pufferfishnz Posted August 12, 2007 Report Share Posted August 12, 2007 Ive done a bit of research on these beauties and by the sounds of it they are pretty hard to keep. What advice can you give me about Discus? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pufferfishnz Posted August 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2007 also, what plants are good in a discus only tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bli Posted August 12, 2007 Report Share Posted August 12, 2007 Hi there, Yes there seems to be quite a bit of information out there regarding Discus and their "special needs" but I think thats what makes them so much fun. This time last year I got my first tropical fish tank with a huge variety of fish, but their appeal quickly wore off and I moved onto Discus. Now I still consider myself a real novice but with a few hours attention every week, IMO Discus are just as easy to keep as any other tropical fish. Advice... 1) Get the biggest tank you can afford 2) Try to keep at least 5+ discus all around the same size 3) Have an efficient water change system - I am doing about 40% every 2-3 days 4) Feed a variety of foods In my limited but exciting experiences so far, I have found that every discus enthusiast has their differing opinions on many of debatable topics. But generally, they all seem to agree on these basic principles. I think Discus look boring in bare bottom tanks so I personally prefer to keep them in planted tanks. In answer to your second question I think that a variety of swords, rotala, ambulia, tiger lotus and sag make for an ideal discus environment. Every fish keeper to themself though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pufferfishnz Posted August 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2007 thank you so much for that info. very indepth. the rumour of them being hard to look after isnt going to put me off having them, just want to do it right!! and i agree - bare bottomed tanks dont look that great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted August 12, 2007 Report Share Posted August 12, 2007 IME it is much easier to look after discus in a BB- especially seeing as i was new to keeping them when i set up their tank. Poor water quality is the main problem with keeping them happy and in a BB its way easier. My BB tank has two potted plants- a lotus and a amazon sword. I dont think they are overly hard to look after either, good clean water of good quality is pretty much all you need. However aggression problems are a pain in the behind, especially when you have pairs forming/formed hence why it is reccomended to have a few. Best of luck, they are awesome fish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herefishiefishie Posted August 12, 2007 Report Share Posted August 12, 2007 I keep some in a planted 4x2x2 with tropicals, plants etc. I only do 1/4 water change every week. Don't know about the bare bottom being cleaner. Sand, gravel etc make for a larger surface area for bacteria breeding, therefore a cleaner tank. I use river sand, not as fine as beach sand. Most waste sits on top of that too, so easier to clean, plus it looks more natural. Frenchy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pufferfishnz Posted August 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2007 BB stands for?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim r Posted August 12, 2007 Report Share Posted August 12, 2007 Discus are not hard to keep but they do need good water, changed regurlarly, they do not need bb tanks, that is usually what breeders use for spawning and bringing on fry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discusguru Posted August 12, 2007 Report Share Posted August 12, 2007 BB stands for?? Bare bottom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pufferfishnz Posted August 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2007 thanks. not stupid just havent picked up on all the abbrevations yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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