Who Gives A Fish Forums

Hey everyone,

I'm excited to be here and looking forward to learning from all of you. I recently picked up my first discus from a local breeder - a group of 5 Brilliant Blue/Turquoise Discus that are 2.5-3 inches in size and about 4 months old. I'd love to get some advice on feeding frequency and type of food, as well as water change amount and frequency. What's the ideal water temperature for these guys?

I've attached some pics of them below. They're currently in a 30 gallon growout/quarantine setup. I'm a bit concerned that they might be slightly stunted, given their eye to body ratio isn't perfect - but I'm not sure if this is just due to their age and if it's something they'll outgrow. I'm hoping to upgrade them to my 75 gallon planted tank and watch them grow to 6-7 inches over time. Let me know what you think!

Thanks,
Ray

Re: New Juvenile Discus

They look fine to me, the eye to body ratio seems right, and their bodies are round, so you did good. For young discus like these, I'd recommend changing 50% or more of the water daily. Feed them as often as you can, and make sure it's good food. What's their current diet? I'd suggest trying freeze-dried black worms, you can get them from Al on this site. Vita-bites and sera discus bits are also great options, as well as good quality flake foods. My own discus, now 3 inches, are eating black worms 6+ times a day, but I mix in the other foods to get them used to variety.

Keep them in the 30-gallon setup until they reach 4-4.5 inches, then you can move them to the 75-gallon tank, continuing with those large water changes. Once they hit 5 inches, you can switch to every other day. Just remember, this grow-out process will take at least another 6 months.

Re: New Juvenile Discus

Thanks for the advice, it's really helpful. I'm planning on making a beef heart mix and I just got some hikari vibra bites to add some variety to their diet. They're currently eating a freeze dried blood worm tetra flake mix, but I know it's not the best nutritionally. I'm thinking of doing 2 water changes a week, around 30-50 percent - will that be enough or should I do daily changes for optimal growth? Also, I'm curious, how do you guys heat the water before adding it to the tank? My tap water is cold and I don't want to stress them out. I was thinking of leaving a container of water out a few days before the change to match the tank temperature. I'll keep you all updated on their progress and I'm hoping they'll reach their full potential.

Re: New Juvenile Discus

I'd recommend using a separate container for water storage, equipped with an aquarium heater and bubbler. This allows the water to "age" overnight, ensuring the temperature and pH match your tank's conditions. For optimal growth and health, I'd aim for at least 30 percent water changes daily. This will provide your discus with the best environment for development.

Re: New Juvenile Discus

Thanks for the tip. I'll start doing 30 percent water changes daily from now on. I'm already using a heater in a 30 gallon tote to keep the water warm and "aged" before adding it to the tank. I also have a water pump that I'll look into using. For filtration, I'm currently using a sponge filter - is that enough or should I consider something else?

Re: New Juvenile Discus

Your discus are looking fantastic - nice body shape and those colors are already popping. I'm loving the bar pattern, dorsal and anal fin, all looking great. Don't worry about the eye ratio, it's normal for their age. I'd love to see regular updates on their progress, maybe every 2-4 weeks? It's amazing how much they can change in a short time. Trust me, you'll enjoy tracking their growth too - it's like watching a transformation unfold.

Re: New Juvenile Discus

They're looking great, keepers for sure. Coloration's on point, might be a bit older than 4 months, possibly 5. Please keep updating us on their progress.

Cliff

Re: New Juvenile Discus

They're nice looking, still young and have lots of potential.

Algae buildup in the tank? Get rid of it, it won't harm them directly, but it's a sign of other things that can increase bioload.

Feed them well and do regular water changes, I think you'll be happy with the results...

Check this out for more on bioload and biomass - it's worth a read.

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthrea ... -Important

Re: New Juvenile Discus

Thanks for your input, I appreciate it. Been working on upping my water changes and I'll definitely post some monthly pictures for everyone to see the progress.

Thanks for your insight and reply. I'll definitely take care of that algae buildup in the tank. It's a leftover from when I used to have angelfish fry in there and I was too lazy to scrub it off after they were removed. The tank water is clear and the algae is starting to fade, but I know it's still not ideal. I'll make sure to limit my light exposure and scrub the algae off when I get the chance.