Discus Guidelines
How many discus and what size tank The best number to start with is 6 to 8 discus. All the same size from the same source. For a new discus owner , I would suggest starting with about 3 to 3.5 inches. There are some breeder suppliers who sell 2 inch discus..but these guys are quite small, and there is always some that just don't thrive. They get stressed more easily, and then end up not eating…or passing white poo. Also gill flukes and other parasites can take hold of a fish who is already compromised.
As a guideline, one discus per 10 gallons is suggested as adults. Young discus can be started in a bit smaller tank to feel more secure. Very small fish like to school, and they feel lost in a very big tank. If there is places for them to hide they will if they feel insecure. Best way to win their confidence is to have them in a group of 6 to 8 in their own tank.
A bare bottom tank to grow them out, giving them frequent small meals when they come up to the top. It won't be long till they all come swimming up to greet you each time they see you. With lots of frequent meals with a variety of foods their growth will be good. With all the feeding discus need to have daily water changes and the bottom siphoned to keep the water clean. Discus come from the Amazon where the water flows and is very clean. Most people hear that discus are hard to keep and challenging. If you can stick to a few simple guidelines and start with quality healthy stock most people can succeed. Discus don't need any fancy equipment. Most discus keepers or breeders have bare minimum in equipment. An air driven sponge filter a heater that can heat up to 90 degrees bare bottom tank, and a cover . Once you learn to keep and grow discus well, then you can graduate to a planted tank, .breeding, etc.
Most people run into problems when they try to add plants, gravel, other species, collecting different discus from different sources or not prepared for the maintenance of daily water changes.
Very small discus have a window of opportunity for their growth. A lot of the confusion comes when you are new at discus and you don't “see” the proper shape etc. it takes awhile to have an “eye” for discus. If you see a little 2 inch discus that is brightly coloured it could be far older than its actual size. Some discus with an improper start can become stunted. As a rule .most barred strains do not acquire their adult colouring until they are between 8 to 10 months of age. If you find a 2 or 3 inch discus which is brightly coloured its either A: older than its size..and stunted..or:..B. it has been hormoned or colourfed to bring out its adult colours for sales purposes. The consumer is drawn to brightly coloured fish .so as a result local fish stores want brightly coloured fish and supply and demand makes it possible. Also, some strains as in leopard snakeskins or spotted varieties..the breeders cannot see which ones will become spotted discus without hormoning or colour feeding to bring out their adult colours. Usually in a batch of spotted fish about 15 to 30 percent at most become fully spotted fish. The rest become red turquoises. If they are brightly coloured they are quite often sold as super red turqs. The problem with this, is hormones damage the fishes livers and when stress hits..they break down. Or, they start breeding at a very young age and don't live long lives.
Barless or pigeon strains start out a very light colour. As an example .a red cover discus would start out a light yellow or orange. Selecting ones who will remain “clean” is best done on fish of at least 2.5 inches. If they are showing pepper on the nose or fins they will get more as they grow. Pepper or black spots are pigeons stress markings instead of bars. Pigeons remain cleaner looking if you keep a light background and bottom on your tank. Dark gravel or backgrounds will make them show more pepper. Discus need and like frequent water changes, stable parameters, and stored or dechlorinated water. In nature..discus are kept in very soft water . Discus have been successfully raised in harder water as long as you keep your parameters even. Water is best added that has been stored overnight with aeration . Our water in Vancouver is very soft but also ph slides very easily and its lacking minerals for good growth. If your filters are taxed our ph can begin to slide and crash. Daily water changes and rinsing your sponge filter keeps this in check. I also add crushed coral , oyster shells or aragonite to buffer in a net or in an aquaclear filter. It's also helpful to have some added to your water storage container so water being added to your tank is similar or close ph to your tank. A few excellent articles and links are available on http://forum.simplydiscus.com/index.php
There is an excellent example of selecting discus by their eye to body ratio in an article in discus university. http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=49201 it shows how to assess the growth by the size of the eye according to the body size ratio. There is a reason for this beyond aesthetics. Quoted by Tony in the article.” Eye size is one of the main factors in assessing the previous care and future growth potential of a discus.” When a discus’ growth has been slowed, the eye still continues to grow.
