Where do you start?

This article is for serious individuals that don’t mind putting in a little effort and are looking forward to the challenge of keeping Discus.  They are looking for good information based on sound knowledge from an experienced keeper or breeder.  Far too often a store salesman will pitch you to buy this and try that and often leading you down the wrong path spending a lot of money and ultimately losing your fish and possibly the desire to continue in the hobby. 

I try in this article to "keep it simple" and encourage questions and comments to be sent to archer@rogers.com. 

I recently reread Jim Quarles 1994 book “Discus …as a hobby” (TFH) in it he states that there are two types of individuals that purchase Discus; 
- one the spontaneous buyer who puts very little thought into the purchase taking the fish home from the store and plunking them into an existing community tank situation the individual may alter the parameters slightly in hopes of success.  Ultimately the fish suffer over time and eventually die and he or she starts preaching "Discus are hard to keep".  
- The second individual pre plans the purchase researching and seeking out information on keeping them from various sources books, internet and local breeders. They then set up their aquarium to accommodate Discus specifically. 
Ultimately the latter has success and becomes addicted to the animal.  I think Jim makes an excellent point.  If you get a chance, pick up Jim’s relatively inexpensive book it is a very good read.  I have seen it on Amazon.com for just a few dollars.  Jim’s insights in keeping and breeding Discus are excellent.

Size of Tank – It is good to have two tanks one that can be used initially to raise smaller fish and to allow them to grow making it easier to find the food.  This tank should be minimum 20 gal to max 40.  This will allow your fish time to grow and acclimate to you and their new surroundings.  This tank can be used down the road as a quarantine tank, hospital tank and maybe a breeding tank.  As for the main tank I suggest a minimum 65 gal tank and try to avoid the really deep tanks as servicing them properly can be an issue.  The placement should be away from direct sunlight or in a high traffic area.  Discus are a very intelligent social animal and they like to see out and see you.

Temperature - I raise all my fry and young discus at 86 F or 30 C.  Temperature is widely debated but from my experience and countless other breeder's opinions, the warmer water provides the young fish an increased metabolism they eat, develop and grow better.  As the fish become young adults, I back the temperature off a little to 84 - 85F or 29 C.  I do not recomend keeping discus below 84 F and strongly encourage to raise the temperature once in a while to mimic seasonal temperature changes.  Raising the temperature should always be accompanied by good aereation.

Filtration – You should be aware of “cycling your tank” and the Nitrogen Cycle as water quality is the most important consideration in keeping discus over the long term.  If you have kept fish before you will have a basic understanding of how a filter works. 

Basically, the nitrogen cycle is Nature’s “waste management” program.  Wastes, which would otherwise pollute the water and present problems for the fishes’ health, are converted to harmless products.  In most aquariums only half the process occurs, as most filtration systems do not have a specially designed processing unit to deal with the final product nitrate.  We deal with nitrate by doing our water changes.

 To explain the process in more detail Ammonia and Ammonium caused from fish feces, uneaten food and decaying plant matter is transformed by a mature filter utilizing Nitrosomonas bacteria to nitrite.  The nitrite is then transformed, using your filter again and this time utilizing Nitrobacter bacteria, to nitrate.  Nitrate you now remove with water changes.  
So by monitoring your nitrates you can determine how often you need to do a water change and how much water to change.   
Note: You should try to maintain your nitrate levels between 5 to 10 ppm not to excede 20 ppm.
These two bacteria don’t occur instantly on your filter and the amount of bacteria required to do the job takes time (up to 30 days under full load until maturity) so initially you need to help things along with more frequent water changes and by using an artificial seeding solution.
 

I spend a lot of time explaining how the filter works for a couple of reasons;
-  First I want to highlight how important the Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter bacteria’s are and how they should be respected especially during cleaning. For example always use aquarium water when cleaning your filter material, chlorinated tap water will kill this bacteria and then your filter stops working and you end up with an ammonia spike which can damage the gill and possibly kill your fish. 
- Secondly I would use a seeding product after every cleaning of the filter and when I say clean the filter don’t overdo it and don't replace filter material all at once. Ideally you should have two filters that you clean a week or so apart so their is no danger of loosing your bacteria.

Also monitor your nitrates and ammonia to make sure your filter is working the absence of nitrate and presence of ammonia or ammonium indicates your filter has stopped doing its job and water changes and seeding is required.   I also use Seachem’s declorinating product called "Prime" (or "Safe" which is the powder form) which in an emergency can help neutralize ammonia a good product to have around.

