I just recently picked up on a 50g and I was interested in setting up a discus tank. My problem is that my tap water is 7.8 ph. That's why I have been sticking to african cichlids and CA/SA cichlids. Does anyone know if I can raise discus with such a high ph? I have done alot of reading and it seems there are several different opinions on their ph range. Some sites state 6.0 and others state as high as 7.4. So if anyone can give me some advice on these fish I would appreciate it. I would really like to get some but I don't want to kill them if I don't have the proper environment. I know that clean water is a must and I don't have problems doing daily water changes. I also know that they must have a temp around 86 for their water. I plan on using a sand substrate and adding some live plants. I need all of your expert advise on this please.
Just a few questions on Discus
- Thread starter lighthouse39183
- Start date
The pH of my water is 8 and my 4 Discus have thrived and grown like crazy for over 10 months now. They spawn all the time but the water is too hard for the eggs to actually hatch. If you buy captive bred Discus you'll be fine. It's the wild caught Discus that are more sensitve to water hardness.
Thank you. I thought I remembered someone saying that the ph wasn't as important as the water quality. As long as it doesn't fluctuate I think is what matters. I can look into getting some now from a LFS. But how many will I be able to keep in the 50g? I know they like to live in groups.
Yep, they like to be in groups. It's commonly said the minimum is 4 and yes-you could put 4 in a 50 gallon.
your ph is fine as long as its stable. i would check out your tap water and see if it changes over night, if it does, you need to age your water before water change cause the random change of ph can be a problem. YOUR PH DOESNT HAVE TO LOW BUT IT HAS TO BE STABLE. i would start with young adults/adults if your planning to have a planted tank. if not, i would go bare tank until they reach the max size you want them to be. every hobbyist has their own way of raising discus and i know it can be really fraustrating since most opinion contradicts the other. its best to stick with one person's point of view. hope this help
My ph is very stable. I have five tanks set up now and the ph stays at 7.8 constantly. I do very frequent water changes on all tanks. I want just a few plants, not too many so that my tank looks over crowded with them. I should be able to use some smaller pieces of petrified wood to anchor some java fern and java moss to. I would like to get the young adults but it will depend on the price of the fish. Thank you for your input. Every bit of advice helps.
Hi.. Some advice as to the most important things with discus IMO...
First and foremost start with good stock.. That means try and buy from a breeder rather than an lfs.. Most lfs get the worst of the lot from breeders and then keep the juvies in less than ideal conditions because they do not have the room/setups and feeding regimes to devote to their unique care.. Yes there are certainly some out there that know what they are doing and do care properly for the young discus but it is rare.. You will usually pay less with a breeder and usually balance out against the shipping and get better stock and often because you are buying in quantity a better deal. If you don't know any in your area just go to the forum simplydiscus.. They have many sponsors with wonderful discus and proven records.. In addition to mfk, it is a great site to learn lots from the best discus folks out there.. check it out if you have not already done so..
Your ph is fine.. It mostly needs to be consistent rather than perfect for tank raised discus.. If you want wilds or to breed then the ph becomes more of an issue.
There are many views about water changes.. but for me and my discus it's water changes, water changes and more water changes.. as long as you keep the parameters consistent of course.. They just seem to smile after a water change..
There are also lots of views when it comes to young discus and a planted tank... It's a skill to maintain a planted tank with a learning curve... the same thing is true for discus.. so combining the two is difficult. Young discus require a lot of feedings and it it simply easier to monitor the waste and do water changes in a bare bottom tank. A few folks have combined the two looks by using a thin layer of sand and attaching plants to a piece of driftwood. This still leaves the tank easy to clean but makes it a bit more pleasing if it is a display tank... Once the discus are adults you feed less, perhaps do less water changings and the planted tank is not a problem.. But of course there are folks out there successfully putting juvies in a planted tank.. it's just much harder to do right.. with all the water chamges a lot of plants are not all that happy and they are harder to keep clean..
