Discus Information

I am not new to fish keeping but new to Discus, I have looked up info on them before just nothing in detail. I know they are a small challenge mainly when young or new into the aquarium. Ok so the point my boyfriend has been wanting a small group (about 3-4) for the longest time and I think we will be finally getting some in the next few days to couple months. I am hoping if the people that have the knowledge of the Discus could share their Information, previous problems, things that worked for them, hints tips, And if possible how to care for the Discus at varying sizes from lets say dime sized to the adults. I will be doing research but any help from people on here would be extremely appreciated!
Thank you ahead of time!

I thought I read or heard somewhere that they were very sensitive to water temperature... running a little on the warmer side. One reason that I never tried them as my tanks get cool when the power goes out during freezing temperatures outside and the tank heaters can't keep up.

that is true paint guy. they need a much higher temp then most fish. and also very clean water is a must. i personally dont play with PH levels as i feel that stability is better for the fish then any changes or fluctuations. also i would get 6-8 to start with depending on tank size. with discus you must also be very picky about which you choose for your group. size and shape is important as well. a healthy discus should ALWAYS be looking for more food to eat. never too skinny or deformed either. to start id get the temp around 80-84 at least and get some nice logs and plants. dither is also a decent idea. some of the larger tetra species work well. buenos aires, lemons, black skirts, black phantoms. just make sure that w.e u choose it will hit the 2 inch mark or its gonna be lunch. just find a guy locally who has some for sale and go from there. its easier to spend 20-30$ per then 50$ at a LFS and be stuck with bad fish. theres plenty of forums dedicated to discus entirely and i suggest u start there. just make sure u know what a healthy discus is supposed to look like and go from there. also dont buy anything under the 3 inch mark as it is too risky. GL to ya and i hope u enjoy them as much as i do.


PS: key points here, research healthy discus signs, food/dietary needs, and get that temp up WAY high. it needs to feel like bath water almost.

Awesome! Thank you, yea I have been meaning to look up more information within the past day, but my teachers decided to assign the world of hw. lol ok I will definatly begin doing more research. Thank you again!

I jumped back into the hobby last Feb (2010) after 25 years out. After a month or so I picked up 12 Discus Fry about 12 weeks old. After 6 weeks I sold off half for most of my investment. I was raising the 12 in a 29G bare bottom tank for the 1st six weeks. One year later, all have survived and have reached a size of close to 5" for the most dominate to 3 - 3.5 for the smaller ones. They went from the 29 after the 6 weeks to a 75, then a 125 and now have found a home for the last 6 months in a 155G 6 footer.. They will once again be moved to a 135 4 footer that will give me more depth same height. The 155 has a clay based substrate called Safe-T-Sorb which is a oil/gas absorption product used in the auto repair industry. I have drift wood and tons of plants in the tank. My tap water comes out about 7.2 but once added to the tank adjusts down to mid to low 6's.. I keep my temp about 85 degrees and do NO Water changes other than a bi-weekly gravel siphon and evaporation top-off. Perhaps 10% of volume per week.
Their tank mates are; about a dozen and a half assorted tetras, a few plecos, 8 laser orange pigmy cory's, and a six-pack of German Blue Rams.
I feed them about 5 times a day with each feeding frenzy lasting about 2 minutes, including the browsing for that which reached the bottom. Twice a week, they get a treat of either frozen: bloodworms, beefheart or brine shrimp. The rest of the time it's flake food from Kensfish spirilina (sp)...

I've been looking for another dozen to repeat this effort for the last 3 months and this friday I'll be picking up another dozen 3 month old fry. A Brilliant Turq, and a Solid Fire Red cross.. Should be interesting watching this mix grow out!..

Bill in Va.

I will have 1/2 albino 1/2 LSS available in about a month. for a pic of the parents go to [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] and click on discus for sale. I'd be happy to talk discus when you pick up babies!!

lmf your site states none are available now!

Yes. That's why I wrote "available in about a month". I have wrigglers right now. Parents are posted with "eggs laid" date. (which was 5 days ago)

That's a real "DUH" moment on my part!.. Bill in Va.