bigb1112 Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 what would the minimum size tank i would need for a breeding pair of discus i have a 29g bow front that i am not sure what to put in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snaggle Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 I have seen people breed them in some small tanks, such as 20g, but if you do that you will need to do twice daily water changes as a minimum. If you go with your 29 bow use two sponge filters unning power heads and change the water every day, I would also go bare bottom and use peat if you need lower the PH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corrosionjerry Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 Your 29 will be fine... Just make sure your water is aged / soft / and PH is around 6.5-6.8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wishe Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 So what is the normal size for a discus tank then, or what are the smallest discus out there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiscusKeeper403 Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 (edited) So what is the normal size for a discus tank then, or what are the smallest discus out there? Do you mean specimen size? It can vary slightly depending on strain, and fish and sex, but normally anywhere from 5-8inches full grown. Edited May 18, 2009 by DiscusLova Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wishe Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 Ya i was just wondering If I was going to Start a discus tank... What is the size of tank needed. plus if there was a mini sized one or one that is smaller then the rest. Plus I heard they are alot of work.. it that true? Im a cichlid guy so, im not sure, but the colors are crazy on discus, plus do they need live plants in there? and Brackish water? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanGSP Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 Discus do best in large numbers when young and in a bare bottom tank. 100% water changes daily will ensure some prize specimens. If you can rig up a drip system that will change out 100 or 150% of the water daily. I had a 40G breeder and kept 8 small guys in there. As they got bigger and started pairing up I got rid of the lesser fish. Also as I kept taking fish out I added a small school of Cardinal Tetras as dither fish and a pair of Blue Rams. Also be careful with plecos as mos of them will attatch tot he side of a discus to eat their slime. Bristolnose plecos are some of the "discus safe" plecos. My saltwater tank with live coral is less work than my discus were but being greeted by 2 small clownfish just doesnt measure up to being greeted by a couple large Discus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Chicklets Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 Ya i was just wondering If I was going to Start a discus tank... What is the size of tank needed. plus if there was a mini sized one or one that is smaller then the rest. Plus I heard they are alot of work.. it that true? Im a cichlid guy so, im not sure, but the colors are crazy on discus, plus do they need live plants in there? and Brackish water? For a beginner with discus I would strongly recomend bare bottom tank, 30% water changes every second day, or more depending on age of discus and stocking level. Also brackish water would most likely kill them very quickly. When I first got into discus I read a number of books about discus and spent quite a bit of time browsing this site: http://forum.simplydiscus.com/index.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish4fun Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 So what is the normal size for a discus tank then, or what are the smallest discus out there? from what I have been reading, you need a minimum of 10 gallons for each full grown discus with a minimum tank size of 29 gal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wishe Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 Wow, So it sounds like two much work.... Oh well good to know before getting the fish..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiscusKeeper403 Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 So what is the normal size for a discus tank then, or what are the smallest discus out there? from what I have been reading, you need a minimum of 10 gallons for each full grown discus with a minimum tank size of 29 gal. 50 gallon minimum is normally recommended. You can get away with a 40 or 40g breeder for growing them out, but they will need to be moved over to a bigger tank around 4". 3 Discus in a 29 gallon is asking for trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanGSP Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 Feeding Beefheart and bloodworms to my discus this was a big reason for the water changes. I would defiantly recommend more than 30% every other day unless you were stock pretty light in a big tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corrosionjerry Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 I just love how the question the member asked changed... His or Her question was ... how much tank space was needed for a breeding pair? Everything but that question was answered.. LOL There is a big difference between a breeding pair and a school of Discus / or just keeping 2 Discus in a 29 gallon long term......... Breeding Pairs are kept in that size of tank.... large daily water changes are needed ... the intention is to breed them in there and eventually get them out again after they spawn and the fry are weened off the parents.... This is usually a short term thing... Keepng a school of Discus.... it is recomened at least 6 Discus are needed... they are a social fish.... My 12 Discus fish are thriving in a 150 6ft tank.... it is planted and I do water changes every three days.... the fish are growing and healthy... and the tank looks great......... 1 Pair of Discus in a 29 in a bare bottom long term / Just makes for a pair of lonely Discus... does nothing for them or the owner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigb1112 Posted May 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 thank you guys for all your input i think i will try something elses in that tank and wait till i decide to change one of my 115gallon tanks over Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rED O Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 yeah, discus are hard work. I was told that for them to be happy, a good size tank for small is a standard 4' 55 gallon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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