PETEYPLECO Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 I have a 165 ltr planted cube comunity tank with noens, clown loaches, bristlenose, a geophagus, mollies, flying foxes. Conditions are Ph 7.0, 25 to 27 degrees, unsure of hardness dH, external canister filter. Are these conditions / other fish okay for adding discus? Will the noens get eaten? Is one discus okay as you can see the tank is quite highly stocked? TA ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 IMO discus arent as happy alone than they would be in 5+ groups but i have seen it done, wouldnt reccomend it though (also once you get them you get addicted and always want more :lol: ). your neons will get eaten and i wouldnt reccomend mollies, unsure bout flying foxes, most geos are ok apparently. the temp would have to be upped to around 28-30 IMO. you also need 40L per discus but more is always better. most people do water changes to at least 30% 2-3 times a week, more if you buy young ones and want them to grow quicker. common consenus from the discus gods (simplydiscus.com :lol: ) is that its best to put fish into bare bottoms to grow out if they arent full sized. at present i am doing 70% daily water changes on my discus tank (but it is small, theyre moving soon) to keep their water clean and keep them growing. putting growing discus into planted often makes them grow slower and stunts them but only because of water quality i think, if your planted is in total balance (plants using up all nitrates etc) it might be ok, im unsure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PETEYPLECO Posted July 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 So if I buy just one discus thats 30mm in size, turn the temp up a bit and add this to my community tank now will it survive? Will it grow up to still eat the neons etc? I WANT A DISCUS ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljtan55 Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 I had a single discus in a tank, it was the most miserable fish I'd ever seen. Fins clamped all the time, didn't eat much, brown coloured all the time - was a blue turqoise but no blue in sight Felt so bad I had to give him up, the guy that bought him told me it became the most colourful discus in his discus collection of about 5 . Anyways if ya do get a single discus be sure to give LOTS of plants to hide, and be prepared not to see it half the time But thats from just my experience. I've got 2 black line flying foxes and they do well with discus IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PETEYPLECO Posted July 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Any other comment on the "single discus" thing would be appreciated before its to late? MUST HAVE DISCUS ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 I have no personal experience with them, but everything I've read leads me to believe that a single discus is a miserable discus When you're looking at a fish that is a naturally schooling fish, then you really shouldn't consider buying just one. They've been designed by nature to be in a group and if you take that away from them, you're asking the fish to survive in a situation that it has no idea how to cope with and its not something that the fish can learn to cope with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 i wouldnt buy a 30mm discus, i reccomend people starting out with discus to buy the biggest they can afford but try for at least 7-8cm. it is very very hard work to grow discus up and so easy to stunt them, many people buy small ones because theyre cheaper but it rarely works out well, i learnt this from experience i reccomend buying another tank, doing it bare bottom and getting a few around 5-7cm, bigger the better cause its easier with larger ones. bare bottoms are often seen as ugly and boring but when you see your discus growing you will realise why people reccomend them (BB). i saw a great thread on simplydiscus about why barebottoms are great but i cant find it now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke* Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Sharn's right you really should get at least 5 as they are definitely happier in a group. I would say they'd be fine with black line flying foxes as they primarily eat algae and pretty much keep to themselves, not 100% sure though. You don't have to go BB though, depends what you want. If you aren't interested in show quality discus then a planted tank is fine and more natural. They will still grow just not as fast. Your neons won't get eaten until the discus are big enough to swallow them so most people go with cardinal tetras which are bigger and don't mind warmer temps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PETEYPLECO Posted July 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 I think 5 discus is a little out of my budget even at the small size 30 to 40mm @ $30.00 each. Also with the amount of fishies in this tank already I would say it would be way over stocked - can you imagine the tank when the discus grow up ! ! WALL TO WALL DISCUS. I am looking at getting rid of Petey my 6" Goldspot Pleco but this will not reduce stock enough. Can I please have some more thoughts from all sides? