then if anyone has things to add, they just reply to that thread and anything that is valid gets added to the first post of the caresheet. I did a couple, and the molly one is the most extensive I did (for obvious reasons). Here it is: .

Yeah me too Kate..
Its really good to see this part of the forum being used more activally..more info on here is what is needed..Kate you should do a basic care sheet and sticky it up the top of the forum..
Nicole.

 

I was just going to ask you and Kate to collaborate on a caresheet because you girls are our resident discus experts. I've offered my services as 'caresheet secretary' so basically, if you do a caresheet, pm me and I'll adapt it to a standard(ish) format/structure for a common look and feel across species throughout fishlore. Then if anyone has things to add, they just reply to that thread and anything that is valid gets added to the first post of the caresheet. I did a couple, and the molly one is the most extensive I did (for obvious reasons). Here it is: .

Yeah me too Kate..
Its really good to see this part of the forum being used more activally..more info on here is what is needed..Kate you should do a basic care sheet and sticky it up the top of the forum..
Nicole.

OK Armadillo, I will work on one later today and PM it to you... ;D ~ kate

 

Wow that's a great caresheet on the mollies..okay..Kates makin a start on it so if you girls need a hand with anything just let me know,and thanks for putting this together.
nicole.

 

Wow that's a great caresheet on the mollies..okay..Kates makin a start on it so if you girls need a hand with anything just let me know,and thanks for putting this together.
nicole.

HI Nicole & Armadillo
Ive been pretty busy today and tomorrow I'm going to be setting up another 29 gallon tank for my angel fish. I'm taking them out of the discus tank so won't be starting the Discus caresheet until monday. I was thinking that if we both put a list together, we will be able to cover all the bases together and can PM Armadillo with our lists and she can format it. How does that sound ,ok to you? I will have more time on monday with no distractions to work on it. With my husband at home, and off doing errands, I'm not giving it the attention it deserves and would rather work on it when I'm home alone so that I can give it 100%.
~ kate

 

No worries Kate,I sent a pm to you..

ok awesome thanks I'll pm u the adress of the one in richmond just in case

Peace Out Callum!

Thanks Callum I will check that out next time I'm in Melb.
Nicole.

 

Thanks a lot, Kate and Nicole. No pressure, though. Take your time.