Dead plant debris and tank maintenance

Inga

Do you feel like you have to have several Discus or can a person have one as a centerpiece fish in a tank?

Byron

Discus must be in a group. They are social fish, like angels, and in a group will be much more natural and "relaxed" and that equals healthier. I would consider five minimum. I'm thinking of perhaps getting Discus for my 115g which I want to tear down and reset one of these days. Check our profiles, all three species of Discus are included.

Byron.

redchigh

ooh, I'm excited to see that. Discus would be amazing in your amazon setup.

Byron

The main drawback is the fish in there now, and the high temp Discus need. Most of the Corydoras species (I have 25 corys in this tank) would have to go elsewhere because of the temp. The Nannostomus beckfordi would have to go because they would drive Discus to utter distraction, but they (the pencils) could easily move into the new 90g riverscape. The rummys would be fine, and the cardinals. And the Roberti tetra.

I also have ideas on the substrate; I would like shallow sand along the front, but need a very deep substrate at the back for the large Echinodorus so I'm thinking the Flourite Dark (sort of brown mud-looking) for the back, with a suitable divider running the length of the tank to keep the sand separate. Cork works well, siliconed together to make it a solid separator. And it can be made to look like a riverbank, which is what I want.

Inga

Guess I need to look into the larger tank before getting the Discuss then. Maybe a 180 so I can have the Discus AND the Angels together?

Byron

I would not combine Discus with angels. I know, some do, and other members may chime in that there is no issue. But there is. Jack Wattley, who arguably knows more about Discus than anyone else, has frequently written in his monthly TFH column that Discus and angels should not be together. His prime concern is feeding; angels are very fast aggressive eaters, and Discus are not. Jack says Discus will sometimes refuse to eat in the presence of aggressive feeding fish and literally waste away. He has raised thousands of prime Discus in his 80+ years, and is highly respected across NA and Europe and the Far East; I tend to listen to folks like that.

aunt kymmie

I agree 100%. I'd never consider having any fish that would compete for food because I know first hand Discus will shy away at feeding time if this happens. I keep only bottom feeders and a small school of cardinals with my Discus. Once I moved out the other fish that also swam in the same water strata as my Discus I noticed a HUGE behavorial difference. What were once shy fish became fish I literally have to push away from my hands when I have the need to put my hands in the tank.

Byron, I look forward to the day you get them, as I know you'll give them exactly what they need. You're going to love them and all your other fish will take a back seat. I know mine have.

1077

I believe water changes with Discus are about ones expectations,and whether fish are juveniles or adult fish.
Juvenile fish do most of their growing in the first eight months ,and this growth depends largely on numerous small feedings Daily ,which in turn requires more frequent water changes in my opinion to remove excess organics as well as provide clean oxygen rich water.
Adult Discus can get by on fewer feedings and fewer water changes.
Agree with other's with respect to Angelfish and Discus. Discus from my observations,spend considerable time after feedings foraging.Angelfish are much more aggressive at feeding time and this could prevent Discus from getting enough food.Adding more food to ensure both get enough food ,makes maintaining water quality more difficult.

Inga

Good to know, thanks everyone for that. I guess I saw others with both in their tanks and thought it was alright. I am not in any hurry to get anymore fish. I guess it will come down to whether or not I end up with a large enough tank that I can dedicate to Discuss alone.

What would be a minimum size tank and minimum number you would need to have very happy, healthy fish?

Byron

Tank: four feet in length. I would suggest after that, a 70-75g volume would be minimum. It could be managed with a 55g, but for the extra few inches in width, go for the 70-75. Or for a few inches more in depth, a 90g, same "footprint." I have a 70g and 90g, filter is the same for either, same heating requirements, same substrate volume. With Discus, the added height would be nice. I believe kymmie has a 90g, 1077 I believe is 75?

I would recommend 5 Discus minimum.