Plants
I receive a lot of questions regarding live plants and their compatibility with Discus.  Although some hobbyists have had success with plants it is a delicate balance.
For example:
Plants require lots of light - Discus prefer a more subdued light.
Plant Hobbyists use Co2 and fertilizers that create high nitrates - Discus will not do well at nitrate levels in access of 20 ppm and prefer 5 to 10 ppm.
A lot of plants do not like the warmer water - Discus prefer warm water.
So as you see they are at opposite ends of the spectrum.
Now there are plants that do not mind the warmer water and by planting them in decorative containers do very well at 85 to 86 F and can handle a more moderate lighting with no fertilization other than fish feces.
I read a comment on this subject by one of the "experts" on a discus forum and he basically sumed it up nicely. 
To keep plants you first need to be an expert in keeping plants understanding their limitations and requirements.  Then you need to be an expert caring for discus again understanding how they are kept and their requirements. When you have accomplished this then you can start to put the two together with hopefully some success.
I have talked to people who claim they had success keeping discus at the cooler waters.  To this I say everyone measures success differently and Discus properly cared for can live 10 to 15 years. I myself have a number of fish in the 8 to 9 year catagory looking and acting very healthy no ragged fins no signs of "hole in the head disease".  So I measure success by how long you can keep them alive and healthy. Certainly 5 to 6 years is no milestone.  I also see a lot of discus hobbyists trading in their old fish (probably less than 5 years old) because they are ragged and sickly looking this is because of poor nutrition and the lack of proper care.

Now the next topic will solicit some debate, however I emphasize when starting out with Discus "keep it simple" and Do Not use gravel in the bottom of your tank!
  
There are many reason but the main is food and feces gets trapped and this builds up over time to the point your filter will not be able to keep up.  Even worse an anaerobic bacteria will build up which if released by stirring the gravel can be toxic and has been known to kill fish in extreme cases.  The glass bottom allows you to see the colour and texture of the feces which should be dark and it will also expose uneaten food making it much easier to keep clean.  Discus like to peck away at their food on the bottom and uneaten residue in the gravel can turn them off their food.    
It has been my observation that Discus will suddenly stop eating if their is leftover rotting food in the tank. I believe its because they have a keen sense of smell and stop eating when uneaten food is present or a heavy bio load.  
As a side note in the event you had to treat your fish with antibiotics you will have to either remove the fish to a sick tank (recomended) or carefully remove the gravel further complicating the situation, as antibiotics are not as effective with gravel in the tank.
 A nice piece of driftwood with some plants real (placed in ceramic pots) or fake with a few colorful stones, that can be moved for cleaning, would be fine and provide decoration.
  
If you insist on gravel, and there is always one or two that do, I suggest a secondary tank to move your fish to when you get into trouble and do a thorough cleaning of your gravel every water change. 
It's been my experience that the majority of hobbyists that start out with gravel and discus, after learning the hard way that it shouldn't be done, either get rid of the gravel or get out of the discus hobby. 

Water – pH there has been a lot of discussion about the importance of lowering the pH although I agree that a lower pH has its benefits and the fish are more comfortable and there are less bacteria issues.  Recent studies in the Amazon river has indicated that in the wild the pH varies from 5.0 to 7.4 depending on the season and location.  So a low pH is not necessary. 
Most hobbyists are not equipped to lower the pH, they require a small holding tank where water can be preconditioned by adding an acid like phosphoric acid and let sit over a minimum of 24 hours so the waters natural buffers can stabilize the pH prior to a water change.  
A number of hobbyists use a Python water change system and are stuck with whatever pH comes out of the tap.  Most ph adjusters like pH down use an acid and should never be added directly to the tank, despite what the manufacture says, as this will create an acid spike downwards it may happen quickly but it will happen and each time you do, you risk damaging the gills of your fish.  You might get away with it a few times but the damage is occuring and will finally build to where your fish is affected.  Water should sit for at least 24 hours and then be measured with a good calibrated pH meter before using.  
Under no circumstances should you add acid directly to the tank!
 If you were to lower your pH with a product like pH down the frequent water changes that are required to remove nitrates will result in your pH fluctuating dramatically and this can seriously damage your fish. It is my opinion and of many others, you are better to do nothing with your pH other than using some peat in your filter.  Again "keep it simple" at least in the beginning. 
 

