Lets be honest for a second. Keeping Discus is less in the manner of a hobby and more once a high-stakes attachment following a work of unquestionably expensive, extremely dramatic supermodels. Ive spent fifteen years staring at glass boxes, and if there is one thing Ive learned, its that these fishthe legendary Symphysodonwill locate any reason to break your heart. Usually, that explanation starts when the atmosphere they bring to life in. If you are asking whats the ideal aquarium volume for a theoretical of Discus, you arent just asking about numbers. Youre asking how much room a diva needs to breathe.

I remember my first attempt. I had a 40-gallon breeder. I thought, "Hey, I'm a pro, I can handle the water changes." I put five teenage Discus in there. Within three months, the "Alpha" of the group, a beautiful Pigeon Blood I named General Tso, had bullied the others into such a permit of play up that they stopped eating. It was a disaster. Why? Because I ignored the fundamental physics of Discus fish care.

Most old-school forums will say you the "ten gallons per fish tank size calculator" rule. Forget that. Its outdated. Its too simple. If you want a well-to-do school of Discus, you obsession to think about the ideal aquarium volume in terms of social dynamics and water stability. These fish are cichlids. They have attitudes.