Stocking your aquarium
When you visit a specialist Discus outlet such as ours, you may well see very heavily stocked aquariums, these are actually linked to very large sumps but may still look "overstocked".
The fact of the matter is that Discus, especially smaller ones do better and feel more secure in big groups. In Europe, the German Veterinary Association for Animal Protection recommends a maximum of 45 x 8cm Discus per 180 litres, or 12 x 15cm per 180 litres.
Now clearly this looks fantastic but is not suitable for your 180 litre aquarium at home!
So we recommend an aquarium of 180 litres as an absolute minimum size, and in this you can house a group of 10 juvenile Discus.
10 adult Discus (14cm +) without companion fish and minimal plants / bog wood etc will require a minimum of 350 litres.
There is no doubt that having too few Discus will lead to behaviourally problems (aggression / attempting to breed) as they grow and mature….. remember Discus are cichlids !
Domestically bred Discus are hybrids / mutations, and do not live in the wild - when buying small (8cm or less) the fish may not always grow into the adult description. From 10cm what you see is what you get, but the pattern of the fish can change as it reaches maturity.
Keeping Discus with companion fish and anything that decreases the water volume (wood etc) means extra bio load on the filter, so consider this when deciding the type of aquarium you want to keep. Good biological filtration is a must, as is the right diet and water changes.
Essential Equipment
Having decided on the aquarium you are going to home your Discus in you can now fit it out with the correctly sized filters and so on.
Aquariums always look nicer with as much of the ancillary equipment out of them, be this housed in a sump underneath or a canister filter. Some canisters are available with an internal heater, which is great, like wise you can also buy inline heaters.
The choice is endless and whatever your circumstances you will find the right combination of equipment.
One warning. Buy good quality equipment. Your fish when adult maybe worth over £100 each. Is their welfare worth risking with a £10 heater?
You will need a biological filter, good quality lighting, an air pump, aquarium heater (s) Click here for more detail ..
Companion Species
Most Tetra's, Butterfly Cichlids, high temperature tolerant Corydora, Dwarf Cichlids, Amano shrimp and many more. Click here for full article...
Maturing your filter
If you are starting with a new filter, it will need to be "matured" there is a comprehensive article on this procedure here....
Feeding
2 preferably 3 feeds a day is the breeders recommendation, Discus naturally browse for food most of the day.
The most asked question is "how much do I feed?" Stendker hatchery feeding advice click here..
Water Changes
Stendker Discus require between 20 and 30% of their water to be changed each week. Whilst doing this you can wipe the glass to rid it of any algae (coarse sponge is fine or I use the double sided washing up pads) also siphon away any debris and generally check for any potential problems. Click here for full article.
Water Values
This is where Stendker Discus really are different to other Discus. As Stendker Discus are raised in German tap water and thrive in it if you live in a soft water area you will find it beneficial to add some dissolved solids to the water, a bag of coral gravel or small amounts of bi-carb (baking powder)
The Stendker hatchery runs on TAP WATER and has the following water values.
- dGh (total hardness) 15 degrees.
- dKh (carbonate hardness) 8 degrees.
- pH value 7.
- Conductivity 800 µS (microsiemens)
- Water temperature 30 degrees C
As you can see this water would be considered hard, but it is what it is and what the fish have been raised in since 1965. Our water here at Devotedly Discus is much the same, our pH is a little higher (7.4) but conductivity is lower @ 480 µS.
To this day, despite all the available information, some folk still strive to replicate "The Amazon" this really isn't required for Stendker Discus and soft water can be problematical - stick to clean tap water. Consistent water parameters will go a long way to helping you achieve success with these fish.
Stendker Discus will aclimatise to a wide range of water values without issue, the key to it is "clean water," patience and an open mind. We are always here or reachable by 01323 483689 to advise. Click here for more detail.
