# Discus growth



## shef (Oct 3, 2004)

I have had my Discus now for 3 months. There are 7 of them and they are in a 55g tank with 1 AC110 and 1 Ac70 for filtration. I do 2 larger 60% water changes a week with several smaller ones in between. They get fed 4-5 times daily with a variety of foods (NLS, hikari discus, frozen bloodworms, colorbits and omega one flake). 2 have grown quite well and are fairly big now. 3 have grown somewhat although not very much in my opinion and 2 (my blue diamonds) don't look to me like they've grown at all. What am I doing wrong and what can I do to get them to grow well? I have a thin layer of sand as a substrate (1/4" or less) one piece of driftwood, some watersprite and one sword plant in the tank with them. The Discus are active, responseive and colorful, they are not skittish and do not hide at all. This is my first attempt at these fish so I'm still learning.

Thanks


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## jgentry (Jul 3, 2008)

What size are your fish now? What size were they when you got them?

Blue Diamonds are slow growers, so I would expect that. Your fish should all be at least 5 inches with in there first year if everything is going well. It is also not uncommon to have 1 or 2 that grow faster then the others, but they all should be growing. I have had the best luck growing out discus in a bare bottom tank with at least 60% water changes every other day. Twice a week won't cut it if you want them to grow to there full potential.

Good luck,
jgentry


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## shef (Oct 3, 2004)

Ok I will step up the water changes. I do end up doing more than twice a week but the ones in between the 2 50% changes are more like 20%.

They were all around 2" when I got them. The two largest (a pigeon blood and a golden phoenix) were closer to 2.5". The blue diamonds honestly don't look as thought they have grown at all. The larger two are about 3.5" now (possibly bigger) and the 3 in between are about 2.5".

I have only had them for 3 months now and I don't know how old they were when I got them so I don't know how old they are. I have been told that the blue diamonds look stunted.


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## Dutch Dude (Sep 14, 2006)

I can only share my experience on discus growth becouse I'm new to them as well.

The lfs bought them at the size of 2 inch (they should be around 2 months at that size) and had them for 2 months. They have grown in those 2 months around 3 inch, and some a bit smaller. I bought them and in the first 6 weeks or so they did grow to 4 inch. For abouth 4 weeks they hardly grown but their body shape did changed in that period to a more round shape. Recently they started again with growing and are now close to 4 1/2 inch. They color morph is red turquoise. I kept them for abouth 4 weeks in a 50 gallon tank with 8 of them. Selected the best 6 and put them in a 75 planted tank with in the front 1/4 inch sand and in the back around 1 inch (thats were the plants are). I have a large internal (biological)sponge filter (volume of +/- 7 gallon)and it cycles 420 GPH (I need to upgrade the pump before they become adult). I feed tetra discus pellets first thing in the morning. Abouth 10 minutes later beefheartblend (Stendker breeder blend), the same when I come home from work, after dinner 2 cubes of frozen (bloodworms, artemis) and an hour before the lights turn of another 2 or 3 cubes of frozen. As a treat I feed them several times a week some live foods like daphnia and bloodworms or adult artemis. I do at least a 50% water change every day and several times a week a larger water change of abouth 65% to 75%.


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## Dutch Dude (Sep 14, 2006)

Some listing of the size

2 inch = lfs bought them from the breeder at the age of abouth 2 months (2 months of age)
3 inch = after 2 months in the lfs they have grown to 3 inch and at that size I bought them (4 
months of age)
4 inch = 6 weeks later (5 1/2 month of age)
4 1/2 = 6 weeks later (7 months of age)

They could have grown larger at this age but unfortunately they were for 2 months at the lfs with only 2 feeds a day and 2 times a week a 100% water change. Dough from what I have read and what has been told by Larry mine did grow to a normal size for their age.


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## shef (Oct 3, 2004)

I don't know how long mine were at the LFS but I think it was a few months. There are still a few there that were from the batch I got and they don't look very big. Mine look bigger. I think they only get fed once or twice daily at the LFS and I'm pretty sure he only does 50% once weekly for W/C. My larger two seem to be on the same growth schedule as yours, I just can't seem to understand why the rest are so far behind?


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## Dutch Dude (Sep 14, 2006)

I keep discus for the first time so I'm no expert,....but from what I read heard is that the fish smaller as 3 inch are the most difficult. Those need the best foods and the cleanest water. If they don't get it they slow down in growth. Until discus reach a size of 4 inch they grow rather fast and slow down at a larger size. If they have had a set back in growth (during the period in the lfs?) they might stay smaller and never reach their potential size. So maybe yours satay smaller becouse of a set back in growth as fry.

