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Anyone here have Discus?

2K views 14 replies 4 participants last post by  Inga 
#1 ·
I am in awe of some fish that I just saw and was wondering if anyone here has Discus?? They are so pretty. I am wondering what they are actually like? Who do they get along with? How large of a tank do you need? I read that they like to school, is it alright to have 6-7 different colors to create the school? How difficult are they to maintain?

Anyone wish to post pictures of their tanks and their Discus so I can drool over them??? :-D :-D :-D
 
#2 ·
look in my tank list. =)
discus are easily frightened and get spooked even if you open the lights to their tank(they become black).they get white spots or ich easily so their water must always be clean.they eat tetra bits (the best pellets for them) sometimes i feed them with a mix of minced cows heart and tetra bits.they also like blood worms,daphnia and brine when they are young.
100 % percent water change is also needed sometime after feeding cows heart unless you know how to prepare it first.
they can be kept with different varieties and are very graceful social creatures.always keep discus that are fairly the same size so they can grow.most of the time smaller discus tend to get stunted when kept with bigger tank mates of the same species. they are community fish so plecos and corys and even neon tetra will do fine in their tank.this fish grow to a size of a dinner plate so a bigger tank is recommended.
 
#3 ·
btw they are not beginner fish that's for sure but under the right situations they will grow and spawn.a planted tank with fine gravel does best as a setting for the tank.with course gravel they will need a feeding station.
 
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#4 ·
Oh am not even close to getting any Discus yet but I am thinking a long way down the road. I would definitely need a much bigger tank. Would a 125 be alright do you think? What is a feeding station? And HOLY COW!!! a 100% water change? Do you scoop them out for that, or just keep flushing water through? I think I would skip the cow hearts if that isn't needed to sustain them. It seems like that large of a water change would be so stressful for them as well.

Your fish are beautiful! That is definitely something I would like to research and think about for the future. They come is so many different colors too.
 
#5 ·
125 would be fine. mine was a 90 gallon but later you will have to upgrade to at least a 120 gallon.so it cheaper to get a 120 gallon in the first place. if you have large pebles like the white stones you see in my tank you'll need to put a clay bowl or cute plate at the bottom so the pellets wont sink into the crevices. tetra bits don't float they sink =p

scooping them out into a holding tank is less stressful then flushing coz the water has been left to cycle overnight.a 100% water change in necessary coz the minced cow heart is very oily if prepared wrongly.
it's kinda like a very nutritious treat for discus.they grow more beautiful and grow bigger faster if they eat it.yes it is stressful to some point but if you get the preperation right a 20% water change and a good pump will do.

yup they are very graceful and interesting to looks at definitely something to try =)
 
#6 ·
I was looking at Dr. Foster's and Smith and they have Blue and Red Discus I fell in love with. My LFS didn't have any super bright colored ones. They did have a few yellow which are gorgeous too. I will of course, have to first worry about getting a second tank and where to put it. That is not going to happen for quite some time. This first tank has cost me a small fortune so it will have to be put on hold for some time.

In the meantime, I will be a little jealous of your lovely fish. :) Thanks for sharing the pictures.
 
#7 ·
your welcome. i'm just lucky the best discus are bred in penang :-D yellow ones are pretty too.did you want the red ones?
 
#8 ·
Honestly, I would like a few Blue, red, yellow and orange. I also like some of the stripe variety. They are all lovely fish.
 
#9 ·
Both aunt kymmie and 1077 have (or have had) discus, they can provide some insight if they see this thread. [No offense to any other members, but I know of these two.]

I have had fish for 20 years but still haven't attempted discus. I don't mean to suggest they are particularly difficult, they are not, provided you recognize their specific wants and provide them. Temperature is one thing that has held me back; they must have warmth, above 82F, which many other tropical fish cannot tolerate long-term, so tankmates must be chosen with equal care.

One suggestion on discus, always get them from a breeder as close to you as possible. First, they will be more likely adjusted/accustomed to your tap water parameters with less fussing (and that is a big issue). Plus, local breeders frequently are a wealth of information and help along the way.

