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Discus Aquarium Fish

By Stokes; 19/05/2008: this article has been revised, the new version is here; see copyright information here

Introduction and general information


The Discus is a large cichlid from the Amazon River, its tributaries and flood planes, in South America. Discus and its variants were first described in 1840 by Dr. Heckel as Symphysodon discus, this name is now in use for the Heckel discus variant. The three "original" colour variants received their own name, the Green Discus Symphysodon aequifasciata aequifasciata, the brown discus Symphysodon aequifasciata axelrodi, and the blue variant Symphysodon aequifasciata haraldi.

Discus fish pictures - part 1


Discus aquarium, image 1 Discus aquarium, image 2 Discus aquarium, image 3 Discus aquarium, image 4 Discus aquarium, image 5 Discus aquarium, image 6 Discus aquarium, image 7

More and more people are choosing to keep Discus Aquarium Fish over other fish and care for it. By becoming more popular more money is going into the industry which assists the funding for research and the development of products and different strains of Discus Aquarium Fish.

The discus is a social fish and lives in large groups in their native waters, and has a very advanced social behaviour; they are one of the few real schooling cichlids. Remember to keep this in mind when starting care for discus; always purchase a group of animals. They need the social interaction to develop their character to its best potential.

Currently, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find the original colour variants in pet shops, only the Heckel is sometimes imported. Most of the discus fish you encounter today are captive bred colour variants. At this time the list of described colour variants is nearly endless. Some of the discus colour variants have lost their stripes and therefore their natural ability to communicate in the school. But as always these new variants are finding their way to the aquarium hobbyist quickly for exceptionally high prices and this will stimulate the breeders to try to find a new one. One of the advantages of the captive bred discus is that they are now much easier, not easy, to maintain as the imported ones. They are much more tolerant concerning water conditions.

It is getting increasingly easier to keep Discus Aquarium Fish with new technology to improve water quality and Discus Fish health which could be the cause of the rise in demand. New dealers and breeders are growing rapidly and even small aquatic shops are stocking a range of Discus.

They are beautiful but yet still remain a challenge to keep and breed with the later been very rewarding and will even pay for the hobby. Most people that keep Discus will at some stage want to breed them as it is a great experience.

This guide should give you the knowledge to be able to keep your Discus Aquarium Fish at a good standard and help you breed them without any big problems. Even if you’re a beginner this guide should be the only one you need.

Discus fish pictures - part 2


Discus Fish, img 1 Discus Fish, img 2 Discus Fish, img 3


The Tank


The very first question you should ask yourself is, “What size aquarium do I need?” This depends on your budget and the room you have in your home.

Size

If you are having a display tank I would recommend you host them in a tank no smaller than 120cm X 40cm X 50cm.
Discus Aquarium Fish do better in deep tanks and the more water the tank holds the more stable the water conditions tend to be. For a breeding tank a 48cm X 30cm X 30cm tank may be used which is adequate for its purpose.

Position

Discus Fish are very shy fish and tend to hide when they are not confident so keep the tank away from noisy and busy areas especially near door ways and halls. Keep away from direct sunlight and radiators as sunlight will cause algae and excess heat. The only other factor to take into consideration is the height of the tank, the higher up the better as Discus are phased by movement above and this may cause them undue stress.

Substrate

This depends on whether you are breeding your Discus Fish or displaying them. If you have a display tank I recommend you use finer gravel. If you are breeding recommend you have a bare bottom tank as it is easier to clean.

Plants

If you are going to have plants you can either use plastic plants or live plants. I personally don’t like or use plastic plants but it is down to your personal preference. Lately, silk plants have become all the rage and they look much more realistic than plastic, which would add to the aesthetics of the aquarium.

In a display tank you can now get a good Discus Fish plant selection by mail order, these plants tend to be cheaper and better than those you find in aquatic shops. In a breeding tank you may either leave them out or just have one or two potted plants in the tank.

Décor

You may wish to decorate the tank with rocks and driftwood. Driftwood is suitable for discus as their native waters often have roots and driftwood where they find shelter. Rocks should be checked for any metal ore and contaminants. Also try and keep rocks of a similar colour and texture, preferably from the same source, though a different piece adds nice contrast.

Sunken ships, no-fishing signs and plastic mermaids do not belong in a discus tank. Care meas something else than senseless decorating. Try and keep décor to a minimum, it will serve the tank both functionally and aesthetically.

Filtration

It is a well known fact that Discus Fish require excellent water quality, and a good filter is at the heart of this. Now there is not one type of filter that suits a Discus Aquarium best as different filters do different jobs and it just depends on what you need it for.

Types of filtration


There are basically three types of filtration these are:

1) Mechanical
2) Biological
3) Chemical.

Mechanical

This is the first stage of any filtration; the water is drawn or pumped through layers of material that removes any free floating debris from the water. This is important, as sediment will block the next stage of filtration rendering it useless. If the flow rate of your filter drops off then clean or replace the mechanical media immediately.

Biological

The heart of the filter, basically bacteria will live in this area of the filter, they convert the fishes waste, (ammonia) to nitrite and finally nitrate, thus creating a safe environment for your Discus. Porous materials such as ceramics feature in the form of noodles and chips. These have millions of pores in which beneficial bacteria crucial to the removal of ammonia and nitrite, reside and establish colonies. It is important to never clean the media in tap water. You should rinse the media in tank water from water changes, when it is required.

Chemical

The final stage of filtration is very much controlled by you, for various reasons you may wish to add carbon or peat to the filter, these filter media either absorb impurities, or alter the chemical balance of the water. This is usually topped off with a fine wool pad to polish the water as it returns to the aquarium.

Filtration Media

Filter media is the stuff that goes inside your filter mainly an external filter. It cleans the water and removes the harmful toxins from the water.

Mechanical Media

Any media will have mechanical capabilities, but the idea of dedicated mechanical media is that it protects the biological media from becoming clogged with debris. It usually tend to be sponges of some sort or the other. What ever you use it is best to use many layers to filter out the dirt. If maintained regularly then the mechanical media can washed out and re used several times, if left too long you will have to throw it away and replace with new media.

Biological Media

This is the heart of the filter and so long as you use sufficient pre filtration it is unnecessary to ever clean it. Biological filter bacteria live here, they colonize any nook, cranny or rough surface, so it goes without saying that the more surface area your media has the more bacteria will gather on it, thus improving the filtration process. Bacteria will cling to any surface from smooth gravel to the modern ceramic rings products which I use that offer massive surface areas. Ceramic rings products are available in any aquatic outlet and are highly recommended for any flow through filter. If at any stage the biological media does become clogged with muck, it is vitally important that it is washed in old tank water. Do not use tap water, you will kill all the friendly bacteria, which in turn leads to total filter failure, ammonia or nitrite poisoning and ultimately dead fish.

Chemical Media

It may at various times be necessary to add some activated carbon to your filter to remove medications or dyes from the water. Also you can use peat to soften the water, or perhaps Nitrate and Ammonia removing resins. Any chemical media should be last in line of the filtration process, and it is important to adhere to the instructions supplied as to the life span of these media, because some of them will let the toxins back into the water once exhausted.

Discus fish pictures - part 3


Discus Fish, img 4 Discus Fish, img 5


Types of filters to use


Display tanks

If you have a Discus Fish display aquarium, then I recommend you use an external canister filter as these will keep the water very clean and it will have one of the largest surface areas for biological filtration which will make sure the water quality is excellent. It will sit outside the tank and you should be able to get one to fit any tank.

Alternatively you could use a trickle filter but they tend to be quite expensive. You could also use an internal filter but make sure it doesn’t cause too much current as Discus do not like strong currents.

Breeding tanks

In a breeding tank it is important to keep things simple. For this reason I like to have bare bottom tanks with just a sponge filter. Many breeders recommend this method as it has been tested and worked for years. A corner filter may also be used. This will give you a bit more control over the water as you can add some peat etc. I would not recommend using an internal power filter as the fry once free swimming will get sucked in and die. A sponge filter can be picked up cheap and is run by an air pump. Once every week, squeeze the sponge in the tank water you’ve removed from doing a water change as this won’t kill the bacteria in it.

