# Joining the world of Discus



## Plumkin (Jan 24, 2011)

So I been thinking about it for a VERY long time about getting discus I looked in the search for information about them like what should there ph level be at a LFS said 5.4-6.2 what should the temp be at ? soft or hard water how much lighting , heavily planted tank or? how many to start out with I was told by a LFS groups of uneven numbers like 5, 7, 11, ect I aske dif there small how often i syphon i herd .. ONCE A MONTH..like all of your fish.. yea i wont be buying from you EVER.. i thought

what do they eat bloodworms discus flakes?

what is there best company ?

how many filters to have 

if my 75 gallon has been set up for months should i let them float in there bags like i usally do with my fish add some water then let them join in if they look good or should i put them in my 30 gallon and let them sit in there for 4 weeks and see if they get sick ? then add one of my fish from my tank in the 30 and see if anythign happens I have so many questions I just dont know who to turn to I hear so many differnt and i mean WAY DIFFERNT answers 

whatever is best for them is what I want I WON'T be rushing into this until i have enough information about them I dont trust pet stores at all since it seems like they just want to sell the fish and dont care for them like the way WE ALL DO  I would be ordering from kenny I read all the feedbacks about his fish nothing but great ratings  Please all you Discus lovers help me out!? 

including you aunt kymmie if i spelt ur name right hehe:lol:


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

How big of these fish are you willing to buy? Care requirements vary as the juvenile ones less than 4" in diameter are far more sensitive than the adults. You may need to start raising the juveniles in a barebottom setup with daily water changes and multiple feedings.

Adults are much easier to keep. In your situation with the 75g, you would be better off buying discus that are above 4" in size. They are more expensive but IMO, they're worth it minus the tedious daily water changes that juveniles require to avoid stunting them.

Tank mates must be able to tolerate their required temperature ranging 82 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit. In my discus days, I stick it to 86 degrees. Too warm for most fish unfortunately. You can try combining bristlenose plecos, rummy nose tetras, cardinal tetras and sterbai corydoras with discus. These few ones are tolerant of the discus' required conditions.

As for pH, it is not an issue with domesticated fish. They are quite accustomed to it better than the wild forms. And Jack Wattley also keeps his discus in pH of 8.0 last time I checked, same with mine.

As for foods, that's not really an issue. They will eat just about anything once established in your tank. Flakes, bloodworms, shrimps, the works.:wink:


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## Plumkin (Jan 24, 2011)

I would buy all aduluts and how can they live in a 5.4 ph? i dont get it lol they had them with angels in a diff tank the discus were BLACK im going to guess they were extreamly unhappy..., with aduluts gravel or sand?


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

Well, their natural environment is acidic but domesticated discus should be fine with whatever pH you have with your tap. Buy your discus from reputable breeders only, not the pet stores. You are guaranteed perfectly healthy specimens more easily with reputable breeders.

And some strains of discus particularly those prone to peppering (black pepper spots around the body) such as pigeon bloods should be kept in a light environment meaning light background and substrate. Dark substrate and background only encourage peppering which makes the pigeon bloods look less than appealing. They are also less appealing to serious discus enthusiasts.


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## Plumkin (Jan 24, 2011)

oh I really really want the super blue/purple discus I think they are just amazing i could live next to my tank watching them swim around hehe any idea what there name is?


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

Blue Diamond and Blue Cobalt are the most common, and variations thereof through crossbreeding with other Types or species.
I agree with Lupin, Purchase your fish through reputable breeder's such as those over at SimplyDiscus.com if you want healthy specimens.


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## aunt kymmie (Jun 2, 2008)

1077 said:


> Blue Diamond and Blue Cobalts are the most common, and variations thereof through crossbreeding with other Types or species.
> I agree with Lupin, Purchase your fish through reputable breeder's such as those over at SimplyDiscus.com if you want healthy specimens.


+1 on the reputable breeders, get a sub adult size of 4" (at least) and BEFORE you purchase them do your research, and lots of it. I have 2 Blue Diamonds and 1 Cobalt, I agree with you, the blues are beautiful. I have a dark substrate and my pigeon blood is starting to pepper. :-(
I'm in the market for a few more and I will use Kenny over @ Simplydiscus.


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## aunt kymmie (Jun 2, 2008)

PS. If the discus are going into your 75gl you'll have to lose the Columbian tetras, they will outcompete the discus for food and are way too active for the discus.

Actually, looking at your 75gl tank inhabitants you'll have to rehome all of them except for the ram and loach, if you plan on keeping discus in this tank. Is the clown all by himself, with no other clowns for company??


