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Will a discus fit in a stantard 55gallon tank? Just wondering......And just gathering up ideas of what to put in the tank.......Hmmmmm.....

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It will, a half grown or juvenile might live in a 55 for a few years, but theyre better in company, and for that a 75-100 gal would be better .Im not big on keeping discus seperate. Ive seen some the size of a small dinner plate, 9 inches plus, and they really need the depth of a bigger tank since they are quite tall. Thankfully they arent the fastest growing cichlid. They will eat smaller fish , and though not as eager to eat smaller fish as perhaps say angels are , their capabilities are similar despite the smaller looking mouth, and that precludes you keeping smaller species like tetras in your tank, at least with adult specimens anyway.

Now please dont think im in any way knocking your fishkeeping abilities- I know you catch on pretty quick, but they really do require the most excellent water quality, getting them completely happy and feeding properly can be tricky, and if they dont eat properly, they tend to get hexamita, which is a complete bugger to eradicate completely. They are often the most expensive and heartbreaking beginners mistake. some people have luck with them early on, but IMHO they are a bit of a pro's fish. Some are now so inbred now their disease resistance is prectically nil, and it really is hearbreaking to watch such a beautiful fish die cos perhaps you hadnt quite reached the kind of excellence required to keep them.

Im really not trying to scupper your plans here, but your new to cichlids, and if you could give the discus a miss for now it will save you a lot of trouble. The rate you pick things up, in a year or two , youll be ready, and youll probably have squeezed an enormous tank out of your dads pocket. Youll probably end up breeding them!.Discus aint great in community either. Too shy on average, and then moody when they breed. People have all sorts of experiences of them, but on average they are a bit fragile. Do it when you have a tank so big its almost impossible to not have the most excellent water quality, and all the room they could possibly need.Its also handy to have a bit of experience with disease protocols and a good knowledge of the finer points of nutrition before you take them on.

Its just a friendly heads up.

OK! THanx 4 the advice LHG, and of course i dont take anything as an insult, unless it was one. I will refrain from getting harder-to-take-care-of fish until im older...............

PS-FYI< as in previous posts, you learned my dad is stubborn and persistent. He wont let me get a larger tank, unless i save up for it........ Oh well........

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