Chuck Russell's Discus

What I have learned about Keeping Discus:

• Discus are not hard to keep, But can be fustrating at times if you don't remember the acronym KISS (keep it simple "stupid") . 99.9% of the time you don't need all that gimmickry they try to sell you to maintain that "amazon" type water . Usually just plain ole declorinated "tap" water will suffice. By providing good clear water and feeding a variety of different foods are the most important steps you can take if you want success keeping discus.
• As mentioned above Discus are sensitive to poor water conditions. Poor water quality is caused by overfeeding, not siphoning off uneaten food, Infrequent water changes, overcrowding and inadequate filtration.
• When feeding Discus (or any fish for that matter) it's best to feed small amounts many times daily, This limits the amount of uneaten food settling on the bottom and decaying in the tank. It also stops the fish from gorging itself to the point of causing serious intestinal problems (see BLOAT tip) and it allows for a variety of different foods to be fed thus making sure the fish is getting a fully balanced diet.
• As a general rule it's best to change at least 20% of the Discus tank water daily. It's better to do two 10 % changes daily then one 20% (if time permits). Doing frequent water changes (wc) removes uneaten foods and feces, it also removes toxins like ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Ammonia excreted by the fish in the water or by decaying food can cause a increase in nitrites. Small amounts of nitrite can cause irritation of the gills and reduce the ability to transport oxygen to the blood. With frequent wc your diluting these levels to zero and you also will see an increase in growth, color and overall heartiness in your fishes general health. You might think that instead of doing daily wc you just do one 50% wc each week? The problem with this is that you are removing a large amount of water and if the replacement water doesn't have the same parameters (pH, temp, GH, de chlorination) you can put a lot of stress on the fish that sometimes be fatal.
• When Discus are small (under 2 inches) it is better to crowd them in a tank as long as you perform proper water changes. Since they are schooling fish they are less stressed in groups thus healthier.
• When buying sub-adult sized discus you should keep them in groups no less then 5-6 fish. Like with discus fry by keeping them in groups makes them feel more secure, more aggressive during feeding and one fish will not be singled out when the pecking order is established. For Adult fish the general rule is one 6 inch adult/10 gal tank water. This is a general rule it all depends on the frequency of your wc and filtration.
• Stress causes physical and or mental discomfort and causes the immune system to weaken. IMO stress and poor water quality is probably the major causes for sickness with keeping discus .
• For filtration, you should have a filter that turns over 100 % of the water in 1 hour. The more the better but discus do prefer calmer water so it's advisable to diffuse the water outtake if you find your discus plastered against the tanks glass.
• Discus prefer taller tanks then shallower, they seem to like more water over and below their bodies. So it's better to get a taller tank then a long shallow one. You'll find that adult Discus don't swim around much like other types of cichlids, and they prefer just to hanging in mid-water around a favorite plant or structure. Of coarse they'll dash to the front and dance up and down the sides of the tank when they see you approaching but other then those times they are pretty much laid back.
• ALL NEW FISH MUST BE QUANTINEED FOR 3-4 WEEKS BEFORE INTRODUCTING THEM TO YOUR CURRENT STOCK. Sometimes new discus can be "carriers" of a bacteria that they developed immunity to and they will show no signs of illness.So it's best practice to put a "SCARIFICE" fish in the quarantine tank along your new fish. If they happen to be harboring some "nasties" I think you will agree that it's best to treat one tank and a few fish then your entire collection of tanks and fish. A good article on this can be found on Dave Clubine's website.