The Water

The quality of water in a Discus Aquarium is very important. Some even say it is the most important factor in keeping your Discus Aquarium Fish healthy and happy. Discus Aquarium Fish will thrive in the right water so it is essential to get it right.

pH

I do not recommend changing the pH as this is best left for someone with a background in chemistry. Discus that are tank bred usually do well in hard alkaline water too. Unless you acquire wild discus or the breeder or supplier’s water parameters are different from your local tap water, you may need to alter the pH. Even then small pH changes at a time, remember the pH scale is logarithmic, so a drop from 7 to 6 is actually reducing the pH by a factor of 10 and from 7 to 5 by 100.

Here is what the recommended pH is:
Display – 6.5 – 7.5
Breeding – 5.5 – 6.5
Growing On – 6.8 – 7.5

If you need to lower your pH you could use peat which is a great natural alternative which gradually decreases the pH.

Hardness

There are two types of hardness, general (GH) and carbonate (KH).

Discus fish pictures - part 4


Discus Fish, img 6 Discus Fish, img 7


These days more aquarium bred Discus are available and based on your locality and that of the breeder, you would have to change the hardness of your local water. I find it is best that the fish are acclimatized to local water over time, as this reduces their chance of suffering osmotic shock. One should try to avoid keeping them in very soft water, as purists would have you believe, as a lack of the minerals in the water contribute to HLLE (Head and Lateral Line Erosion) and poor growth in young discus growing on. To change your hardness you can again buy water treatments or to lower it you can use a reverse osmosis unit which will be covered soon. If your water is not too hard to begin with, you may consider filtering through peat filled in a nylon stocking placed in your filter.

Temperature

Discus Aquarium Fish generally require higher temperatures than other tropical fish and you should think about this when selecting plants and tank mates for them. To change temperature simply, adjust the heater’s dial in your aquarium. Having two heaters in some tanks just encase one does not function may be a good thing, though do not use a cheap heater as a malfunction could cost you dearly. Keep an eye on the temperature at least twice daily as part of your routine. A conventional thermometer is not recommended as I’ve found they may vary slightly, and are not precise. A digital thermometer is recommended for precision and accuracy. One should always ensure that the incoming water during a water change is approximately equal to the water in the tank, a slight variance within 1.5 degrees, as the discus can suffer temperature shock and this would bring on undue stress which could eventually lead to an outbreak of disease.

Below are the recommended temperatures for Discus Aquarium Fish tanks:

Display – 27.5 to 29°C
Breeding – 30 to 33°C
Growing On – 29 to 31°C

Water Preparation

If after testing your water you are happy that it fits the water chemistry required to keep Discus Fish you can do a couple of things. You can simply add a treatment like Tetra Aqua Safe which will take out chlorine, chloride and some metals. You can also use a heavy metal filter which will take out all heavy metals and make the water perfect. Or you can mix the two like I do to save on time and money If your water doesn’t match and you have poor water to start with, you will need to filter it through a Reverse Osmosis unit. These can cost a packet, but are worth it if you need them. This filtration process will remove a very high percentage of heavy metals, chlorine, pesticides, silica, nitrates and most of the Total Dissolved Solids, it will also lower the pH of freshwater. The product water, as with distilled water, on its own is unsuitable for Discus. The reason for this is that there are no salts in this water which would buffer any drops or peaks in pH. What you do is add to it a supplement containing electrolytes and salts, or some de-chlorinated tap water. Better still mix RO water with a percentage of water prepared with a HMA filter. The exact percentages to mix really are determined by your geographical location, but as a rule 75% RO to 25% tap is usually about right.

If you wish to breed Discus Aquarium Fish and to care for the fry you need a supply of very soft water, in order to keep the water very soft, i.e. less than 50 ppm; you use less tap water in the mix. But a word of warning, soft water is very unstable and must be changed daily to avoid pH crash.

Water changes

It is very important to change the water in your Discus Aquarium Fish tank on a regular basis, in a display tank I recommend around once or twice a week and with the later for breeding tanks and anything up to once a day for growing on tanks. I like to change in between 20-40% of the water in the tank but in the fish farms in the Far East they change 100% of the water once a day in the growing on tanks with great results. The reason for this is that discus like other fish, secrete a hormone into the water that inhibits their growth. This allows the fish to stay appropriately sized for the volume of water it is contained in. It is for this reason that wild specimens and those subjected to abundant water changes grow to such large sizes. When changing the water clean the bottom of the tank and suck up all of the debris on the tank floor but try and disturb the Discus Fish as least as possible. Once they feel more secure, you can clean aggressively, but do not cause them stress by being noisy about it, just remember that sounds are amplified in water as it is a much better conductor of sound and shock.

Discus fish pictures - part 5


Discus Fish, img 8 Discus Fish, img 9


Selecting Discus Aquarium Fish

Buying Discus Aquarium Fish shouldn’t really be any different to buying any other fish but it seems to cause most people worry and sleepless nights. I suppose it’s the money involved as not many other fish have the price tags Discus Fish carry.

Before buying Discus, you should have done your homework and know about the fish, water chemistry and how to care for it. This may seem like common sense but some people don’t even know what water the Discus Fish prefer. Most Discus Aquarium Fish keepers have this knowledge and the experience with other fish as they tend to keep other types of tropical fish before progressing on to the Discus Aquarium Fish. It is possible to keep Discus Fish without any experience but it isn’t really recommended. I know of many hobbyists who started out with discus simply because they were mystified by them. Needless to say, some have had bad experiences, their entire stocks wiped out within a week.

When it comes to choosing stock there are three sources of stock, these are firstly importers and dealers that only deal with Discus Fish, they tend to know a lot about the fish and have a good selection of different strains. Then there are pet shops which will normally only have a little selection of Discus Aquarium Fish and some times aren’t very good quality.

Lastly there are home breeders which are hobbyist who breed Discus Aquarium Fish, you can normally pick them up very cheap from home breeders but they tend to be small fish. I would recommend you get your Discus Aquarium Fish from an importer but look around and make your own decision.

What to look out for?

Some people will tell you to look for perfectly round bodies with small bright eyes and even though this is true there is simple more to it than that.

First you have to decide what colours you want, don’t worry too much about the names of these as they vary from source to source. Wherever you buy your fish from spends time watching them, and never buy on impulse. Only select Discus Aquarium Fish that are alert, bold and come to the front of the tank. Avoid fish that hang at the back and hide. Also avoid those that breathe heavily or out of one gill. Check for twisted mouths short gill covers, poorly shaped tails, odd or big eyes and any other genetic defects that might be down to poor breeding.

Talk to the dealer and ask him questions, ask if you can see the fish feed, most will let you. Healthy Discus will respond quickly to food. If the dealer declines, walk away. If he wants to sell the fish he will do this for you. Ask the dealer how long he’s had the fish, if less than 2 weeks be careful as they haven’t been quarantined long enough. Did he breed the fish or did he import them, if the later where from? Does he know if they have been subjected to any medications or de-wormed? These are all common questions which he should know the answer to and it will provide you with a good background as to the fish’s history and the dealer’s competence.

Take a look at the bottom of the tank, healthy Discus Fish pass feces regularly and their waste should be black. If you see signs of white or clear feces it is reasonable to consider that some of the fish have an internal problem such as intestinal worms, and so should best be left alone. Always ask what sort of water conditions the fish are in and if possible write it down. If they aren’t the same as yours go home and get them right. If you want the fish put a deposit down so the dealer will keep the fish for you and this also give you the opportunity to keep an eye on them for another week just to make sure they are healthy.

Try to get fish that are medium sized, adolescent so to speak. These are easier to adapt to new water conditions than larger fish, and don’t require frequent feeds as with young discus growing on.

Strains of Discus Aquarium Fish


There are plenty of strains of Discus Aquarium Fish available on the market now but all originate from the same species Symphysodon aequifasciatus. In the 80’s the Germans were the first to develop the blue varieties and other colours and varieties, but now east Asia develops some fascinating strains like Snow Whites, White Dragons, Pandas, which I am a particular fan of, as well as the Snakeskin, Thunder Flashes, Checkerboards etc.

