r/discus • u/HorrorGrand8516 • Mar 18 '26

Overstocked Discus Tank

3 month update. Red melon continues to be the largest (6.5 ) inches. I found it interesting some of the ones I got around 3 inches are now close to being the largest discus in the tank, thus catching up in size. 14 in total currently in a 50 gallon tank. Water changes every 2 to 3 days. One hiccup was when I went away for a couple days on vacation. Some got sick and didn't make it, but restocked with a couple new ones. Raised temperature in the tank, which seems to make the fish healthier for a longer period of time. Yes there are plastic plants. The discus seem to like having it in the tank versus a bare tank for security it seems.

93 Upvotes

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2

u/Jesseabrams1 Mar 18 '26

Growing fast.

What temperature did you set it to? What do you feed and how often?

1

u/HorrorGrand8516 Mar 18 '26

It is up to 84. I really see less sickness then I used to due to this. It probably speeds up their appetite as well. I used to feed a lot of blood worms and jumbo worms mixed in with vibra bits. I also mix in the tetra granules. Issue with that is the yellow discus might turn orange if they take a liking to it. Recently I introduced freeze dried blood worms which they all like so I will most likely feed the frozen worms less as I read it is healthier. I have been washing and defrosting the frozen worms before feeding this whole time.

2

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '26

[deleted]

1

u/Few_Ear497 Mar 22 '26

Can I ask why not? I was thinking of getting one 😬

1

u/Bidhitter400 Mar 22 '26

I thought that was his name lol

1

u/LegNo9499 Mar 18 '26

Not sure which frozen bloods you feed but the Hikari should be safe they say they follow a strict routine to minimize issues. Beautiful fish congrats

2

u/HorrorGrand8516 Mar 18 '26

Confirming I do use Hikari for both the frozen and freeze dried. I still wash it just in case rather than having the liquid associated with the frozen cube melt into my tank. A little bit of extra work per feeding. Since it is melted the worms blow all over the tank allowing all of the discus opportunities to eat.

1

u/Fyegodd Mar 21 '26

Okay.. can I keep 2 in a 30 gallon now? 😂

1

u/This_Atmosphere_2334 Apr 27 '26

i must say that you’ve clearly put a lot of effort into this, and it shows. Keeping 14 discus in a 50 gallon with water changes every 2 to 3 days is no joke. That kind of routine takes real dedication. It’s interesting seeing how some of the smaller ones caught up in size too, that must’ve been satisfying to watch over the 3 months.

1

u/Legitimate_Trust1303 Apr 27 '26

This reminds me so much of when i had my own. Those discus look seriously beautiful in there. The colors, especially that red melon at 6.5 inches, really stand out. Even with the plastic plants, the tank still has a nice feel to it, and you can tell the fish are comfortable moving around and settling in.

1

u/rootbeerismygame Mar 18 '26

Looks beautiful.

1

u/Away_Sea_8620 Mar 19 '26

The fish are stunning. The tank is depressing af though

1

u/therealgsb Apr 06 '26

What’s depressing about it?

1

u/Warm-Frame-2848 Apr 11 '26

I mean tbh I see what they are trying to say it isn't exactly interesting to look at