discus fish?

[Spuddy]

Hey guys im looking at getting a new tank just after the new year, im absolutely loving discus fish at the moment, ive always had a thing for them, but now with abit of extra cash flowing i think its time to treat myself haha


So i was wondering what size tank would be preferable for them, sizes in measurements and water capacity.

And just any other general info on Discus please.

Thanks in advance.

Spuddy

[Spuddy]

nobody kept discus before then, or know theyre requirements i gather it?

[MoK3t]

IF i were to do discus, and i DO mean IF (they're a lot of work, but VERY rewarding) I'd go with a 120gal tank minimum, bare bottom. Might not be the prettiest thing ever but the fish will more than make up for that. They're south american cichlids and as such like quite soft, acidic water. Some bogwood will help with this aswell as providing some cover to make them feel more secure. They dont like fast moving tankmates or fast movements NEAR the tank.

IMO and from what i've read its best to get a group of at least 5 juveniles and let them grow up together.


Cichlid-Forum.com Is one of if not THE best cichlid site on the web. Very knowledgable and helpful people. I cant give any real expert advice as my exp with Discus is very limited but there are some guys on there who have been keeping and breeding discus for YEARS. Definitely worth a look

[reptile boy]

well ill be the first, erm well i do no they need good quality water and good filterd water, alot of people have bare bottom tanks as its cleaner for them and better for water changes, not much of a help am i

[MoK3t]

Actually reptile boy yes you are, you reminded me....

They need the BEST water quality. Discus are as close to keeping marine as you can get without needing salt. Theres VERY little margin for error with these fish.


They're SO worth it if you can keep up the work looking after them. If you decide its too much hard work, a breeding pair of severums are quite similar in appearance and nowhere near as difficult to look after, they're sometimes even referred to as 'poor mans discus'

[reptile boy]

Originally Posted by MoK3t

Actually reptile boy yes you are, you reminded me....

They need the BEST water quality. Discus are as close to keeping marine as you can get without needing salt. Theres VERY little margin for error with these fish.


They're SO worth it if you can keep up the work looking after them. If you decide its too much hard work, a breeding pair of severums are quite similar in appearance and nowhere near as difficult to look after, they're sometimes even referred to as 'poor mans discus'

yes i give some good advise

[reptile boy]

i would like discus my self but i here u need alot of time with these fish soo i will pass for now

[MJ75]

Kept them and bred them on a semi commercial basis.

Once upon a time wild caught fish were difficult as the aquarist had very limited information about their requirements. They were expensive and difficult and resulted in an elitist kind of fishkeeper being born. Rather amusingly, some people still see them as the pinnacle of tropical fish keeping. There are many more species that are more challenging to keep and breed.

These days they're mass produced in the far east and are fairly hardy and easy to keep. A novice can have them spawn. A novice with time on his hands and who is prepared to do a bit of research can even raise them to a saleable size. These days unless you are buying wild caught heckels they are not difficult to keep.

Bear in mind tank bred strains need differing water conditions from those of south america. This catches a lot of people out! Contrary to popular belief you do not need RO water, though it can make life a lot easier if you do use it.

Good luck.

[MJ75]

Sorry for the cynical post above. But I've heard so much rubbish spouted about how difficult they are to breed it's ridiculous.

Buy the book Discus by Bernd degen. Read it before you're confused by conflicting info on keeping them. It's a very wise £25 investment.

[Spuddy]

Thank you very much everyone for your info. I shall look at purchasing the book also MJ75. Thanks again.