How delicate are discus really?

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the_deeb

the_deeb

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Apr 22, 2006
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I've heard many people claim that discus are very delicate and can be hard to keep alive. I'd love to have 3-4 in my 100g wide but I don't know if I want to deal with the hassle of having expensive fish die on me. I've kept stingrays before and I can't imagine discus can be that much harder.

Also, could someone give me a general idea of their personality - are they reasonably outgoing and personable in typical cichlid fashion or do they often hide?
 
There's so much to say about your questions but I think you'd be better served if you do a little research on discus specific forums.

Discusasahobby.com or simplydiscus.com are two great sites with a lot of info.

With a 100 G tank I would get a LOT more than just three. your discus will certainly feel out of place. get as much as you can afford. i have a 100G tank and have 13 of em'. I'm also fairly agressive with my Water changing schedule, I do it every 4th day with aged, pretreared and preheated water.

If you plan to keep plants or other fish than your disucs count will be lower but I would at least consider 6 of them, it'll be better if their adults too. Spending less on smaller discus could cost you more in the long run b/c they are not so tolerable to imperfect water conditions. If you can start off with sub-adults or adults do it. Make sure your tank is fully cycled or you'll be doomed from the start. It was a $400.00 lesson that I learned when I first got into them. By from reputable dealers or breeders, you'll find them on the sites I listed above. Don't be conned by some ripoff artists on aquabid. If you consider any of them ask for feedback here or on other forums.

As far as their personality, they are sociable creatures.. on one extreme on this video clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqTngil79cg

or they may just hide all the time, this all depends on the source you get your discus from and how well your tank conditions are.
 
Thanks for the replies. I do agree that more research is in order. There's a local breeder who I'm planning to get my discus from so they should already be somewhat acclimated to our (very hard) water. I was hoping to get some sub-adult heckels. The reason I didn't want to get too many discus is that I'm planning on having several other fish in the tank - clown loaches, knife fish, baby stingray and possibly some upper level schooling fish. I was considering having a small group of discus as the main mid-water showpiece. Based on your advice maybe I will up the number to 6.

The tank has wide dimensions (47"L X 27"W X 18"H) and is extremely well filtered (2 canisters + a DIY W/D). I usually do 2 30-40% water changes a week.

(BTW, great vid!)
 
I agree with most said...The best advice is to buy your fish from a local breeder if you get a chance (And not just any local breeder, a good one). After I bought my last bunch of discus (centralohiodiscus.com), I've become spoiled. I don't imagine I'll ever buy from a local fish store again!! I went to the hatchery and seen his operation. I came home with unbelievable fish at a great price (About 1/3 of what I would have paid at the pet store). Adult, locally bred fish are extremely hardy.

MIKE

IMG_0158.jpg
 
grehoundfan is right on.

really really really avoid getting them from a petstore. maybe there's some that can get you quality, but IMO, that's where a lot of the problems start. You can keep them free of disease, but they don't tolerate bad water at all.

local breeders can be a good way to go, or there are some very good breeders that will ship - i've gotten my best discus this way. a good healthy start from the breeder, and then frequent (minimum 2x/week) water changes with aged water and good nutrition. 24 hrs to age your water is plenty, as long as it's stable. I've done well with them in some pretty hard water. Softer is better, but pH and hardness are not as important as just plain stable. to hatch eggs - you need very soft. minimum group of six is almost mandatory to equal out agression. got to keep them warm (84-86F).

Very rewarding and cool fish, but some work - when everything is right, they cruise around and beg for food just like any other cichlid!

windsurfer
 
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