Thinking about keeping discus... Few questions

[cjam93]

hey guys so I have a planted 40breeder that I am getting bored with. I keep neons and fish like that in it but that isn't holding my attention to well. I was thinking about trying discus. The tank has an emperor 400 hob on it. I can heat it to 82-84 degrees no problem. So I have a few questions.

I was told discus need a very specific diet, rotating what is fed on what day. Then I sad nls has a discus forumla, can that be a complete diet or is it a supplement to other things? Is there any thing that a discus shouldn't eat or things a discuss should not eat on the same day like spurlina (spelling I know haha sorry) and other frozen food?

Ideally I'd love to have a breeding pair, should I get a couple then and grow them out or what do you suggest?

I've read about people doing huge water changes every day or every other. Is that really necessary or can two a week suffice? What does your water change schedule look like?

Thanks so much!

 

[convict360]

hey guys so I have a planted 40breeder that I am getting bored with. I keep neons and fish like that in it but that isn't holding my attention to well. I was thinking about trying discus. The tank has an emperor 400 hob on it. I can heat it to 82-84 degrees no problem. So I have a few questions.

I was told discus need a very specific diet, rotating what is fed on what day. Then I sad nls has a discus forumla, can that be a complete diet or is it a supplement to other things? Is there any thing that a discus shouldn't eat or things a discuss should not eat on the same day like spurlina (spelling I know haha sorry) and other frozen food?

Ideally I'd love to have a breeding pair, should I get a couple then and grow them out or what do you suggest?

I've read about people doing huge water changes every day or every other. Is that really necessary or can two a week suffice? What does your water change schedule look like?

Thanks so much!

I haven't kept them, so disregard this post as you see fit; but my aquarium supplier friend had stendeker for a while, and told me that the strains are getting hardier and hardier, he did one water change a week, in a tank with rummy nose and juvenile discus, probs around 50g tank size.

Id still probs do 2 a week to be safe, especially if doing a breeding pair in a 40

 

[Lawlboom]

A 40B is really only suitable for a breeding pair of discus. In order to do that you have two options.

A. Buy Juvies and grow them in and sell/rehome the remainder

B. Purchase a breeding pair

If you want to do a grow out you should really do a 55g barebottom with daily water changes of 50% and feeding 4-5 times a day.

Breeding pairs are EXPENSIVE.

Nitrates inhibit growth so growing out in a planted tank is not ideal. Discus are also really sensitive to water quality so decaying organic compounds commonly found in planted tanks wouldn't be good for juvies. Also you can't really siphon the substrate really well either.

It also would depend on how much swimming room you have. How heavily planted the tank is.

Might want to reconsider discus.


In my 55g barebottom grow out I feed bloodworms, beefheart, and colbalt blue flakes. 3 times a day because I work 12 hours so it's hard to do otherwise. I do 80% water change every other day. Again because of work.