New strains are been developed all the time and there is now getting a vast variety. However I would recommend the beginner stick’s to the classic strains like Red Turquoise and Blue turquoise, as these fish tend to be hardier and a little bit less fussy.

If you are buying young fish ask to see the parents or adult fish of that strain to make sure you know what you are getting. Most breeders or importers will be able to let you do this as they tend to stock the same strains of young and adults.

If you want a solid blue colour I recommend you go with the Blue Diamond or Cobalt Blue, and if you want a solid red then go with a Red Melon or Marlboro Red. If you want striped or patterned fish then go with snakeskin or pigeon bloods. There are also Tefe Greens which are recommended for advanced hobbyists, as well as Heckels and wild specimens, which should really be attempted by those individuals who have their hobby down to a science. Though keeping discus should not a scientific pursuit. Don’t forget to enjoy your hobby!

Discus fish pictures - part 6


Discus Fish, img 10 Discus Fish, img 11


Tank Mates

So what should you keep with your Discus Fish? Different keepers have totally different opinions on this subject but here is my opinion.

In a breeding tank you should only keep Discus Fish and I strongly recommend you keep nothing else in there with them. Some people like to keep plecs and other sucker-mouth catfish, but I’ve had problems with them latching on and sucking to the Discus Aquarium Fish’s mucus covering. Algae eaters are also notorious for this.

However if you have a display tank then you want to make it look nice and have more than just Discus Aquarium Fish, I recommend you have a large shoal of small tetras like neon’s, cardinals and rummy noses. You can keep any peaceful, slow moving fish with discus, so long as they don’t dominate or out compete discus for food and space.

I believe that the Discus Aquarium should be geared toward keeping discus and other species generally do not require the dedication and water that discus need.

Some people have kept Discus Aquarium Fish together with angel fish, but other keepers would disagree with doing this for good reason. Angels can pass on disease to Discus Aquarium Fish and angels can grow large and bully Discus so take this into consideration when you’re planning your tank.

Rams are also a favorite to keep with Discus Aquarium Fish. I’ve had success with dwarf gouramis as well as pearls, though the blue and golden gouramis are bullies and should be avoided. When you get young Discus Aquarium Fish make sure you get a shoal as like other fish they need the security of a shoal around them.

I personally keep discus in a community tank, and I have had success with many different species, these have adapted to the warmer water and do not offer any direct competition to the discus.

The Diet

Discus Aquarium Fish should be fed a varied, vitamin and protein rich diet. This is why it is important to feed them different foods and not just stick to one.

Flake

Any top brand fish flake will provide your fish with a complete diet. Discus Fish prefer their food mid water to bottom so soak and squeeze the flake food first.

Brine shrimp

Discus Aquarium Fish love frozen brine shrimp, defrost and rinse it before feeding it. The carotene will enhance the Discus Fish’s colors, and also serves to keep them in good overall condition.

Bloodworm

Definitely the staple of fish foods, very much a favourite but use only frozen irradiated worms as there is less chance of it having parasite’s in it. I feed mine bloodworm once daily.

Granular and Freeze Dried

Loads to choose from, all good for Discus. Stick to brand names for quality control. Tetra Bits are quite the favourite. Low quality food can cause bloating as the food absorbs water and expands, which could lead to constipation.

Live food - The health risks with live food far out weigh the benefits and with the menu above why take the risk. Stick to live brine shrimp and bloodworms from a good source.

As a rule, rather feed less, if you’re not sure. Discus Fish are grazers and pick at their food slowly, so allow them five to ten minutes to eat well.

Information about Discus Diseases and Medications

One thing I have learnt by keeping Discus is that they don’t usually just die for "no reason". In most cases there is some sign that something is wrong. When I ignored these signs, I lost precious fish. Some of the diseases and parasites I have encountered are described below.

Hole in the Head Syndrome

This is a disease often associated with Discus, but it also affects Geophagus species, Uaru amphiacanthoides and Astronotus ocellatus. If treated correctly it need not be a problem. I left untreated, it can cause permanent scarring and even death. The most important treatment is heat treatment. Over a couple of days raise the temperature from 30C to 36C. Additional aeration will be required to ensure adequate oxygen supply. This temperature must be maintained for 8 to 10 days for full recovery, however, the temperature must be dropped if the fish goes into stress. In addition to heat, the fish can be given Flagyl (Metronidazole) orally once every three days for the duration of the heat treatment. See next paragraph for the method.

Internal parasites

Internal parasites in the gut can be assumed, if the fish becomes emaciated or produces white, jelly-like faeces. I have no idea of what species of parasites are infecting our fish, but in most cases heat treatment (as for Hole-In-The-Head Syndrome) and Flagyl given orally cures the fish. To treat the fish, assuming the fish is still eating, soak some live blood worms or black mosquito larvae in a solution of 10 ml of liquid Flagyl to 200 ml of water for about one hour. Then feed the worms or wrigglers to the fish. This treatment can be repeated every 2 to 3 days for 10 days. If the fish is not eating, then the job is a little more difficult. I have had success by removing the fish from the water and placing it on a wet towel and injecting (using a syringe without needle) the medication down its throat. I use a 2 ml syringe and a mixture of 1 part liquid Flagyl, 2 parts of Liquifry (to try and get the fish’s strength up) and 3 parts water. Before returning the fish to the tank wait for the fish to swallow. It is normal for excess medication to be expelled from the fishes gills and mouth. This treatment can be done twice a day, until the fish shows signs of recovery. The treatment of non-eating fish is not always successful.

External parasites

External parasites come in many types and I am unsure of exact species. However, I have found by symptoms, that there are differences and different medications are required. Basically I have two main medications for use for external parasites.

* Jungle Labs Parasite clear which I use for fish that are scratching themselves on objects in the tank. I believe this to be skin fluke and use this drug for anything I feel requires mild treatment. Dosage is one tablet for every 40 litres of tank water, repeating two weeks thereafter.

Gill fluke

Gill fluke is a common disease in Discus and is worth mentioning separately to other external parasites. In adult Discus, it is usually associated with heavy breathing, however, in fry it causes much greater problems. When young Discus get to around 10 cent piece size, gill fluke may become a problem. The parents carry gill flukes in small amounts all the time and if the parents are left with the babies too long, after free-swimming, then the parents can pass them on to the babies. The classic symptoms are heavy breathing, and erratic swimming as though the fish has been bitten on the gill by something inside. This can be accompanied by a spasm and sudden paralysis resulting in the fish sinking motionless to the bottom. This condition seems to be brought on by overcrowding and high feeding rates associated with raising the fry, and can be avoided sometimes by spreading the fry out as they grow.

Bacterial infections

Bacterial infections can strike Discus the same as any other fish and I have found that two medications are good.

* The best is Chloromycetin and comes in powder form. The dosage is one teaspoon to 100 litres of water. It is always fast acting and some improvement should be noticed in 8 hours if it is going to work for that condition. A second dose after two days may be needed, but there is no need to remove the previous dose as it dissipates out after 12 hours. It is important to store Chloromycetin absolutely dry and away from light.

* The other medication is Oxolinic Acid. A stock solution of half a gram of the powder in 500 ml of de-ionised water can be made up and stored. The dosage is 1 ml of the stock solution to 10 litres of tank water. This treatment is only effective on some types of infections.

White Spot and Velvet Disease

These two diseases are rare in Discus due to the high water temperature (30°C) they are kept at. But if you do happen to get these parasites then heat treatment will cure it without drugs. White spot is treated with 34°C for 10 days, whereas Velvet Disease is treated for 2 days. Heat treatment can cure many problems, because most parasites can’t withstand high temperatures. Another parasite, which is also treated with heat, is Costia: 33°C - 34°C for 4 days.

Where to obtain these medications
* Flagyl in suspension (liquid Flagyl) is a prescription drug from the chemist. A prescription can be obtained from a veterinarian, if required.
* Para-Ex is made by Wardleys and is available from aquarium shops.
* Chloromycetin, can be obtained in capsule form from some chemists of veterinarians and some aquarium shops.
* Oxolinic acid can be obtained through a chemist from chemical supply houses.

