# Breeding Discus in 20gal.



## Cichlid Dude! (Mar 15, 2011)

Okay, I am not planning on getting discus in the near futer, but if I fail to successfully breed rams, discus would be one of my next choices. Is it possible to have a breeding pair in a 24L x 12W x 13 20gal. and sell the fry? I would get three silver-dollar sized discus in the 20 and when they I see two of them showing signs of pairing I'll sell the third at my fish club auction. Again, I am NOT getting discus any time soon. I would rather start with angelfish anyway. I just want to know if discus is an option. I would really appreciate replies. Thanks!


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

Good luck! I don't think discuss would like a 20...


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

You can spawn a 'mated pair' in a 20 gallon. But it isn't enough space to raise the fry to salable size. you'd likely need at least 1 more 55, more if the pair is prolific.


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

A 20 is actually the perfect size for breeding. Though if they're only half dollar size, they're not going to breed. Too young. Breeding discus is a tough challenge. I've had multiple egg layings but only one have hatched. If you're going to hatch the eggs, they need to be in soft acidic water, about 6.5 pH.


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## neeraj (Jun 13, 2011)

how to identify male and female??


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## neeraj (Jun 13, 2011)

chichlids are tough to sex i know but still any easy way


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

It's pretty much impossible for discus. Most males' dorsal fins come to a point at the end while female's are rounded. That's really the only way though except for when they're breeding. Males have a pointed papilla and females have a more stout one.


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## neeraj (Jun 13, 2011)

snyderguy can you confirm if this is accurate??


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

Sorry, if what is accurate? The sexing thing I mentioned? Yes, that's the only ways.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Well, that or an x-ray machine.
Discus are one of THE hardest fish to sex on the planet.


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## neeraj (Jun 13, 2011)

oops sorry i forgot to provide the link :
http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~davidr/discus/articles/sexingdiscus.html


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## Cichlid Dude! (Mar 15, 2011)

I could probably sell all but all of the fry at my aquarist club auction, keep a few 'till they are slightly larger, and then sell them to make even more money. The reason I would buy the discus at a young age would be to let them pair off. I could sell the "unpaired" discus to a local pet store and keep the pair. I also hate to mention the subject, but culling is also a possibility if I get overloaded with fry. I could also sell the adults and keep some babies for the 18 or 24 months until they reach sexual maturity. I would love to keep discus, but I don't have the experience yet. If I succeed with rams, I will feel much better about keeping these fish.


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

That link is fairly correct but not always the truth. None of my males have that pointed dorsal fin. Don't be afraid to keep discus though. The first batch you get is scary but they're not as difficult to keep as many think.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I would do the pairing off in a 55, though. All my club friends who get the discus bug end up dumping all their other fish because the discus keep needing "just one more" tank.


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## Cichlid Dude! (Mar 15, 2011)

Thank you snyderguy, TOS, neeraj, and emc7 for the awsome info! I really appreciate the help!


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

No problem


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## Hansolo (Sep 10, 2010)

For some reason my wife has had alot better luck raising discus than GBR. All the rams she bought never lasted more than a few weeks and always looked unhealthy. Her discus are thriving in the exact same water conditions the rams were dying in. We arnt experts but not idiots either. I think the whole discus are really hard to keep is a bit of exaggeration.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

the dimensions you give are for a 15 gallon tank and not a 20 gallon...forget it...
buy 5-7 young quality discus..there are a lot of good sellers on aquabid..larryp sells groups of 7 2" discus for $120 plus shipping..not a bad deal for his fish..
set them up in a 75 gallon tank and grow them out...84-88 degrees F....30-40% water changes 2-3 times a week...feed quality foods 3-4 times daily..feed a wide variety of foods...not too much frozen and live foods...this regimen will get them growing faster and will make sure that they are not too fussy about their diet...
when they pair off remove the pair and put them in nothing less than a 29 gallon tank..a 50 breeder would be perfect for them..it would give them plenty of room to raise their young...
you will want to encourage them to raise their fry...you can hatch the eggs and raise the fry yourself ; but it is not very easy to do.....feeding a special formula every 4 hours and doing 100% water changes 20 minutes after every feeding...not a lot of fun...


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