Thinking about discus...

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Those are awesome...Thanks for sharing.
What are the blue ones in the 2nd pic?


predatorfish - My pictus kind of swims up and down the glass. He gets scared of other fish, and wouldn't bother the discus intentionally. If I got a couple more of him do you think that would lower the boisterous activity? Or increase it?
 
Now one of the problems is money.

I'm not going to spend $300 on delicate fish that I'm not familiar with.
I have a 10g tank, so could I grow the fish out in this until they're 3" maybe? The tank itself is 20" long.
I've looked up on juvie discus, and I guess I would do a water change every day with 4 or 5 feedings?
I could move the discus to my 125g tank after they've passed a certain point (like I said 3" maybe..) and then drop the water changes to every 5 days or so until they're maybe 5", and then do the WCs weekly?
 
Or would it just be easier to keep them in the 125g and do water changes every other day?
 
Blue diamonds .Discus are not easy fish and they are going to require alot of attention.If you are not sold on getting them then dont.If condition are right then they are stay out and are beauitful.If they hide alot then conditions are not to their liken.
 
a 10 gal is too small for a grow out. 30 would be better. just remember that the smaller the discus, the harder it is to care for them. my advice would be to save your money until you can get fish that are 4" or larger. my wild tank is my first try with discus. I bought 4-5" fish. after 15 months I have the original 8 and never treated them for anything. discus keeping is'nt hard. they just require more time and care from you.
 
Hmpf.
Okkk...Thanks for your help. I'm not sure I'm completely sold on discus, but I am completely sold on redoing my tank.
Any opinions on what could go well with a pictus catfish and a big school of rasboras? haha
 
Discus grow fast and it is much smarter to buy them smaller .You need to research them before you start .Just because a fish doesn't have to be treated for anything doesn't mean he is at best. For exsample they don't like hard water it will not make them sick but can make a male sterile. They can do ok at 7.0 ph but like it better at 6.5. All the fish I have I bought small and have had some for more than two years.
 
discus 1.jpgfts sm 1.jpgbuy small or buy large. all I was saying is that there is more care required for small discus. I have wilds in a PH of 7.6. it's a show tank and I have no interest in breeding. if I did then I would use RO. what I'm getting at is for keeping discus, they will adjust to most water. there are many people breeding domestics in PH as high as 8.6. take a look at simplydiscus.com. all the info you will ever need. by the way, my tank has been running for 15 months. wc's are with tap water and Prime. RO water is certainly good for discus, but not a must. don't think my fish look bad for not playing by the "rules".

fts sm 1.jpg

discus 1.jpg
 
Small dicuss due better with perferred condications over condications they have to adjust to .I bought all my Discus around two inches .As far the ph I would never have a ph of 8.6 .I stated that hard water can make them sterile not that it would alway make them sterile.Tthe main reason for giving the fish what they like over what they can adjust to is that they grow faster and look their best . Yes your fish look ok and I dont know how big they are but judging by your pictures I have some younger fish at 8 months much bigger then yours.This is way I go by the "rules"
 
grow rate ph 6.8 t0 7.5
show rate ph 6.5 to 7.5
breeding rate ph 5.5 to 6.5 A higher ph is ok but the main thing is to maintain the same ph . I am surly not saying your fish look bad ,they are heatlhy and beauitful .I am just trying to save the man some money . I use a mix,of rain water and tab and distilled . Once again cheaper .pead moss can be used to lower ph .I just saying there alot of tricks to save money.
 
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