Precautions

When heat treatment is used, use a separate low wattage externally adjustable heater and keep a careful eye on the temperature as often as possible. Make adjustments only if someone is home for a few hours after the adjustment, to minimise the risk of "cooking" your fish. When administering medications, calculate the tank capacity accurately to avoid overdosing. A good method is to take the internal dimensions in centimeters and multiply the length by width by height to the water line divided by 1000.

Copyright


This article uses some content from aquarticles. However, this article is based upon personal experiences of Rahim Irfaan. All pictures available on this page can be used on aqua-fish.net only since they are in our own ownership. You are not allowed to copy, redistribute or use any written part of this article without permission of aquarticles and aqua-fish.net in case that you’ll use content which is not available in the original document at aquarticles. You are not allowed to use pictures from this page without asking us. If you have any questions point them here.

Original author: Peter Gallagher.

First published in the Cichlid Circular, New South Wales Cichlid Society, Australia. November 1990

Other interesting reading about Discus fish


This page has been rewritten several times in order to give readers the perfect insight on raising Discus fish, however you’re also welcome to read the comments below; Experiences and real examples, problems of fishkeepers are often better than any article! Apart from information that can be found within Aqua-Fish.Net, feel free to visit the following websites, they’re worth it; Green Discus @ Animal-World.Com, Heckel Discus @ Animal-World.Com, Cichlids - Discus, Waroo @ Fish.Mongabay.Com, Discus Fish Picture Photo Gallery @ RockyMountainDiscus.Com, Discus Fish - Symphysodon aequifasciatus @ FishLore.Com, Discus Fish @ AquaticCommunity.Com. If any of the links doesn’t work, let us know, please.

123 comment(s)