Another great article by Walter Wu shows some ill discus and what not to buy. http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=46982
Other Selection Tips
Do the discus come to the front of the tank to greet you or do they hang in the back toward the bottom of the tank? A happy relaxed discus spends time in the middle corridor of the tank in a loose group. Are they huddling together? Are they showing their bars very dark? Is the whole discus dark? Are their gills moving at the same rate? Are they at the top gasping for oxygen? Are they skitterish? Are their fins erect or folded down? Do they have any holes in their head region or white pimples? Are their eyes cloudy? Are their fins raggedy? This could be caused by ammonia burns or ph crash. Also raggedy fins is a deficiency. Is their skin clean and clear or showing slime coat? Is the water temperature warm to the touch? It should be in the 80’s Fahrenheit.
No matter which discus you select, always quarantine a new group away from existing fish or discus. Different discus from different suppliers carry different immunities and or pathogens. Some who have already had an illness can carry, and not get sick while your ones at home could not be immune and they would get sick. I always start a new tank for a new group. Separate hoses , nets, and wash hands in between handling other tanks. A lot of people add one of their existing stock in with the new ones after several weeks. If no illness occurs, then it's safe to mix your stock.
This is why it's best to buy all your fish from one source at one time when starting out. Saves a lot of problems.
Written by April Ross. January 26th 2007
Discus Shipping Made Easy [By April Ross]
Receiving your first shipment of fish is very exciting but also a bit worrisome. I felt like a new mother and of course never slept the whole night knowing they would be at the airport in the morning.
The shipper: He starts planning a few days ahead to organize the shipping. He starts by making sure not to feed them a day or so ahead, depending on how long of a trip. This makes sure there's little waste in the bag and less ammonia. He arranges the shipping plans with the airline or other service and finds the most direct route to your house.
The fish are usually double or triple bags depending on how large they are. They get about 1/3 water and 2/3 oxygen. They are all put into a styrofoam container with heat packs if needed depending on the time of year. And then into a cardboard box. Usually the shipper will call or email you with the tracking number and time of arrival.
What I've always done is I check with my end and make sure the cargo hours correlate with the arrival time. Some airline cargo offices are open all night whereas some close at 6:00pm.
Your end: You should have a clean cycled tank ready to go . Your fish should always have their own tank and quarantine rules should be followed. Most breeders specify at what parameters the fish were kept at and also what they were fed. If not, it is suggested that you ask them. I would also ask the breeder how he suggests acclimating the fish.
The method I have always used is to open the bag, catch the fish in my hand and straight into the new water.
If your tank ph is close to the bag pH then introducing them to their new home is easy. However normally during long transit, the pH can get very low in the bag due to the fish waste and Co2 produced. So in most cases, the pH in your tank will be higher. If it is a lot higher, then you will need to gradually raise the pH in the bag.
Reason being, when the fish are in a low pH the ammonia in the bag is non-toxic. But once oxygen is added by the action of opening the bag or adding them into a higher pH environment, the ammonia can burn their gills and fins. So I've found the best way is to place them directly into the tank. But again, check with your breeder for his acclimation suggestions.
I usually add one tablespoon salt to each 10 gallons of water to my tank before they arrive. And also keep the temperature at about 90 degrees for the first few days, then gradually lowering it.
It may take a day or so for your new fish to start eating. On most shipping occasions, the fishes I received were swimming around and waiting for their first meal once in the tank. This of course depends on what size group you've received, stressed, etc... Normally, if you received a smaller group, they could be shy for a few days. Its best if you can get at least 6 of similar size together. 8 is even better as they don't feel so lost in a big new tank. Rule of thumb is one discus per 10 gallons as adults. Juveniles can be started in a smaller tank as long as you keep up on your water changes and keep the water quality good.
Feed them small meals and be sure no extra food sits on the bottom of the tank. Eventually as they become more relaxed you will find them swimming higher up and then finally meeting you at the top waiting for their meals. Watch your ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates at first as your filter could be playing catch-up. Try to feed clean foods at first to make sure your filter is keeping up with the new demands. Hikari bloodworms is a good first food next morning to feed. Beefheart is messy and can tax your filter at first. If you do feed these..try to feed in the morning when they are hungriest and then vacuum the bottom and do your wc afterwards. Small pinches of flake food is also good. I use only flake or discus new life spectrum in small amounts.
Out of all the fish I have ordered I have maybe lost one or two fish. If one does arrive D.0.A. then you need to let the breeder know .
Usually the breeder will call or email to make sure all went well. Or you can call or email the breeder and let him know that the fishes arrived and are safely in your tank.
On the whole I feel its been a rewarding experience and feel I have gotten some very nice fish which could not have been obtainable otherwise locally . I recommend it if you have never received your fish via shipping. Its quite easy and you will find yourself to be a proud new owner of some great looking fishes.
For most major cities I can ship via Westjet or Coastal Airlines. For island deliveries I'm open to meeting at the ferry.