Questions about discus

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Fishdude401

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 15, 2009
339
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New Jersey
I think discus might be a more suitable choice for my 55g, this is what inspired me: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=202270

So i have a 55g with 2 aquaclear 110s, they have a total of 1000GPH but i think you can turn that down to like 600-700gph for both.

I know how to cycle the tank, keep the nitrates super low ( im talkin' like 5ppm ) and have fairly good lighting.

1) How many discus can i keep in a 55g?

2) Should i buy discus online?

3) The plants in the picture ( ABOVE ), are those sagittaria? or Vallisneria?

4) What are ideal tank mates? ( ie. rams, cories and tetras? )

5) Are discus fairly active fish?

6) What is the average lifespan of a discus considering it got superb care?

7) What should their diet consist of?

I have kept finicky fish before with success, such as angelfish and rummy nose tetras.

Thanks
 
1) How many discus can i keep in a 55g?

10 gallons per adult. I think 4 would do well in a 55 though. :)
2) Should i buy discus online?
I dont see why not..?
3) The plants in the picture ( ABOVE ), are those sagittaria? or Vallisneria?
looks like valis.
4) What are ideal tank mates? ( ie. rams, cories and tetras? )
I keep mines with loads of different fish..most would reccomend cories, I love schwartzi and adolfi corydoras.
5) Are discus fairly active fish?
Theyre not extremely active. Not extermely shy either..normally they just hang around with eachother. They dont shoal.

6) What is the average lifespan of a discus considering it got superb care?
From what ive read, 5 years.
7) What should their diet consist of?
Flake, prima, bloodworms,beefheart.

 
Infact..That plant is dwarf sag

evil_elmo;2601766; said:
a big Thank you to everyone that voted for my picture

the planted used is Dwarf Sagittaria, it took off really well in my low to medium lighted tank

Thank you again
Phil
Click to expand...
 
Hmm..Havent ever kept oscars..discus arent the most exciting fish..Why not try pike cichlids..????
 
1) How many discus can i keep in a 55g? Unless you purchase a proven breeding pair of adult discus, it is recommended to have at least 5 discus, preferably more to disperse aggression. That being said, a 55 is a great grow out tank for discus but personally I would not keep them in anything smaller than a 75 gal. Imagine if you will, a 1" thick salad plate up to a 1 1/2" dinner plate swimming around in the tank. That is how big adult discus can be. If you think of it that way a 55 gal would be difficult for them to turn in.

2) Should i buy discus online? I would either purchase from a local breeder or purchase from Discus Hans (a sponsor on this site) or one of the sponsors on SimplyDiscus.com. Buying discus from "just anyone" is very risky and considering the amount of money involved, I would be extremely careful.

3) The plants in the picture ( ABOVE ), are those sagittaria? or Vallisneria?

4) What are ideal tank mates? ( ie. rams, cories and tetras? ) I have my discus with aeneus cory cats, bolivian rams, rummynose tetra, glolite tetra, and BN plecos. The thing you need to check when choosing tankmates is if they can handle the temp and parameters that discus need. Remember, it is a discus tank and everything else is secondary.

5) Are discus fairly active fish? Young discus are active and school. Mature discus are less so.

6) What is the average lifespan of a discus considering it got superb care? With proper care discus can live 10 or more years but the average I have seen is 5-6.

7) What should their diet consist of? Juvie discus need a varied high protein diet, fed usually 5-6 times a day to help them grow. Once discus are adults, they require a good quality food.

I have kept finicky fish before with success, such as angelfish and rummy nose tetras. Angelfish and rummys don't even come close. Discus require time and dedication. They require very specific water parameters and alot of water changes. They aren't really more difficult as more time consuming and requiring you to pay attention to detail. When discus get sick they don't just get a little sick, the odds are that one if not more will die if disease enters your tank. So QT of anything (plants, livestock, etc) going into that tank is imperative. Even getting discus from different sources can wreak havoc on your tank.

The most important thing to remember if you choose discus is: It is a discus tank......anything else is secondary. If you don't think that way, the odds are that you will not be successful keeping them.
 
Fishdude401;3542346; said:
ahh ok! Do you think i should go with oscars or discus?
Click to expand...

I think a 55 is a bit small for a full grown oscar as well, but an excellent grow out tank. They are large thick fish (1 1/2" thick serving platter) when grown and will have difficulty turning in a 55 gal.
 
i prefer a 75 for discus but as long as you keep up the water changes a 55 is fine for 5 discus the average discus is 5 to 6 inches total length most are not gonna be monsters
 
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