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PETEYPLECO Posted July 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Who thinks I should go for it ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 your getting overcharged if your paying 30 bucks for a 4cm discus mate! thats around what youd pay for the leopards or something which are normally alot more expensive. i say let MTS strike again and get another tank :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwan Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 If you ask me, I'd say don't do it. Sorry to be a downer, but all these people make good points. Here's my little story: I bought 3 small (3-4cm) discus ages ago when I knew nothing about them (chucked them in planted tank, expecting them to grow) doing prob 1 week 20-30% water changes, so not the best. Anyway, they didn't grow and just ended up dying after a few months, so i bought some knew ones (as you do), chucked them in the planted and what do you know, I didn't see any change in size whatsoever. Now I have recently bought 5 small discus, 1 large, and two small ones from my planted (kinda stunted). So I've chucked them into a 135L bare bottom with a potted plant (to look nice, and soaks up extra ammonia) and have done 50% water changes every day..what do you know, i get amazing growth, discus colouring up amazingly, nice red eyes..they run to the front of the tank as soon as I come in the door for food! If you give them bare bottom (in my opinion) they will love you more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damiana Posted July 30, 2006 Report Share Posted July 30, 2006 Honestly, I don't think that it would be fair to the discus and you would wind up unhappy because you're going to have a drab, unhappy, reclusive specimen of a fish who will probably not last very long. If you really want them, save up, get another tank and do it right. It's a pain to have to wait, but in the long run you'll be better off. (And so will the fishies, who depend on you to take care of them to the best of your ability and knowledge!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PETEYPLECO Posted July 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2006 I had the total opposite advice from a well reputed LFS yesterday ? ! ? I am doing more research before I decide though as I do not want to waste time, money or a fishes life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PETEYPLECO Posted July 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 Please dont get me wrong I value all comments but I am getting two sides of advice and I want to make a decision? I have had two keepers and a breeder say its okay? I am aware of the extra effort to keep discus, my major concern is will the other fish in the tank anoy the discus to the point where it will cause the discus sickness, unhappiness or worse. Regarding the discus's growth, I was looking yesterday at a pair of mid size ( 3 - 4" ) to save the problem of growing them in a bare tank, I would say I would look at a pair of this size for my tank. Perhaps I could have comments from others who have discus in a planted tank with other species of community fish, please let me know what other fish are in the tank with the discus? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 Always remember that a LFS's job (reputable or not) is to sell fish the amount of bad advice (IMO) they hand out is amazing.. Maybe you could consult the advice of many of the people who breed discus (and have a genuine love of the fish) on here and who can offer you some unbiased advice. Good luck we would love to have discus some day but the africans have taken over all our tanks.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PETEYPLECO Posted July 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 Yeah, i can imagine if they cant sell fish they aint in business but if they give out the wrong info, thats about the same isnt it? I would have though you could trust their comments? Please keep feedback comming about your situations good or bad on this subject. I have been contacted by a local breeder / keeper and this person has asked for me to perhaps visit and discuss this further, I think I will go see this person and have a good chat. I would also love to go to the North Shore clubs meeting tomorrow to talk to others about this and listen to the discus experts talk but I have wee little two legged fiends that wont allow this to happen LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke* Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 Damiana - well said. There's lots of info at www.simplydiscus.com. They recommend discus only tanks, which I always thought would be best, but after researching the natural biotype (wild environment) I found out they actually live amongst other fish too. But.... they also hang out in groups. I'm afraid the right advice is they'll do best in a group, bigger the better. This is the way to make your fish the happiest. They aren't aggressive eaters and a single discus may not get much or any food in a community tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PETEYPLECO Posted August 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 Hollywood fish farm in Albany has a smallish planted tank with 2 x discus clown loaches, neons among others ? ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke* Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 It's not to say they'll die, but they won't be as happy as they could be. Like I said when bigger they may eat the neons. As responsible fish keepers we should make our fish as happy as possible. That's also why we must keep up at least weekly water changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 ill bet those are stunted discus should have small eyes so compare with pics on simplydiscus (those guys are tough on eye sizes) to the fish youve seen to determine if theyre a good size for their eye size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke* Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 http://www.simplydiscus.com/forum/showt ... hp?t=49201 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PETEYPLECO Posted August 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2006 I still cant see a major problem with a pair of discus in my tank, maybe one day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted August 6, 2006 Report Share Posted August 6, 2006 its really up to you in the end. a pair that arent bonded and mating will run into probs, the dominant fish is probably going to be pushy and not want the other one to eat. also if theyre not closeish to adult you cant expect them to grow massive, they should still grow (though many slow down to not even noticeable growths in unbalanced tanks). it comes down to whether you want average discus or big stunners and whether two discus can co-exist happily with each other in a tank with other community fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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