# How many discus?



## jack-rythm (26 Mar 2013)

I found this after hearing someone had 20 discus in a 500 litre tank..


	 Diskuszucht Stendker GmbH & Co. KGStocking rate & other fish


any views?
does this seem too many?


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## bridgey_c (26 Mar 2013)

I am no expert but I set up a 200l discus tank last year and I put up a few questions about the stendker stocking rates on other forums at the time.

The one thing I never fully appreciated about Discus is that the social heirachy is extremely important to them. As long as you are filtering efficiently the plus side to keeping them in a large group probably outweighs the lack of space /fish.

The stendker info went against everything I read in forums but if Amano said to alter your outflow position would you argue with him? lol...


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## Ed Seeley (27 Mar 2013)

Discus are reported to live at high densities during the dry season when the flooded areas dry out but when the rivers flood they move out into the shallows and then spawn and defend a space to breed.

With cichlids in captivity you can use high densities to reduce one-on-one aggression by spreading it amongst many fish - it is a trick used with Malawi mbuna.  However with substrate spawning fish you can't usually do this as they need space to spawn unlike mouthbreeding mbuna.  However discus (and any other substrate spawning fish that shoals at certain times of the year) could be kept like this and then seperated into seperate tanks for spawning once a pair forms.


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## Grumpy (28 Mar 2013)

Wow thanks!  I have just set up a new 200l tank with the intention of keeping discus and had in mind a group of six.  Like yourself, I read a few different books and every forum possible and was slowly coming to the conclusion I may have to reduce it to two.  Having just checked the Stendker site I can safely go back to my original plan and maybe even add a couple more   Interestingly the list of companion fish is in addition to the 10-12 discus.  I was also concerned about the number of companions I could add, not so now.

The 'boss' might have her own opinions though.  Looks like she'll be getting her way with the Gold Nuggets and Green Phantoms.


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