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## Plumkin (Jan 24, 2011)

yea I planned to keep my balloon red eyed tetra there not really agressive when it comes to feeding my loaches I have 2 clown loaches but only the big one is in my 75 2 horse face loaches an 2 weather loaches and my red tailed sharks with the temp so high would it kill my amazon sword mother? and some of my other plants? the columbian tetras have been move a week ago. I have had ICH in this tank before and every now and then it will come back never on my angels only on my lood parrot and the tetra's but i dont want to risk getting ich on my discus what should i do for that?


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## SweetPoison (Jan 16, 2011)

aunt kymmie said:


> I'm in the market for a few more and I will use Kenny over @ Simplydiscus.



You should meet me in the City and I will take you to him What fun we would have. I see it now!

I would end up getting Discus and coming home and getting rid of all my current $200 batch of fish. Just for Discus.

Second thought.

Have him ship em.;-)


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## Plumkin (Jan 24, 2011)

how often do you guys cycle your discus tanks?


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

Plumkin said:


> how often do you guys cycle your discus tanks?


You should only need to cycle a tank once.;-)


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## Plumkin (Jan 24, 2011)

oh lord idk why i said cycle LOL !! i was reading soooo many differnt post today i ment syphon how many times do you guys syphon your tanks a week LOL!! oh lord


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

Plumkin said:


> oh lord idk why i said cycle LOL !! i was reading soooo many differnt post today i ment syphon how many times do you guys syphon your tanks a week LOL!! oh lord[/quote
> 
> 
> :lol: I raised a group of juvenile Discus approx quarter size, over a sand bottom tank and changed water 50 percent, three times a week and vaccumed the sand each time to remove waste laying on top.
> ...


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## Plumkin (Jan 24, 2011)

1077 said:


> Plumkin said:
> 
> 
> > oh lord idk why i said cycle LOL !! i was reading soooo many differnt post today i ment syphon how many times do you guys syphon your tanks a week LOL!! oh lord[/quote
> ...


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

Have you already decided how big of discus you plan to buy?


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

Plumkin said:


> 1077 said:
> 
> 
> > oh neat! so you know my 75 gallon is a community tank right now with angels and everythin elsa and plants and i syphon once a week not being super clean so my plants have some extra poo to eat off of an there now growing amazingly! so for discus you gotta be extreamly tidy the ways i clean wouldn't work ?
> ...


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## aunt kymmie (Jun 2, 2008)

1077 said:


> Plumkin said:
> 
> 
> > You might get away with once weekly water change with Adult Discus but not with juveniles unless you don't mind stunted,possibly sick, oblong or mis-shaped fish.Many of the fish you curerntly have in 75 gallon would have to go. Some would easily out compete the Discus for food ,others would stress the Discus who don't appreciate a lot of active fishes darting about the tank or swimming into their resting areas while lights are off and fishes are sleeping/resting, and others would find the temps needed for Discus uncomfortable.
> ...


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## Plumkin (Jan 24, 2011)

I will be getting Aduluts sizes 4.5 inch - 6inch the only fish that will be in the 75 gallon when i get them will be the discus , the loaches and the rams i seen many many many people with angels with there discus and my angels are to AGGRESIVE! plus i got a possible spawning pair so my 55 gallon tank will be put in the living room and thats were the community tank will be as my 75 gallon will be moved ot my bedroom just for the discus rams loaches and 2 plecos not sure if i want my plecos with them either I really want my balloon red eye'd tetra's with my discus there very calm fish they dont nip at anything and there not aggresive eaters but i think to start the discus with less fish in the tank would be better for them I will syphon 2-3 times a week I been thinking about getting juvs just because I love to watch fish grow and I dont have to pay for my water here so doing dailys syphons wouldn't be a problem but I WOULD start with a barebottom if i did get juvs this will be an new aventure which im excited about! with how clean my tank is and how happy i see my other fish when its cleared out i think my discus will be so happy  I will always update this letting you guys know what fish I do end up getting Im in no rush to get them because the more info the better and 500-600.00 is alot to throw down on these pretty lil monsters, If kenny gets some blue diamonds that I reallly want then I'll probly order in march, I will make sure my 75 gallon is cleared out of the fish and stable before i buy any, do they like those? undergravel filters? that


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## SweetPoison (Jan 16, 2011)

I would not use under gravel filter with Discus. I would not use one with anything, actually. You really won't need one because you are going bare bottom, right?

IMO, I would highly recommend you do so ~ until you get the basics of keeping these awesome fish. 