jhamil on February 25, 2009, 12:45 am wrote
Great article! Thank you for the info. May I use peat after the ceramic filtration? I heard that peat will turn the water yellow, can carbon remove the tint?
Answer by admin: Peat can be used after ceramic rings/filtration. Carbon won’t remove yellowish colours. At least it won’t remove 100% of yellow/brown colour.
onecr8zeeman on April 10, 2009, 12:54 am wrote
I just changed my discus tank over from plastic plants to real plants and my discus fish have seemed to calmed down a little, I change the water 25% every week but my fish always seem to be stressed , my water temp is 83 deg but I can’t seem to get any eggs to hatch, I have mating pairs but I just get eggs and after a few days the eggs are gone. Is their anything I can do for both the stress and mating tips? Thanks, John
Answer by admin: If you try adding Sodium Bicarbonate instead of changing the water, fish should feel more comfortable. Also, I think that the carbonate hardness is too low as you mentioned that eggs are laid, but don’t hatch. Sodium Bicarbonate increases the KH immediately. Good luck!
MLW on May 27, 2009, 5:53 am wrote
John, Not sure what KH has to do with the eggs hatching. My experience has been one of three things. It could be an immature or sterile male. It could be you have two females (they sometimes pair off, my birds also did this) or you could have an immature pair. In the case of an immature pair the eggs are usually eaten immediately. If the eggs aren’t fertilized and don’t develop they get eaten. If the pair is not a true bonded pair that was allowed to develop naturally they may also eat the eggs. Possibly adding another couple of discus to the mix and seeing who pairs off with who may solve your problem.
Moiibul Haque on June 13, 2009, 8:34 pm wrote
Could you please let me know how to treat discuss paluge? Thanks, Moiibul Haque
Discus Plague is a disease that can occur very quickly and wipe all of your stock out in a matter of days, it will bring secondary infections to the fish and it is very difficult to treat if not almost impossible. The only known treatment that has had any success is adding potassium permanganate to a quarantine tank but this can kill the fish if the treatment is too strong. You need to mix 1 teaspoon to a gallon of water but wear gloves and keep it away from your eyes as it can damage them. Only keep the discus in there for 2-3 minutes no longer and then put them back into the main tank.
sanju maity on October 21, 2009, 4:49 pm wrote
Hi , I do have a 2.5ft fish tank and having only 4 discus fish in it. Can I keep more discus in it? In that tank I have fitted a top filter and one bubble filter in it, is there anything else I should put to keep my fish good and healthy? Thank you.
Answer: You mentioned only one dimension, so it’s hard to tell anything regarding number of fish. However, if length is 2.5 feet, then most likely other dimensions are good enough as well. Keeping 4 specimens sounds like a good decision, especially when I consider their size in adult age. Anything about how to keep quality of water at suitable levels is already discussed on this website. Just read other articles, please.
Patrick on November 18, 2009, 8:58 am wrote
Quick Question, I have had a 30 gallon tank for about 3 years now. I love my tank and feel that I am ready to try some Discus. I love the look and the way they interact in the tank. The only problem is that I already have other fish in the aquarium that I have grown to love and don’t want to mess up the good thing that I have going. I have 3 clown loaches and a Kissing Gourami. I was wondering if it would be alright to add some Discus? and if yes, what kind would you recommend?
Answer: I don’t recommend you to put Discus into your aquarium as Discus may get really big and 30 gallons isn’t enough for an adult specimen.
NIMS on December 2, 2009, 1:50 pm wrote
I want to breed fishes in aquarium and want to make money, please suggest how I can make money with this profession.
Answer: You have to make sure that there is demand. Determine which fish are the most popular ones in your area and then start buying aquariums, equipment and fish that you’ll breed. If demand for species that you breed remains, you can open a store. Or you can breed species that are hard to reproduce and offer them in local shops. This can work without investing much into equipment. In my experience adult Discus specimens can be sold for reasonable amounts.
Murali on December 15, 2009, 1:42 am wrote
Excellently briefed. Still I have a query..... I have an aquarium of 3.5ft X 2ft X 2ft height in which I have tiger cat, silver shark, sea angel, silver dollar, kissing gourami, tinfoil barb, yellow shivram, golden barb, rainbow shark, albino shark... Now can I add discuss pair in this aquarium? Second.. I have 6ft X 2ft X 2ft height in which I have silver arowana, 4 oscars. Can I add discuss pair in that? Please help me...
Answer: The answer on both questions is NO! In fact, you keep too many fish in your aquarium, they will outgrow the aquariums soon!
Andrew on December 26, 2009, 5:42 pm wrote
Discus Fish Secrets is a complete scam and should not be allowed to advertise on this page. The "so called book" is a few pages of of poorly written material in a black and white only MS Word document. After paying for the rubbish I have not been able to get the web site to respond to me - although I am having some success in locating where they are.
Comment: Since people didn’t want to donate and support this website, we must rely on AdSense ads and thus people may find various sites advertising here. Unfortunately, we’re not responsible for content behind advertised links.
jaiman on January 29, 2010, 6:02 pm wrote
Hi. I was looking at buying a couple of discus. I’ve already got two pearl gouramis, 1 blue and 1 yelow gourami, 3 butterfly rams and one platy. So will it be alright to add the discus?
Answer: Without knowing anything about size of your aquarium it is impossible to tell if a discus or more are suitable for your fish tank. Bear in mind that Discus need aquariums that are really high. Additionally Discus fish require a lot of space. Lastly, water parameters should be checked and compared to newcomers’ requirements before introducing them inside.
Soniya on January 31, 2010, 4:03 am wrote
Hi, I recently got 2 discus (blue spotted) and 2 black Ghost Knife fish. The dealer said they would get along as they were in the same tank. I need to know how much to feed them. Discus is 1.5" and black ghost’s are 3". Need more tips so that they can live happily. Thanks!
Answer: Feeding is easy; Give them the amount that can be eaten in 5 minutes. Once day or twice a day is enough.
Soniya on February 5, 2010, 2:05 pm wrote
I have a pair of Discus and a pair of Black ghosts. However, when I feed them, the black ghosts come up and eat, but the Discus are shy and are always down. How do I feed them?
Answer: You can drop the food to more parts of the aquarium. One place for black ghosts, another for discus. Alternatively you can use a divider just during feeding, but I would rather choose the first option.
sanjay on February 6, 2010, 7:24 pm wrote
Hi. I have 2 discus; one completely yellow and I used to have a red and black with stripes, but the problem was the yellow discus kept chasing round the other one, I changed it with a friend for a red and blue with stripes and the same thing happened, do you know whats causing the problem?
Answer: Most likely they’re males and it’s all about dominance. Bigger aquarium or more plants, both options should help you to get rid of this behaviour.
garrett on February 13, 2010, 1:12 pm wrote
Hello, I have a 140 gal. aquarium that is thin but very long and tall. How many discus would you suggest for me to invest in? And should I buy them young and raise them together? Thanks!
Answer: 10 specimens would be fine for such an aquarium. Eventually you could try up to 15, but in my opinion 10 would be much better. If you buy juvenile specimens, some may die until they reach adult age. I’d go this way though. Buying adult specimens would be too expensive in comparison to raising juveniles.
mac on February 15, 2010, 9:11 pm wrote
I have a 22 gallon tank. I’m planning to put discuss in it. It’s dimensions are 153cm X 14cm X 38cm. Have a large piece of Barb Malaysian wood inside. There’s an internal filter with activated carbon and peat. The water has turned yellow. How can I solve this problem? Is this tank okay for keeping discus?
Answer: The tank’s dimensions aren’t OK for discus. The 153cm dimension would be OK, but the rest are insufficient. The water turned yellow perhaps because of wood. It’s what happens all the time and only stronger filtration (usually external one) may help you to get rid of yellowness, but surely not all of it.
mac on February 18, 2010, 5:56 pm wrote
I bought 2 pairs of discus. 1.5" each. I got them 2 days back and they are just staying in the corner of the tank without eating, they were fine at the pet store. The temperature is fixed at 28C. What should I do to relieve the stress?
Answer: It is important to offer them a safe place to live which means everything from proper background (dark colours are not recommended), plants, no strong water flow, and feeding what they like the most. In most cases people face the problem with background if fish behave like in your case.
ash on February 21, 2010, 5:01 pm wrote
Hi, I have a tank size 2 ft X 1ft X 1ft. I want to put discus in it. Is it OK to put discus in it? And if yes, how many will be comfortable?
Answer: No, it’s not OK to keep Discus in such a tank. It would be too small for an adult specimen.
Roger Emsley on February 22, 2010, 12:47 am wrote
Please comment on the best lighting for discus. Also I have seen duck weed on the surface of discus tanks to produce a diffused illumination. Is this a good thing to do as it seems that there would be a potential for filter clogging.
Answer: Not sure what you mean by best lighting. Lighting is primarily for plants, fish will be OK with normal daylight. You can select this or that depending on what colours you prefer. Regarding duckweed: It doesn’t use to clog filters. It’s my own experience.
Sam on February 25, 2010, 11:08 am wrote
My friend breeds discus and I am interested in trying to breed them too. Would a 92cm x 31cm x 56cm be OK? In the tank there is also three hatchetfish and three tetras, but they can be easily moved to one of my other tanks. If yes, then how many fish would I be able to keep in that tank?
Answer: If your aquarium is 56 cm tall, then it is possible to keep Discus in there. I would recommend keeping them alone, and the best option is keeping a pair only.
melissa on March 2, 2010, 7:08 pm wrote
Hi, I have discus fish. Why are they not swimming around much in my tank, they always seem to stay in the one place near the pump. I have an 180 liters tank for them.
Answer: Often fish feel unsafe or think that the tank is not entertaining enough. Find out which out of these two options apply to your case and fix the problem. Security and feeling safe is easy to fix; Changing the background, lowering the speed of water flow, adding more driftwood or rocks, caves will help for sure. Making a tank a more entertaining place is often hard and requires trying. Adding objects and perhaps other inhabitants should do it.