Tank mates – Initially none, if we are talking Discus less than 8 months of age, the temperature should be at 86 F or 30 C which in many cases is to warm for tank mates.  Cardinals and tetras can be added or possibly some Corydoras or small Ancistrus catfish later on once you feel you are a pro at keeping Discus making sure to follow quarantine procedures. Once the Discus enters into adult hood at approximately 10 to 12 months (although they can continue to grow up to 2 years of age) the temperature can be backed off to 84 to 85 F or  29 C.

The Herpes virus which has infected the angel fish and Discus population is circulating and you need to be very cautious as this virus can kill your fish in just a few days and unfortunately a lot of stores don’t seem to care and continue to sell sick fish.  I get frequent reports from poor unfortunate hobbyists as well as experienced breeders of their encounter with this virus. Once the fish are infected and if the fish manage to survive using an anti-biotic like Furan2 then they become carriers for life. And the virus can resurface again under stressful conditions.  The fish are then usually dealt or traded into a store which in turn infects and kills the next tank of Discus and so the cycle continues.   Once the fish have had the virus they are no good for breeding as the fry will get sick from it and die.  
When you feel you are ready and comfortable seek out local clubs and breeders to purchase your tetras and catfish again follow quarantine procedures but chances are the fish you purchase from local breeders will be fine. To clarify I am saying breeder not broker, there are many so called breeders that are brokers that basically import their fish so quarantine is necessary.  That also goes for plants most of the clubs in your area have a least two auctions a year. Support your community and the hobby!

Lighting – initially keep the lights subdued so that the fish can see you sitting there in this way you can help them adjust to their new keeper and their surroundings.  As an example my 90 gal display tank has two lights on it, initially the fish placed there ran and hid. I backed off the light and turned up the lights in the room so they could see me.  Over a few days they became adjusted to their new tank and surroundings.  I now can turn both lights on and they seem to not mind as they are comfortable in their surroundings.  At night have a night light I use the small blue LED Moon lights. Discus should never go from complete darkness to a bright light. Remember they have no eyelids and this type of action usually results in the Discus darting through the tank trying to escape and ultimately hitting something either injuring it or even killing itself by hitting the end of the tank or lid.  I first turn on the lights in the room for a few minutes than turn on the light slowly until I reach the desired light level.  Also when you transfer your fish from their Styrofoam container after a purchase darken the room so again the fish is not stressed from the sudden bright light.  Reducing light when fish are sick also helps reduce stress and helps the recovery.

I have recently been asked by one of my customers to talk about the suspended lighting I use over my discus display tank. 
I use an overhead light fixture (bulbs are aproximately 18 to 20 inches above the tank) which originally housed 3,  35 watt Halogen bulbs.  On a recent trip to Home Depot I purchased the new Philips LED bulbs to replace the three Halogen. (I went from 105 watts to just 21 watts) These bulbs are very bright provide the necessary light into the top of the tank without the need for a light hood and provide a very realistic indirect light for the discus.  The customer in question replaced his $400 LED light hood with two of these bulbs and a fixture that he purchased to suspend the bulbs above the tank for about $100 and he states this is brighter than his original $400 LED light fixture. So not only does it provide a more realistic indirect light for the discus he saves $300.

Food – We use a formulated Beefheart and Salmon mix which we make for sale (our customers only) and the recipe and how to make it is available under the nutrition page. 
 I and many other authors including Andrew Soh denounce bloodworm and any other fresh water born animal as food as ultimately they carry pathogens to your fish. Hikkari’s Spirulina adult brine is very good as well as some of the better flake foods on the market. White worm if you have a cold cellar or at least a cool basement can easily provide a few meals from time to time but don’t overdo it as it has a high fat content. Baby discus should (less than 4 months) get 3 feedings of the mix and one feeding of flake food per day.  Don’t overfeed and remove anything that has not been eaten after 30 minutes. Eventually you will get the hang of it and you will be able to feed the right amount so nothing is left for you to clean up. Their bellies should be a little plump not bulging over feeding can put pressure on internal organs and can in some extreme cases cause death.  Adolescent discus (4 to 10 months) should get two feedings a day and adults can vary 1 to 2 feedings a day.  Always try to space your feeding out as far as you can.  Adults can go a number of days without food without any harm. (a consideration when going away for the weekend or week)  Varying the diet and a healthy diet will ensure proper growth and development as well as prevent disease but isn’t this true of all animals including ourselves why should discus be any different?

In Conclusion – good water quality is number one, a good feeding regiment is number two and again try and "keep it simple". 
If you feel I have left somthing out or you wish to debate my comments feel free to email me at archer@rogers.com I look forward to your comments.
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