Pop over to Simply and read. Read and read some more. Especially, the Disease and Illness section ~ And learn.;-)

I am jealous!


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## Plumkin (Jan 24, 2011)

SweetPoison said:


> I would not use under gravel filter with Discus. I would not use one with anything, actually. You really won't need one because you are going bare bottom, right?
> 
> IMO, I would highly recommend you do so ~ until you get the basics of keeping these awesome fish.
> 
> ...


 
Ya I have I even spoke with kenny over the phone and gravel with planted tank shoould be great It will be quite some time till i get any now that my angels are spawning I think i will be more busy with rasing them first and then I'll come back to the discus.


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## SweetPoison (Jan 16, 2011)

Plumkin said:


> Ya I have I even spoke with kenny over the phone and gravel with planted tank shoould be great



He actually told you, a possible first time Discus owner, that gravel and a planted tank would be great? Honestly? Or did I read that wrong?


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

He's planning the sub-adults to adults so I don't think planted setups are a problem for them. It's the ones less than 4 inches in diameter that should be kept in a bare setup.


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## SweetPoison (Jan 16, 2011)

Lupin said:


> He's planning the sub-adults to adults so I don't think planted setups are a problem for them. It's the ones less than 4 inches in diameter that should be kept in a bare setup.


Will I still be on your special list if I disagree?:-(


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

SweetPoison said:


> Will I still be on your special list if I disagree?:-(


No.lol Okay, what do you disagree about this?


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## SweetPoison (Jan 16, 2011)

Well ~ for someone who has never had Discus ~ I would always advise a bare bottom tank. 

But that is just me.;-)


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

Ahh...Not really a problem. I did indicate it's the juveniles that are more worrisome hence the bare setup. They stunt so easily with all the organic materials accumulating around.


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## aunt kymmie (Jun 2, 2008)

SweetPoison said:


> Well ~ for someone who has never had Discus ~ I would always advise a bare bottom tank.
> 
> But that is just me.;-)


I had never had discus before and when I brought my babies home immediately into a planted tank they went. They were 3" specimens. That being said, if I told you that the time frame from them going from 3" to 4" was one of the most stressful periods of fishkeeping I've ever had would you believe me?? With all the hair pulling I went through it's surprising I'm not bald! I will never do that again nor would I advise anyone else to!! Buy 4" plus specimens (for a planted tank) or go barebottom for anything 3" and under.


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## Plumkin (Jan 24, 2011)

haha aww kym I would go nutts if i was you if your talking your huggge tank and having to go through that ! yes posion ill be buying 4.5 - 6 inch discus and kenny said it would be good.


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## SweetPoison (Jan 16, 2011)

aunt kymmie said:


> I had never had discus before and when I brought my babies home immediately into a planted tank they went. They were 3" specimens. That being said, if I told you that the time frame from them going from 3" to 4" was one of the most stressful periods of fishkeeping I've ever had would you believe me?? With all the hair pulling I went through it's surprising I'm not bald! I will never do that again nor would I advise anyone else to!! Buy 4" plus specimens (for a planted tank) or go barebottom for anything 3" and under.



They certainly can cause stress in the human. Make no mistake about that. Lord. But they are my most favorite fish in the world and worth every moment!


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

aunt kymmie said:


> I had never had discus before and when I brought my babies home immediately into a planted tank they went. They were 3" specimens. That being said, if I told you that the time frame from them going from 3" to 4" was one of the most stressful periods of fishkeeping I've ever had would you believe me?? With all the hair pulling I went through it's surprising I'm not bald! I will never do that again nor would I advise anyone else to!! Buy 4" plus specimens (for a planted tank) or go barebottom for anything 3" and under.


+one, 

Would be sure and ask Kenny what foods the fishes are eating, and would have some on hand when fishes arrive.Would also try and get the fishes interested in a variety of foods rather than one or two.
Would offer new foods BEFORE a water change rather than after, (won't foul the water this way if they don't eat it)
Would place the tank in such a way so that the fishes could see who was entering the room rather than placing the tank around around a corner, where fishes could be startled by sudden appearance of guest's.
Would keep separate set of tools, (ie) bucket's, net's, algae scrapers,syphon for Discus tank and would not use same tools in all tanks.
Would have lights on timer, and would stick with this duration (no frequent lighting changes ).
Would feed fishes at same time each day, and would not leave food out where other's could feed also.
Would absolutely quarantine all fish for minimum four weeks before placing them in tank with your Discus.
Lastly,, when in doubt,,water change!
Have no doubt that Kenny will provide you with healthy fishes and their health, will be directly related to the care you provide.Read all you can on these fish.


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