Need advice on discus

[Neervana]

I wanted to try and keep discus, this would be my first time in keeping them I have a 110gallon tank free...well not exactly free it has a 16" ornate residing in it but if this ornate wouldnt do well with discus I could easily rehome it to another tank.

So..what I need to know is...does my tank have to be planted? I'm really horrible with real plants, I've never tried them. Prefer my tanks to be bare but I guess I could try and throw a few live plants in there and see what happens.

How many discus could I house in a 110gal and for how long?

Also London has a high pH of around 7.5 but the discus sold in LFS are used to that pH anyway. I need to know about filtration - what sort of filtration do I need for them? I already have heavy filtration running in all my tanks anyway due to the size of the fish I keep.

What plants would you lot suggest I plant in my tank? I've decided to have some bogwood too.

 

[Onion01]

don't need plants, in fact some people suggest not having them at all. Bare bottom is ideal. That pH is a little high, but if they're used to it then go for it. Probably not gonna breed though. Most important thing for discus is pristine, warm water. Filtration + water changes + high protein diet is key. In a 110, i'd say 5-7 discus

 

[Bobears]

No, your tank does not have to be planted. Some of us keep bare bottom tanks for the health of the discus and ease of cleaning.

You could go up to 12 or 13, maybe even 15, discus with consistent water changes and few tank mates. But, with discus feeding schedule and sensitivity to nitrAtes you may opt for 10.

I use a Rena XP4 on my 65 gallon tank with no problems. I did drill extra holes in the spraybar as to eliminate heavy current. With the higher temps in discus tanks it may not be a bad idea to keep a sponge filter too.

The biggest piece of advice is go slow, don't rush to do things with discus, meaning don't just add this add that.

Good luck I hope this helps.

 

[Neervana]

hmm ok so no plants needed...what about the ornate? will he have to be moved? i don't really care for breeding discus

 

[Neervana]

so am i looking to start with...3 discus? and then if things go well add another 3 a couple of months later? i like those blue coloured discus

 

[Bobears]

I wouldn't start with 3. Better to start with 6 to keep bickering down.

Not sure about the ornate. Temps may be a little high.

 

[Neervana]

ok..so 6 discus..and 50% wcs once a week? or does it have to be more often? also someone told me water has to be RO for discus is this true?

 

[Bobears]

You don't need RO just consistent parameters. 7.5 ph is fine. I do 2-3 50% changes a week, but that is what it takes to keep my nitrAtes under 10.

 

[Neervana]

hmm i can handle doing 2 x 50% wcs a week i don't think that would be a problem. the discus i would get would be juveniles. i'm guessing they need to be fed more than adult discus?

 

[KLee79]

Love discus...one of my favorite fish to keep. Keep your temp high 82-84 degrees. Dont need plants, but i'm a huge fan of live plants. I think plants are always good for your fish tank. Alot of breeders keep bare bottom tanks tho. Sponge filters are always a plus, especially if your breeding them.

I'd go with 10-12 discus. Start out with 5-6 all at once and then work your way up. I'd definately go with some heavy filtration. If youre feeding them beefheart, they are messy eaters.

PH is tricky with discus. If you bought them from tanks with higher ph, then keep them in the same range. The discus from a higher ph level have a little more tolerance. If you bought them from tanks with low ph, definately keep them in lower ph.

Good luck! Discus are beautiful to watch and more hardy than you think...