Discus

[lee]

Hello, Ive aquired a 50 gallon fish tank all ready for fish. Its heated and runs a fluval 404. I have my heart really set on 3 discus. I work at a petstore and next month c.b tourqoise blues are on sale for $30. I wanted the discus, a few cardinals and rummey nose and a few algae shrimps(love em) and a few flying foxes or cories. Ill ad them gradually and slowly. should i add Discus or tetras first???
Does this sound ok???? cause i know discus are somewhat finiky but i love them and know alot about them and will put in the time....
What kind of plants would do best as well?
Im a reptile guy but had my heart set on discus.....thx
Lee

[Youkai]

So, the tank is cycled already?How did you do acomplish that? (fish, amonia, or...?)
How warm is it, and how is the pH?
I'd skip the flying foxes. They can become aggressive when older, last thing you want when you're dealing with discus!

The tetras will be okay, provided the discus don't eat them. It doesn't always happen, but there is a risk. I can see the discus making lunch out of the shrimp.

As far as plants go, anything REALLY hardy, since the temperature of the water will be so warm. Anubius, java fern, etc.

[Shane Tesser]

Lee, if this is your first tank, i dont want to scare you, but you'll probably kill them...sorry, im being really honest here. If not, you really need to study their requirements. They need extremely soft water....whats called a black water type. They require peat fertilization at least to help creat this. There needs to be a buffer created as well. These are extremely difficult fish that at thrity bucks i dont blame you for wanting them. Now your tank size, albeit is not bad, discus can grow to about eight inches in diameter. They need big tanks, subtle lighting too, in bright light they become shy, and that is the ever going problem with discus and plants. Anyplant is safe, in their natural habitat almost nothing but tree roots exist...so, they would require this as well. The flying foxes, Youkai is right, no way...infact no fast moving fish at all. Keep even corys limited as they will school if there is enough of them. As well they suffer from various diseases, more so are they susptible to disease then most fish. If you are buying cheap ones, i say cheap because many strains go for hundreds if not thousands of dollars, make sure they are feeding, as in, really excited about seeing food, and look for signs of hole in the head disease. Not saying your not able, i would just hate to see you disappointed after spending alot of money, i would do lots of research first, trust me i bought a mated pair once for $800.00 and didnt know anything. I killed them in under a month. Then i reasearched...after....and it was too late. Please feel free to email me if you have more questions, or a private message and i will help you. I have years of experience with discus, and am happy to see someone else with enthusiasm about them.

[lee]

I can totally understand both ur concerns but i have had lots of fish experience in the past but am still learning ofcourse. I work the fish department at a petstore where ive learned tons. Ive managed alot of fish tanks myself and have researched discus alot and still am. I care for a 50 gallon with one lone discus in it at work and this guy just made me fall in love with them. Im willing to do everything i can to keep these guys alive including getting another tank when they grow a bit. Is it possible for me to keep these guys alive??

Lee

[Shane Tesser]

Lee, sure its possible. The fact that your willing to learn says it all. Discus have somewhat of a bad reputation. But with that said they really are not one of the so called beginner fish. They are fragile and picky on water types etc. I would get a discus book...i recommend: The proper care of Discus, by Bernd degen, through t.f.h. publications inc. I will mention this book because i own a copy...it is excellent, covers everything you will need and is easily available... and cheap, the price tag on the back says $22.35, so i think it would be a worthwhile investment for you. Other than that, don't rush, research, think clearly what you want to acheive and go for it. Basically if you have a question about them, or something that your still a little leary about, research it first, or ask here, just dont guess...cause when expensive fish die, it really sucks. s.t.

[Lizzy]

Lee, I think we work for the same company! Is your store manager's name John or Kelly?

As for your Discus, I would recomend trying it. First of all, try to find out where the discus are coming from and if possible, what type of water they are being raised in. Not to contradict Shane, but they are being RAISED in harder water now and some people are having sucess. Other Discus won't tolerate it. I have to mix R.O. water in with mine to make them happy. I have also learned that they don't seem to do well in a densely decorated tank. They are slow feeders and they can't seem to find the food in amongst all the plants, or whatever else. Make sure you have had fish in the tank for months before you add your discus. They are VERY finnicky about water chemestry and almost demand a well established tank. Talk to your boss to see if you can still get the sale price in a couple of fish after the sale is over. I like to hide my fish in display tanks where the residents are "not for sale" That's how I hid my blue snakeskin discus for 2 months while I got his tank ready!
Give it a shot. Make sure you have your test kits ready to frequently trst the water...just incase! Maybe test the PH of the water in the fish bag before they are released into they're tank at the store. That'll give you an idea of what you need to do with your tank. Also, watch them for about a week before you get one if you choose not to wait longer. They can stress from transport easily. I've seen it happen.