Discus of 2 1/2 inch probably are 2 1/2 months of age. Unfortunately you don't know how long they were in the shop. The most positive would be just in. You keep them for 3 months so they are at least 5 1/2 month of age. Mine were 4 inch and your largest are 3 1/2 inch. So the largest also have a small set back. They are still smaller as 4 inch so they should have grown more as 1 inch in 3 months.

The Hikari discus,....are that pellets or is this a beefheart blend? I'd definitely would feed them at least 50% of the heavy foods like Beefheart blend, boodworms, artemis and some live foods. I also recommend the more frequent and larger water changes. I have done 65% every other day but could not keep the tank clean enough so I do at least 50% every day.

I bought 8 of a batch from the lfs. They have still some of that batch and those are all stunted, deformed and small and suffering illnesses and don't feel well (black body color). The 2 I returned are doing OK but didn't grow since.


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## shef (Oct 3, 2004)

The hikari discus I've been feeding is the pellets. I feed mostly bloodworms, since they prefer those to anything else. I'm pulling the substrate back out of the tank but I think I will leave a few potted plants and some anubias tied to driftwood. I'm going to be selling off some of my other fish so I can concentrate more on my Discus. Hopefully with the increase in attention I can get some growth on them.

As for how long they were at the store, I really don't know but I do know it was at least a month. Hopefully I will be able to get them all to a decent size.

Can you buy beefheart rather than make it?


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## shef (Oct 3, 2004)

Ok, I actually got out the tape measure and the biggest 2 are 4". So those 2 are probably going to be fine.


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## Dutch Dude (Sep 14, 2006)

Mine prefer beefhearblend, artemis and bloodworms in this line up. Beefheart contains a lot of nutrition and proteins that discus need to grow. This is still considered as best food to grow out discus and every breeder uses it. An alternative is tubifex but those will contain parasites and thats why I prefer beefheart blend. I cooked some myself but the texture wasn't great and I mixed in to much spirulina. My discus refused it. To make the blend my self cost me only half the money but,.....if they refuse it,... it is of no use. So I bought Stendker Beefheartblend from the lfs. I have no idea if it is availeble over there. Several brands sell discus beefheart blend. Some are of a moderate qualety and some even poor. That is why a lot of people cook it them selves. On simply discus you can find a lot of recipe's. Some are easy and some contain stuff I never heard of :wink:

Your largest fish are 4 inch,....thats not bad! They probably grow out to a normal size. The once that hasn't been grown could be a problem and might stay small. I get the feeling those had a set back before you bought them.

Growing out discus is a lot of work but once they become mature they should become more easy. I have been told that adults need only 2 feeds a day and 3 times a week 50% water change.


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## discusmaster (Aug 27, 2008)

no sand at all it hlep u and kind of discus do you have


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## shef (Oct 3, 2004)

Yes, the sand is out. I have 1 pigeon blood, 2 golden phoenix, 2 spotted greens (although I'm starting to think they are actually leopards), and 2 blue diamonds.

I will have to look into buying some beefheart as well.


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## discusmaster (Aug 27, 2008)

can i put 2-3 brown or blue in a 55 us gallon tank


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## shef (Oct 3, 2004)

I have 7 total in my 55g tank. I started with 6 and was going to stay with that but I had some aggression problems with the largest phoenix, it was being a real jerk :lol: . I ended up getting the pigeon blood since it was the same size as the trouble maker and I just fell in love with it (still my fav. fish). Now the 2 bigger ones bicker amongst themselves and pretty much leave the others alone. Personally I'd get more than 2 or3. They are happier in groups and it spreads the aggression out more.


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## shef (Oct 3, 2004)

I have 7 total in my 55g tank. I started with 6 and was going to stay with that but I had some aggression problems with the largest phoenix, it was being a real jerk :lol: . I ended up getting the pigeon blood since it was the same size as the trouble maker and I just fell in love with it (still my fav. fish). Now the 2 bigger ones bicker amongst themselves and pretty much leave the others alone. Personally I'd get more than 2 or3. They are happier in groups and it spreads the aggression out more.


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## Ape-Fish (Jul 1, 2006)

Do you think water currents might affect growth, and general well being, or do they prefer still water?


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## shef (Oct 3, 2004)

I don't know if currents affect growth but I know the Discus hate strong currents. They like still water. I have modified my aquaclears to produce much less flow so the Discus don't get blown around.


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## kaphil (Aug 3, 2006)

I'm not sure why you would wish to take the sand out? A thin layer is not going to create any hygiene issues, provided you have decent filtraton, water changes etc, and I'd of thought it would make the discus more comfortable.


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