tai nguyen on March 7, 2010, 4:33 pm wrote
The topic above said in the east they do water change of 100% every day, I wonder that way will not have any cycle bacteria in the new water, how can the fish survive?
Answer: Firstly, nitrification bacteria can be added into the water easily; one can buy "bacteria starter kits". Secondly, fish will survive without nitrification bacteria if the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates levels don’t exceed particular levels.
jonjon on March 9, 2010, 2:40 pm wrote
How old or big before they start pairing?
Answer: I have been asked this question many times, all of the Discus that I kept started to show an interest in mating when they reached the size of 4 inches in body length with out measuring the tail. Age wise it was probably at about 9-12 months. Discus will only pair when they are ready and sometimes certain specimens never showed any interest at all. If you are trying to get a pair then it is best to purchase a group of juveniles and grow them on together, if you wish to breed take the paired fish into a separate breeding tank so that they don’t get disturbed. [answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
susan on March 11, 2010, 11:07 pm wrote
My discus has little brown spots on him, is this from stress? He seems happy enough, but I am a bit worried as I don’t want to lose him. He is in a 6 foot tank with 8 other fish. None of them picks on him or chase him around. The pH is around 7,3 and I am finding it difficult to drop it. Can you help or tell me what the little brown spots may be? (I have had him for about 3 months now)
Answer: The brown spots that you describe are common with Discus and are known as “peppering”. With some strains of Discus this is more common and does not affect the health of the fish. They can appear more if the fish is stressed or if it is ready to mate. Is your Discus the only one in the tank as they should be kept in groups of at least 6, you didn’t mention which other fish you are keeping. [answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
Steve-o on March 26, 2010, 4:11 am wrote
I came up on a 16x18x60, 75 gal recently and wanted to go for a planted discus setup. What type/strength of light should I be looking for and which plants would be sweet and low maintenance?
Answer: Between 88 and 134 Watts of lighting. Type is up to you, just make sure it’s beneficial for plants. Anubias is a good plant and doesn’t require often maintenance, additionally it can be sold at a very reasonable price later when it starts outgrowing your aquarium.
lawrence on March 30, 2010, 1:21 am wrote
Hi, I have a 55 gallon tank, approx. 48 cm x 12 cm x 18 cm. Is it OK to keep 5-6 discus in there? Or is it even OK to keep discus?
Answer: Even one discus specimen will outgrow 12 or 18 cm, whichever is height. If you went through the article from A to Z, then you’d find information about recommended sizes of aquariums.
melanie on March 31, 2010, 8:53 am wrote
I own a few discus fish. Even though they are beautiful, they fight all the time till one fish dies. Then the just alike, the next fish and start the fighting all over. I have now lost two fish and still have five left. My tank may be too small, it holds 75 liter of water. The fish are still small.
terri hopkins on April 26, 2010, 9:21 am wrote
My son is hooked on discus fish and we have a selection, 2 have just paired and we have a newly hatched family. I would like to purchase a book for him and he is asking for one by Andrew Soh called the naked truth, but I can only find it on a website and not sold via Amazon etc. Can you advise me on whether it is good or if you have any other recommendations? Thanks.
Answer: Googleing a little and found a couple of reviews where people recommend this book. However, it is not my own experience. If you can’t find it on Amazon, try ebay. I found some already :) .
Mick Hargreaves on April 30, 2010, 5:03 pm wrote
I have a standard 3 foot tank with 3 banded rainbowfish, 3 dwarf neon rainbowfish, a dozen or so cardinal and neon tetras, 2 pearl gouramis. I also plan a pair of blue rams for this tank. A bloke at my local fish shop told me that I could easily house a pair of discus in there with regular water change, but I am a bit doubtful. Any advice?
Answer: I don’t think it’s going to cause problems as long as your aquarium is big enough. Even regular water changes aren’t that necessary if the filtration is good enough. Just buy juveniles in order to make them all "friends", so that Discus won’t consider Tetras as food.
paul markey on May 2, 2010, 10:56 am wrote
I would like to keep discus , I have 9 German rams, 2 angles. They all get on grand in my 200 l tank, but my pH is 7.4. Can discus be compatible with rams and my pH level?
Answer: There should be no problem regarding Rams or pH of 7.4 .
Dennis Weber on May 2, 2010, 2:49 pm wrote
I am setting up a discus tank and while it is my second one (it has been about 10 years) I have gotten the driftwood and a couple show type rocks for the 46 gal bowfront. Question is ~ Is it safe to put any type of Quartz slices in the tank for the fish or does quartz have something in it that would harm the fish? Thanks!!!
Answer: It is safe if: Some aquarists say that it should be boiled first, which is a good idea. Some say that it should have no metal signs on it as these metals may be dangerous.
Jen on May 8, 2010, 10:35 pm wrote
Interested in keeping a couple of discus in a community tank 125 liters 53 x 61 x 34 cm, is the tank big enough? I have a ghost knife already and some tetras, I assume the ghosty will be OK with discus?
Answer: The ghost knifefish should be OK with Discus, but I think that the tank is too small for Discus fish. Especially 34 cm which I suppose is height.
Kym on May 30, 2010, 9:15 am wrote
Hi, I was wondering if you could help me. I own 7 discus and one of them wasn’t doing so well. He lays on his side in the bottom of the tank curled up and his tail was closed in instead of fanned out, he wasn’t eating for 2 days and this morning I woke up and he is swimming around and eating. My question is, do they shed? Because there was this white stuff on his tail and it looked like he was shedding. His tail is now fanning out as well. (all the others are healthy and swim up to eat out of my hand) They are 6-7 cm.
Answer: Discus are very strange fish, they seem to pick up any disease or virus going and at times may look really poorly for no reason at all. It certainly sounds like your Discus has snapped out of whatever was bothering it; it may have even been in a mood, this does happen. They do sometimes shed their mucus if under the weather; it may be worth adding some stress coat to the water to help replace the mucus that has been lost. [answered by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
joshua on June 7, 2010, 2:16 am wrote
Hey, I’m starting a new tank. I’m pretty experienced at raising fish such as my favorites, angelfish. I also got them to breed successfully. I want to try discus now. I had them before but due to the hurricane that hit Houston I did not have electricity and thus killed my discus. I did not have them for long. Maybe three weeks. Anyways, I have a new tank. I’m pretty sure the parameters are enough. They’re 3ft long, 1 1/2 inches wide and 2 ft tall, I believe it’s a 70 gallon. Is this enough? How many discus could be put comfortably? And what about tank mates? I have a brand new cascade 1000 canister filter that I’m going to hook up to a maxi-jet 1200. This should increase the gph of the canister filter making it much more efficient at cleaning the aquarium. I just need so more advice. Thank you.
Answer: Your tank is the perfect size for keeping Discus fish but do not add them first. They need to be added to a mature set up that has been running for at least 3 months. I always kept Discus with Corydoras, Bristlenose Plecs and Cardinal Tetras; Neon Tetras could be seen as food. Ideally Discus should be kept in small groups of at least 6 specimens, add them last to the tank and all at the same time, buy the largest Discus that you can afford as they will settle quicker. [answered by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
joe on June 8, 2010, 1:13 pm wrote
One of my discus is harassing the other endlessly. They are both new fish. Will this stop in time?
Answer: Yes, if your aquarium is big enough for two of them.
Adam West on June 15, 2010, 3:30 pm wrote
Awesome advice, I’m new to discus raising and picked up 6 Blue Turquoise at the size of a pea 1-2 months ago. Followed this advice and they are already 2’’ in diameter, coloring up very nicely and very lively. pH is 7.1-7.4, good advice!
Andrew on June 15, 2010, 9:28 pm wrote
Hi, great info. I have just bought 2 discus medium size. They are with some rummy nose, rainbows, pearl gourami, clown loaches. In a 400l tank. I am really worried, one of them is breathing really fast and won’t eat. The other one seems to be fine and is eating flake, bloodworms, discus pellets. Please, help me, they are my babies.
Answer: Keeping 2 discus in the tank will create problems, they do much better when kept in small groups of 6 at least. Your tank is large enough for this. Clown Loaches can also unsettle the Discus as they are very active and this prevents the Discus from settling properly. [answered by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
evaine on June 17, 2010, 1:19 pm wrote
I have a pair of discus who have bred in a community tank. The eggs have hatched but as soon as they are free swimming their tank mates gobbled them up. I have moved the discus to another tank, but now they won’t lay eggs. Any suggestions on what to do?
Answer: Feed them earthworms, change a bucket of water daily, lower the temperature by 1°C or 2°C. This should stimulate them.
Hilal Bsat on June 19, 2010, 7:55 am wrote
What about wood? Do I have to put one to color the water and to let my discus fish feel better as I read on other sites?
Answer: Driftwood is very beneficial in a Discus tank. Moreover, I can’t imagine an aquarium without driftwood! :)
paul jowett on June 20, 2010, 6:22 am wrote
Hi, I am going on holiday for 1 week and I have 2 discuss fish. Can you please tell me what to buy to feed them on while I am away? Thanks!
Answer: Granulated food for Discus. Use an automatic feeder. Additionally you can introduce some Guppy or other livebearer fish (a pair) who will produce newborns; Newborns can be eaten if fish feel hungry.
mas on July 6, 2010, 5:53 am wrote
I have dalmatians golden pristella tetra, danios, neon tetra, rose line shark, rummynose tetra, siamese fighting, white fin rosy tetra. Can I keep discus in the same tank? It’s 1800 x 600 x 660.
Answer: Yes, however I would rather keep Discus in a species tank.
Greg on July 6, 2010, 2:44 pm wrote
Nice site--thank you for sharing your knowledge. I’ve got a 75 gallon tank that I’m about to clear out. I’m debating between Rainbows, Angels and Discus. You gave me a lot to consider as I plan!