Give me an update...and let me know if my hunch about your workplace was right!

Lizzy

[lee]

thx lizzy that was very helpfull advice.... I will definately wait until my tank is established until i add the discus.... My supervisors name is John.... If u have msn u can add me leam_89@hotmail.com or anybody else wanting to give discus advice.... thx again.
Lee

[Lizzy]

He he! I know John! He used to be my boss when he managed a store in Cambridge!! Now I'm in The Burlington store!!! He should know who I am if you give him that info. I also work in the fish Dept. Tell him I say hi! You're talking about your store manager not your department supervisor right?

My msn is borowed right now and I only have 3 people on the list. I'll have my own computer and MSN in about a month or so. I'll add your adress then. Keep me posted on the discus!

Lizzy

[Shane Tesser]

Lizzy, just remember that because a fish is being raised in a harder water type, does not mean that you are going to successfully bring this fish up to its full adult size. Remember, these things can live fifteen years or more. The fact that your adding R.o. water should say something too. Do your discus ever turn colours Lizzy? ie, show their unhappiness...im guessing that is the way you can tell if their not happy...guess what, their stressed too when they do this. The majority of fish that are kept in improper water types, can and will usually live for somewhat of a time period, but they will never be truly happy, or long lived, nor will their colours ever be as bright as they should. If you are going to make any attempt to breed your discus this way, you will not. And even if they did, the eggs will not hatch as they will soon become molded by the hard minerals in the water. Not to mention that the ever important slime coat on the parents body will not form properly, and the young will soon over graze on the parents bodies and cause skin damage, which will lead to parasites or death. As for keeping them in a heavily planted tank...i dont agree with you at all on that one. Read a book by any of the experts such as Degen, or Dr. axerod, or Jack Wattley and see what kind up a set up they keep their display fish in! Competition for food, however is a major concern. Thats why the tank mates are important here.....and eating....discus blow into the gravel to find food, bugs etc.... they do this instinctually. Watch yours up close...Ive kept and sold these for years. I have had every wild form nearly imaginable...ive had heckles etc. Wild greens, browns, ever some that leaned to a yellowish hue. I have even been given some for free by stores that could not get them to eat because they knew they would ultimately die. In total, im sure ive kept several hundred, raise and sold them over the years. I have had few casualties and made lots of money off these fish. Again, i would affirm my point to read more....give them the water types they really need and this in my opinion is the only way your going to have complete success, s.t.

[lee]

great post shane, I really want to be successful with these fish. How do i get the right water? i know about the peat....but anything else besides that and cycling the tank?
thx again
Lee

[Lizzy]

Okay, I see. I was just thinking of a breeder that brought fish to the store that claimed he is able to do that...raise them in Hard water plus the ones at the store usually do well. I guess I never know what they're like in a year though. Sorry.

Lizzy

[Shane Tesser]

No need to be sorry Lizzy, thats how together we will all learn. We should, and i totally welcome a challenge from anyone...hey if im wrong set me straight, i could use a slap every once in a while, lol. Lee, peat can and will bring the hardness down but only so far. Lizzy uses r.o. water which is probably the best method, but it has its draw backs too. 1) R.o. systems (reverse osmosis) are very expensive. R.o. makes the water essentially dead, and or depleat of anything. So, if you use a little at a time, it should be okay, you just don't want to fill a tank with it completely. Now lee, be careful with chemicals. There is several available that bring the ph level down, but very few of them create a buffer. A buffer basically maintains the ph level....it makes it stable. Theres nothing worse than the ph crashing in a tank....talk about quick deaths for the fish as well as the plants. I would suggest lee that you buy as much peat as you can afford. Put it in the water and let it disolve over a month or so and monitor the water to get a base for your ph level and total degrees hardness. Then add as necessary....better yet i know you need to get this up and running soon.....how big is the tank? ill let you know how much you will need. The peat alone should be enough to maintain the fish in a happy environment....for breeding, we will deal with that one step at a time when your ready, s.t.

[lee]

thx again, the tank is a 50 gallon. Im looking to keep them the best i can and i know water quality is one of the most important things. Please tell me how to set up and maintain my water the way u would so i can have the best success. Im not cheap here i dont mind spending some money. I love these fish.

Lee

[Shane Tesser]

Okay lee, no prob, sorry, but first i need to know which filter your using....then i can calculate what you'll need.

[leeD]

Hi i have a fluval 404 and a fluval 203 handy and i was planning on using the fluval 404. thx again. You can email me at leam_89@hotmail.com if ud prefer.

Lee