Need help with discus tank setup

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Mr Aidan

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 14, 2012
132
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Roseville
Alright so I have a spare 40g that ill be turning into a bare bottom discus tank with 3-4 discus.

1. Do they need a tank hood? I don't have one and if they don't jump I don't want one.

2. How long should I keep the light on daily? Normal 6 hours or does it matter? I have a 48 watt 18" dual t5 fixture I can use but am not sure if they don't like light or something.

3. What kind of filter? Just an ordinary AQ 70 or something? I don't want to break the bank.

4. Should I have an airstone in there?

Sorry I'm such a newbie, never had these gentle beauties. :)


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Doesn't really anwser my questions.

Doesn't tell me if they are sensitive to light or what the best g/ph filtration would be.

I've been keeping fish in general for awhile so all that is pretty much common sense.


Thanks for the link though, it's definitely going to help when buying the fish.


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to answer some questions.... yes discus jump ....my lights are on 12 hours but I have plants i think thats personal preference..... warm clean water and a lot of aeration are both important with discus so dont skimp on filtration
 
Mr Aidan said:
Doesn't really anwser my questions.

Doesn't tell me if they are sensitive to light or what the best g/ph filtration would be.

I've been keeping fish in general for awhile so all that is pretty much common sense.


Thanks for the link though, it's definitely going to help when buying the fish.


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Click to expand...

You are not reading very much then, that forum has more discus information in one place than any place in the world. 40 gallons is not a very good size tank for discus though can be used for a mated pair or as a growout, they do best in groups of 5 or more in a 55g or greater tank (a group of 8 in a 75g is nice), they can be light sensitive and skittish at first but will get used to most anything. Any filtration will be fine as long as it is appropriately sized. Domestic discus can be kept at any pH at temps above 80F. Discus care advice in a nutshell: clean water, clean water, clean water
 
I have an open top and in 2 1/2 years have'nt lost any of my wild discus. but yes, they can jump. lower lighting will not have any effect on discus. you can run them for as long as you wish as long as you have no algae problems. the one problem I see is your tank is too small except for growing out juvies. discus are a very social fish and should always be kept in groups of six or more and a forty gal. is too small for six adults. if you start with juvies ( under 3") you will have to feed them 5-6-times per day and do 70-80% wc's at least every other day. larger fish are more expensive but so much easier to care for. one last tip is to never buy from your lfs. rarely will you find anything but stunted discus.
 
you are lucky or I am very unlucky lol!. I've lost 2 full grown stendkers to jumping and my wife saved a nice high body cobalt off the floor one morning. I'm a bit stubborn but after that I learned my lesson and bought a full hood, ugly but sure as heck beats scraping dried $150 fish off the kitchen floor
 
Put a top on the tank...much less expensive than losing discus. Anyone who has kept fish long enough has experienced losing their nicest or most expensive fish to jumping. Discus startle mostly when lights turn on and off, why risk it if you don't have to.
 
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