Sammie on July 12, 2010, 4:09 pm wrote
I bought a juvenile Discus and at the store he was a very beautiful green. The brightest one in the tank. I pointed him out and watched at the employee at the fish store scooped him up and bagged him up for me. Once I got home I adjusted him and he hid for a while in my tank. Now that he hes come out he’s blue! Really blue! And the front of his head it purple! What happened to my green Discus? How could he be green when I bought him and then blue when I got him home?
Answer: Isn’t that just because of different lighting? Depending on the light spectrum the colours may look differently. Also it’s possible that the fish changed colour just because it’s in new environment. Different pH, hardness, decorations... These aspects affect colouration too.
shayne on July 14, 2010, 6:07 am wrote
Hi, I have always wanted to keep discus. I have a 400+ liter aquarium, I have 2 large silver sharks, 1 dwarf gourami a small anglefish and about 8 neon tetras. I was wondering if discus would live happily with these fish.
Answer: If the tetras, gourami and angelfish are unharmed by sharks, then it is OK to add discus into such a tank as well. Just ensure that the water parameters are acceptable for each species.
Bob on July 15, 2010, 10:39 am wrote
Hey, I want to get 1 discus because my tank isn’t very big, so can I get one or do I have to get two?
Answer: As long as your aquarium is of 100 liters at least, it’s OK to keep Discus in there. Two will be OK. If your aquarium is smaller, or if height isn’t 50 cm or more, forget about keeping Discus fish.
Hadi on July 22, 2010, 7:24 pm wrote
Hi, can you tell me if I can mix the Discus with other fish? If possible, what kind of fish can I mix with them, I have a small gold fish, can I mix it with the Discus? Thanks!
Answer: Yes, Discus can be kept with other species, especially with those that originate from South America. Angelfish, plenty of Tetra species, Corydoras species, plenty of catfish species. Just make sure they’re all peaceful. A goldfish isn’t recommended as they produce a lot of excrements and requires different water conditions. Do a search in our fish database (see the menu at top/right) and you’ll find most suitable tank mates for your Discus.
Aj on July 30, 2010, 5:32 am wrote
Do discus fish need to be housed in a group? I have one at the moment and he seems to be happy. He (we think that it’s a he) is quite young and about 8 cm long.
Answer: A group isn’t necessarily required, however Discus, just like many other fish, are social species. This should be always taken into consideration. If your aquarium is big enough for keeping more Discus fish, go ahead and get him some company. If you’re not sure, rather don’t overcrowd the tank.
Sardonicus on July 30, 2010, 10:44 pm wrote
This has to be about the best guide I’ve found on the internet yet! Thanks for a great article!
Tucker on August 1, 2010, 3:28 pm wrote
Hey, I want to get 3 discus, because I only have a tank that is 90 cm long and 59 cm high, is 3 discus good or do I have to get 5? I will get cardinal tetras as well, and clown loaches.
Answer: 3 seems just fine.
gaz on August 2, 2010, 9:43 am wrote
What is the best way to successfully transport live discuss between aquariums?
Answer: In a bucket; Water should be taken from the original aquarium and one must ensure that the temperature won’t vary a lot!
kelly on August 2, 2010, 10:35 am wrote
I have 3 beautiful discus; 2 red melons and 1 pigeon blood, the temperature is good, the pH is perfect, the water is changed partially every 3 weeks, but I have a discolouration problem happening with the pigeon blood. When first purchased he was beautiful, not a mark on him. Now he has a fine peppering of black all over his body. What causes this? What can I do to reverse this effect?
If your pigeon Discus is peppering there may be a water quality issue. Changing the water once every three weeks is not enough, it really needs changing twice a week, 10% each time. Discus really need to be kept in groups of at least six specimens as they are a natural shoaling fish. [answered by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
Una on August 2, 2010, 7:45 pm wrote
Hey, do I have have to do a water change twice a week with 3 discus? I will have two filters so the water will be really clean. Thanks!
Answers: There are two approaches; Clean as often as possible and prevent the water from being inadequate to fish’ requirements, or clean when things aren’t perfect. In the second case it’s up to you to perform water tests. Once at least one test shows inadequate water parameters (ammonia, hardness, anything else), do a water change. I recommend you the second approach. Perform the tests once a week.
AK on August 3, 2010, 7:30 am wrote
Hi, I have six discus about 3" along with 8 Angles having same size in 110 G tank. All fish are OK but discus always gets some thing on his tail that ultimately breaks the tail for a few days and then it seems OK. All discus are eating fine, enjoy planted tank. Water pH is 7.2 and hardness is 300 PPM. Please suggest what is wrong in the tanks that makes discus fish tail ugly. I change 30% of tank water every after 2 days.
Keeping Angelfish with Discus is always a bit risky, I can see two main problems here. Discus need to be kept in groups of at least six specimens, they are a natural shoaling fish and do not like to be kept in small numbers. If the tails of the Discus are not showing any signs of fungus then something is nibbling at them and my guess is that the Angelfish are to blame. [answered by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
Thanks for the reply of my last query, I have separated the angle fish.
Ian on August 4, 2010, 10:12 am wrote
Hey, should I feed my discus twice a day? If so, what is the best food?
Answer: There is a section dedicated to feeding on this page already. Anyway... I feed fish once a day and I think it’s the best choice. You can feed them twice or three times a day, but this can lead to uneaten food which causes problems with water. The best food? I think small fry and live food is best. However, in order to ensure that your fish really get what they need, you should use granulated food too. I recommend Sear Discus Premium.
AK on August 8, 2010, 2:28 am wrote
Few months back when I had started my aquarium the plants were growing very fast and now they are not growing and getting yellow. I pull out one plant from aquarium gravel and found black roots then same I did for other plant and found same black roots. Finally I decided to clean the gravel which was very hard for me as I have 110 G tank and 3” thick gravel. When I start cleaning of gravel I found black algae. I don’t know it is algae or what but eating my plants root. I will be very grateful for your any advise that can help me to protect gravel from this black algae. I have several types of plants in my aquarium and some are very expensive. Please help.
Answer: Next time post your comment to a particular article according to the topic, please. The problem is not caused by algae. Algae grows because of something. You should test the water. I believe you’ll find out that there is a problem with ammonia, nitrates or so. Something MUST be wrong, otherwise algae wouldn’t grow that much. If you’re looking for a fast solution, visit your local pet shop and buy algae removers. Take pictures of the algae, show them to the seller (preferably some skilled one) and then you should get the help you’re looking for. Algae removers work very fast and nowadays they have very limited or no effect on plants.
tucker on August 8, 2010, 2:42 pm wrote
I am an inexperienced fish owner, should I be spending over $600 buying discus? Please, help me.
Answer: Definitely no. If you want to try Discus, buy juveniles, they’re usually cheap. However, I’d rather recommend you to learn more and more about fish. The best thing to do is buying test kits. Then start monitoring water in your aquarium, these tests should be performed on a regular basis. Keep monitoring the water, analyse what’s bad or good for your tank (water changes, changes of temperature, ...) and learn. Once you think you have a good amount of information, go ahead and invest even more. Bear in mind that the investment, no matter what kind of investment it is, should bring you higher value. If you were about to earn money, for $600 you’d expect say $1000. It’s the same with aquariums. The final value should be higher than the invested amount. Of course, personal satisfaction cannot be measured by money directly. On the other hand I’m sure you got the idea.
Deadly derrik on August 8, 2010, 2:53 pm wrote
I’m not sure if you will know, but how do you get rid of the water going yellow when I put wood in the aquarium? I tried boiling, but that didn’t work. Thanks!
Answer: The only way how to get rid of yellowish colour that’s caused by driftwood is removing the driftwood immediately, or waiting a couple of months, perhaps years. You do NOT have to be worried about water being coloured to yellow. It is not harmful to fish, it won’t kill the plants or any other organisms in the aquarium. It’s completely natural. The rivers where Discus come from are of yellow/brown colour because of plenty of decomposing wood and plants in there. The yellow colour will slowly disappear after a while. You can use a powerful filter that will catch any small wood particles, this will help a little. Secondly you can use various light bulbs that simply produce light that’s stronger than yellow, and will "colour" the water to blue, green alike, or so. Some bulbs are marked as "oceanic blue", it’s all about light spectrum that is produced by such bulbs.
Clive on August 8, 2010, 11:34 pm wrote
I have a 240L tank (54g). I currently have a good setup with a good amount of bogwood, live plants living in a sand/fine gravel mix, Rummy noises (group of 8), mollies (small group of 6) and a pair of kribs which have breed 5 times over the past months with a few juvenile from the last batch still around but will be off to the LFS in the next few days. My question is, I am looking to purchase at less 6 juveniles Blue Turquoise discus which are about 2.5" or 6.5cm, will the kribs get on them?
Answer: There should be no problem regarding such a companion.
DEBOTTAM on August 11, 2010, 3:04 am wrote
I have a 120 gallon aquarium with eight adult discus fish. Can I put few denison’s barbs and red rainbow fish with them? Would they cause problems to my fish?
The Denison Barbs and Rainbow fish are very active and may unsettle your Discus, they prefer the more placid species for tank mates. I have always had great success keeping a reasonable sized shoal of Cardinal Tetras and Glowlight Tetras with Discus. They all get on well together and there are no disputes at feeding times. [answered by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
AK on August 16, 2010, 7:14 am wrote
