should I

[qc]

K i am wanting a few discus (4 i think)
My ammonia is almost spiking (Its gotten high and is sitting there)

I will wait untill the nitrite has gone thought its course  then will get the discus

But before any of this happens i wanna ask a few things

Do they really require daily water changes?
I got a 6f tank and a good filter (Eheim 2028)
i only got a few little fishies in there right now and alls going well
I aint got many plants that will come how ever once i have worked out the lighting

What sort of food they eat? Live, flake, pellet?

Also when alge starts going in me tank i want to get a pleco or two so are they ok with Discus? (I want plecos so if you tell me no then i aint getting discus)

also anything else you can tell me about them would  be wonderful

I may want to breed them eventually but not like for show of anything just cause i wanna

 

[Backdraft Bagel]

about the water change thing: yes, the more the merrier. also i have heard that if you want them to grow large you must change the water frequently.

i have not had fun with my discus tank, and am just about to dump the last 3 remaining discus on the local pet store and find something less ... inbred ... less fussy ...

 

[Backdraft Bagel]

oh and i've seen quite a few discus tanks with plecos

 

[RedTurquoise]

Depends on the size you buy. If you buy them at 1.5-3", large daily water changes are a must if you want them to grow. You will also have to feed them 4-5x a day. Most discus will eat anything you give them but ask the place you buy them what them are eating.

Ditch the pleco! I have heard too many horror stories. Get ottos instead. They dont grow as big either.

What is your temp? The most important thing is consistancy. Dont be messing with ph, hardness and such unless you water is really bad.

Check out www.simplydiscus.com
The experts are there, world respected breeders, scientists, the whole works!

 

[qc]

Well right now the heater in me tank is one big one to heat it but i have noticed a big difference is temp on eather side of the tank which i aint liking right now so i am gonna get two smaller heaters for it for both sides for a much more constant temp

PH is fine 6.8 or there abouts but its staying constant (Hasn't fluctuatied at all i can lower it tho..

Well if I cant have Pleco's with discus then i'll not get discus and get the plecos insted.. i think there much more attractive then other fish (Specially Zebra pleco and the.. i think it was the king pleco dark gray and black.. very nice)

 

[RedTurquoise]

What????!!!
Pleco instead of discus! You have to be crazy!  8) 8)

Well, I guess its your choice!   Ph is fine! I would not worry about changing it but keep it steady!  *thumbsupsmiley*

 

[qc]

Yeppers Plecos are much more interesting to me.. they have an.. inquisitive look about them.. at the LFS they come to the front of the tank when ever you walk up to them.. almost as if there looking out at you!

 

[luvfishies]

As do my discus. they greet me when I get home (of course they are just looking for food). bite me when I do waterchanges (awwwwwww how CUTE), and pancake at the surface to get at the food that I'm holding for them. Yep, that's right, they eat out of my hand, and will actually rest in a cupped hand to eat.

Of course, the downside to hand feeding is that my hands are fair game while they are in the tank...for whatever reason!

don't get them just yet qc....yu have ammonia in that tank....and discus DON'T do ammonia, nitrites and nitrates well. wait till ammo/nitrites are 0.

I hve some online friends who keep the little fancy plecs with discus with no issues at all. I currently have 2 clown plecs, a F bristle/bushynose, 2 different "tiger" plecs and a royal with my babies. that could be an issue later on, but for now it's OK. Of course, YMMV and this is IMO only.

 

[qc]

Hmm i mite try getting them down the track..

Wasn't intending to get discus for now.. not untill i was more.. versed in keeping fish.

Hmmm i wouldn't mind being able to keep fishies that will eat outta me hand!

 

[RedTurquoise]

Agree with luv. My discus are the same of course once you give them what they want and are happy. Believe me, you will get very attached to them quickly.  *thumbsupsmiley*

 

[Dave C]

I've owned Zebra Plecos.  They're beautiful but they are also nocturnal.  They'll hide behind anything they can find.  I saw them in a bare tank and they were tough to find as they were behind the sponge filter.  At night they come out and are constantly zipping around which can frighten other fish and you can't see much with the lights out.  Feeding is tough to since they don't move around much in the daytime.  I'd feed them bloodworms and then turn out the light.  Not worth it to me.  What's the point of having a beautiful fish that you can't see?

Dave

 

[qc]

I agree with you there Dave
However i have already made a few caves in my aquarium for the arrival of such fish (Pleco) and all of them point towards the front of the tank in no perticular fashion I think (I hope i should say) that the pleco will find one of them a very nice home..

But we will see in a couple of months!