If you are starting with juvies, I suggest 5 ( what is the footprint of a 50 gallon.. I'm thinking you mean 55 gallon that is 4 ft...).. Discus need the company of others.. also that way if you should lose one you still have a good number without having to buy more and qt them.. 2 or 3 is a horrible number for discus-- unless you have a proven pair..
As for any tankmates... other than a bn.. I suggest you start with just the discus and learn to care for them first.. Since you have several other tanks and know the commitment to water changes, I'm sure you and your discus will be fine.. If you start with juvies or young adults you will have the joy of seeing them grow and knowing that you were responsible in part for their beauty... if you start with adults, you may have a pair form and then be able to watch parental behavior.. Good luck whatever you decide to do..
HTH.... Sue
First and foremost start with good stock.. That means try and buy from a breeder rather than an lfs.. Most lfs get the worst of the lot from breeders and then keep the juvies in less than ideal conditions because they do not have the room/setups and feeding regimes to devote to their unique care.. Yes there are certainly some out there that know what they are doing and do care properly for the young discus but it is rare.. You will usually pay less with a breeder and usually balance out against the shipping and get better stock and often because you are buying in quantity a better deal. If you don't know any in your area just go to the forum simplydiscus.. They have many sponsors with wonderful discus and proven records.. In addition to mfk, it is a great site to learn lots from the best discus folks out there.. check it out if you have not already done so..
Your ph is fine.. It mostly needs to be consistent rather than perfect for tank raised discus.. If you want wilds or to breed then the ph becomes more of an issue.
There are many views about water changes.. but for me and my discus it's water changes, water changes and more water changes.. as long as you keep the parameters consistent of course.. They just seem to smile after a water change..
There are also lots of views when it comes to young discus and a planted tank... It's a skill to maintain a planted tank with a learning curve... the same thing is true for discus.. so combining the two is difficult. Young discus require a lot of feedings and it it simply easier to monitor the waste and do water changes in a bare bottom tank. A few folks have combined the two looks by using a thin layer of sand and attaching plants to a piece of driftwood. This still leaves the tank easy to clean but makes it a bit more pleasing if it is a display tank... Once the discus are adults you feed less, perhaps do less water changings and the planted tank is not a problem.. But of course there are folks out there successfully putting juvies in a planted tank.. it's just much harder to do right.. with all the water chamges a lot of plants are not all that happy and they are harder to keep clean..
If you are starting with juvies, I suggest 5 ( what is the footprint of a 50 gallon.. I'm thinking you mean 55 gallon that is 4 ft...).. Discus need the company of others.. also that way if you should lose one you still have a good number without having to buy more and qt them.. 2 or 3 is a horrible number for discus-- unless you have a proven pair..
As for any tankmates... other than a bn.. I suggest you start with just the discus and learn to care for them first.. Since you have several other tanks and know the commitment to water changes, I'm sure you and your discus will be fine.. If you start with juvies or young adults you will have the joy of seeing them grow and knowing that you were responsible in part for their beauty... if you start with adults, you may have a pair form and then be able to watch parental behavior.. Good luck whatever you decide to do..
HTH.... Sue
Thank you Sue. I sure do appreciate all of your input. You had alot of very good information to share. I was just going to try a few plants because I thought the discus preferred a planted tank. I can certainly wait to add those until the discus are grown. A few plastic plants will help until then. I don't really want to go the bare bottom route because this tank will be sitting in my den and alot of people will be able to see it, as with all of my tanks. Lol But I think a sand substrate should be easy to take care of. I have that in my african cichlid tank and I love how easy it is to clean. I don't have to put a thick layer of sand, just enough to cover the bottom. I'll check out simplydiscus. I would rather get good stock than go to the LFS and take my chances. The foot print on my 50g is 4ft x 12.5" x 21" on the outside. Again thank you for all of your advice. I really do appreciate it.
Lighthouse, in this situation involving juvenile discus, it takes a lot to patience that will eventually pay off in the end. If money is an issue and you chose juvenile discus, go with barebottom setup first until they reach 4 inches mark in which case you can start decorating the tank with a more sophisticated look. As usual, Sue and the others gave you very good advice which this particular forum aims for.