There is no need to do 100% water changes daily on discus tanks unless you are breeding them; as 1077 and kymmie will I'm sure attest, normal but regular and thorough water changes in a well-planted tank will suffice. But they are not a fish that accept lapses in aquarium management. Discus are still expensive (for good fish; those you see for $30 in the store may well be at death's door so to speak) and before laying out $100 or $200 per fish, you want to know your stuff. Like I said, I haven't gone down this road--yet.

Byron.
 
#11 ·
the 100% water change is due to people feeding the discus beef that's been badly prepared that causes the water to turn stale in a matter of minutes and has oil in the filtering system and on the surface of the water.done right a 20% water change each time beef is given as a snack ( not and everyday thing) it's a once or twice monthly thing.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Oh I hear you. I am not even close to ready for such an adventure. I will have to know 1000 times more then I do to even think about it seriously. Right now, I am in the dreaming stage of Discus ownership. They are amazing fish though and sort of what I picture in my head when I think of peaceful fishtanks to watch.

I did read that you can go with the tiny babies that are in the $35.00- $55.00 range but that purchasing older (closer to adult) fish in the $100.00-$200.00 range would be the best bet from a healthy fish transition point. That is WAY out of my budget at this point. Heck, my Tiger Barbs were only $1.00. lol They keep me entertained in the meantime. I bumped up to the $5.00 Gourami's but I have a ways to go before I am ready to drop a couple hundred dollars for a few fish. Maybe someday... Until then, I dream.
 
#12 ·
(I've never kept discus, so take this with a grain of salt. I've done a bit of readon on the subject though.)

The only reason for the massive w/c's, are because of the Beef heart. Professional breeders feel their fish beef heart to 'bulk' them up, and induce them to breed.

Personally, I prefer my tanks to mimic nature- Do you think a Discus in south america has ever come upon a dead cow, and then proceeded to eat it's heart?

You CAN keep a pair of discus in a 40, but it's true they might not reach full size. By full size, I mean the wize they get to if they eat lots of beef heart.

The bare minimum, according to several sources, is 10 gallons of water per fish. I'm not sure I agree with that, because it's calculating a group. Something like a 60 G for 6 still seems overstocked, but I've seen pictures of a 40G with a breeding pair. They only grew to about 9 inches long, but seemed healthy and spawned multiple times.Temperature was 80 degrees, heavily planted.

Many fishkeepers hold their Discus at 82-84 degrees to avoid illnesses and speed growth, but according to fishbase that's NOT the temperature in their native enviroment. I suppose it would depend on whether you got a wild-type or a super-colorful captive bred (in-bred) species.
 
#13 ·
redchigh;421100 Many fishkeepers hold their Discus at 82-84 degrees to avoid illnesses and speed growth said:
Ahh, only the captive bred (in-bred) fish are the colorful ones? Are there other health issues because of that. I am thinking of the Blood Parrots that I first thought were so great only to find out the horrid things that were done to these fish to make them look that way. I thought the Discus were naturally colored all the bright colors.
 
#14 ·
Ahh, only the captive bred (in-bred) fish are the colorful ones? Are there other health issues because of that. I am thinking of the Blood Parrots that I first thought were so great only to find out the horrid things that were done to these fish to make them look that way. I thought the Discus were naturally colored all the bright colors.
It's one thing to selectively breed fish to create various colour strains, quite another to inject dyes and various other stuff to create deformed fish like the blood parrots. Discus are not harmed by selective breeding. So while one wouldn't find these colour forms in the wild, they are not unhealthy for that reason.
 
#15 ·
Alright, Thanks Byron. There are some very strikingly beautiful colors for the discus. I am glad to hear they do not do something cruel to them to make them that way. It was disheartening to hear that the Blood Parrots are that way. I thought they were really cute fish and I considered getting a few myself. I have since changed my mind. I guess I don't wish to promote that type of thing in animals. It is something I have fought against in purebred dogs for years.

I think I am going to leave well enough alone with the fish I have stocked in my tank for now. Maybe think about adding a few shrimp for tank cleaning but then just let things be for awhile.
 
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