Question No. 1. Out of my six 3 inches Discus, two Discus just eat dried bloodworms, nothing else. Therefore they are a bit weaker then other. How can I motivate them for other food? Question No.2. All of my discus keep fighting each other. Is there any problem in my tank? Question No. 3. How can I treat fungus or any other disease of my Discus in planted tank as if I will treat them in same tank, my plant will die and if I will take discus out of tank for treatment, they will get stressed. Please suggest.
Answer: Dried bloodowms are delicacy to fish. Thus, feed your discus bloodwoms only once a week or even rarely. They will have to accept other food. I recommend you Sera Discus Granules. Regarding your second question: It all depends on how old, big are your fish, and also it depends on how big is your aquarium. Fish do fight if there’s not enough space in the tank, if they’ve been just introduced into the tank (so each wants to rule the entire aquarium), if two are mating and the third one wants to mate too (suppose that they’re 2 males + 1 female) and so on. Treatment is always a bit difficult. In my experience the best solution is having a smaller aquarium for this purpose. On the other hand, some diseases can be cured in the primary aquarium as the medicaments won’t kill or damage plants too much. For example, to cure a fish from fungus, you usually need a bit harder water, small amount of salt and good filtration.
Adi on August 16, 2010, 9:54 pm wrote
I have red torque, the colour has hasn’t come yet to red, still like gray. How long will it take to become red? And now getting dark black, not as active as before, I asked to friend, perhaps it’s sick and nearly die, can you tell me what should I do, and is it water problem? Any medical that I can use? Thanks.
Answer: Your discus is definitely sick, it should not be colouring up like that. How good is the water quality in the tank and is this the only discus that you have as they should be kept in small groups of at least 6 specimens. The water should be acidic and very soft, they do not like hard water and water changes should be performed 2-3 times per week of at least 10% of the water volume . Adding medications should always be a last resort, getting the water quality right should be the first step. [answered by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
lee on August 17, 2010, 3:06 am wrote
I have a heckel discus that just stopped eating. It was only after I’ve changed my tank from tap water with conditioner to RO water. Could this have anything to do with it?
There are a couple of questions that need answering here. Are you just adding RO water to the tank without re-mineralising it? Plain RO water should not be added to the tank. Has the pH dropped drastically since using the RO water? This will affect the fish, when changing from mains water to RO water it should be done in stages so that the water parameters do not alter dramatically but are changed over a period of 3-4 weeks. [answered by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
AK on August 24, 2010, 4:54 pm wrote
My tank contains 120 G of water in which I have 10 Discus about 3" size and four 1-2" size. My question is: my fish keep fighting each other is there any way to stop them?
Answer: Discus fish are natural shoalers and as such need to establish a pecking order in the group, they could be just sorting out their rankings amongst themselves, how long have they been in the tank. If one of the discus is picking on certain other discus and it looks like it is getting bullied then it may be required to move the bullied fish but normally they will sort themselves out. [answered by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
AK on August 28, 2010, 8:45 am wrote
One of my Discus fish of size 3" has suddenly stopped eating although there is nothing wrong in the tank. My tank contains 120G water and I have 10 Discus fish having same size in it. She looks healthy, but stays in the corner of the tank. Please suggest.
Answer: The fish could have been bullied. It would be better if you separated the fish, by using a divided for instance (moving it to another tank isn’t recommended at this stage). If you noticed that some other fish bullies that one, make sure that they cannot meet until everything returns to normal. If you noticed physical symptoms that can mean the fish is ill, move it to another aquarium and start a particular treatment.
Answer by David; Discus USA: One cause can be a parasite and/or worms. I would suggest you remove that fish from your main Tank. Put her in a hospital tank and raise the temperature to 90 F degrees. Try introduce some of the fish favorite foods. Maybe Live Brine Shrimp. Baby guppies. If it starts to eat you will need a medicated food or medicine to add to the food. Not really sure 100% what is wrong, so cannot recommend the correct medicine. But if you can get the fish to start eating and gain strength you are ½ way there.
Sharon E. Haendiges Peoria Illinois on August 28, 2010, 9:37 pm wrote
I had two turquoise Discus in a 30 gal tank many years ago and they did just fine in fact they got big and BEAUTIFUL! I am purchasing a 30 gal tank from a friend of mine and I want Discus - but you say a 30 gal tank is not big enough - I don’t want to breed them I just want to enjoy looking at them - I had good luck before in a 30 gallon now I am concerned.
Answer: Keeping 2 specimens in a 30 gallon aquarium can be successful. Of course, imagine a fish that can easily grow up to 15 cm in length may require more than 15 gallons/each. It’s similar to one friend of mine; he keeps 6 Angelfish in a 100 liter aquarium. I do keep 4 Angels in almost a 400 liter aquarium. He says his fish are doing well, I say that my fish are doing well too. But I also say that in my opinion it would be impossible to keep them in a 100 liter fish tank only. Bear in mind that these fish (Discus) prefer to be kept in groups. If your Discus are fed well, if you keep monitoring the water quality and if you to your best for the fish, then a 30 gallon aquarium with 2 Discus fish is OK. BTW, another reason why I always recommend bigger fish tanks is that in a big aquarium the water is very-very stable. pH changes slowly, so do carbonate hardness, temperature and so on.
reasha on September 6, 2010, 4:08 am wrote
I just bought a 75 gallon tank. I will admit that I have only kept goldfish and plecos in a smaller tank in the past. However, I have read your guide twice and also all the other posts. I am still a little unsure of the terminology in some cases. I want to really research the Discus fish before I buy them. I have the heater, etc. I have a large aquaclear filter that came with the tank. In my other tank, I just use the sponge on bottom, then the carbon sack, then the sack of "pellets" on the top of the filter. I also have an ammonia test kit and a pH kit. Is there anything you suggest extra that I might need to ensure water stability? Is this kind of filtration okay? Like I mentioned before, I have read your guide, but as a beginner, I am still a little insecure with the terms. Please "dumb it down" for me. Thanks!
Answer: Discus keeping is much easier now that it used to be. If you get your discus from a reliable source you will have very little trouble at all. One thing is, that carbon is not good for the Discus. So do not use any carbon in the tank. We only use carbon to remove chlorine and chloramines from the water during water changes. Also, be careful of the water movement. Discus do not like too much water movement. I would suggest 2 sponge filters in that tank. Also depending on where you get your Discus from you might need very soft water. Many breeders and most importers keep their discus in a mix of RO and Tap water. We, do not. We raise all our discus in regular tap water and higher pH of 7.6 or greater. Most important thing for Discus (and for all fish) is water changes. Minimum 25% per week. More is better! [answered by David; Discus USA]
Joshua on September 8, 2010, 6:38 pm wrote
I have two red discus fish. They are in their own tank with a filter and everything should be correct with the water. I’m in Cambodia, which makes this somewhat harder. But anyways, I wanted to know how long it takes for the discus to breed after you put the pair in their new tank?
Answer: It can happen overnight, but it can also take a month or even more time. It all depends on when they bred last time, if the female is ready (so if she’s carrying eggs). You can simulate rains by lowering the temperature and add oak cortex into the tank. You can feed them live foods too, these actions are usually triggers of breeding.
Answer by David of Discus USA: Well, I am assuming that this pair has already bred for you in their original tank. Since your water should be very similar in both tanks they could breed in a few days, or a few weeks. I’ve had some pairs that I have moved to their own tanks that have spawned the same day I moved them, and others that took close to a month to spawn again. Each and every pair is different.
MAR on September 12, 2010, 12:24 am wrote
I have one pearl scale fish, I just want to know if it’s OK to keep my pearl scale fish with my discus, the size of my aquarium is 50 gallons.
Answer: I am assuming you are saying you have a Pearl scale Angelfish? As long as you know this fish is disease free (not just purchased), I see no problem keeping it with your Discus. We breed both Angelfish and Discus, and we combine the two of them with no problems at all. David [Discus USA]
sovan chakraborty on September 14, 2010, 9:57 am wrote
Hi, I am an old discus lover, but I am very worried because my beautiful discus fish is suffering an eye disease. Please, send me the remedies.
Answer: Well, since we cannot see a picture of the fish, I find that cloudy eyes is usually what most people think are diseases. This usually comes from poor water conditions (or a change to their water conditions). I would suggest testing your water and be sure that the water parameters have not changes too much. Then do a minimum 75% water change and see if that helps clear up your problem. Follow up in 2 days with another minimum 50% water change. [answer by David; Discus USA]
liam from sydney on September 19, 2010, 6:14 pm wrote
Hi, I have a 4 by 2 by 3 foot tank. In it I have a turtle, baby barramundi, a little sucker fish, just got a new 100 liter filter, hooked it all up, filled it up, put the chemicals in, warmed the tank up and now 2 out of my ten discus are laying on there side. What’s up with them? Thanks!
Answer: Sorry, but you are not giving us enough info to go by. We would need to know your water parameters. pH, TDS?, temperature, Did you cycle the tank? What kind of chemicals did you put in it? Did you have these discus for a while? Or just bought. Sounds like shock because of totally different water then they came from. They might be fine by the time you read this, answer by David; Discus USA
Bic Le on September 22, 2010, 1:39 am wrote
After a long transportation of over three hours in the car, and placing them in the new tank, one of the bigger discus fish (5.5 inch) has not been eating for three days, but his physical appearance looks normal, while the rest (seven of them in small size 3.5 to 4 inch) are eating good after three hours of settling down in the new tank environment. My tank is 125 gallons with several driftwood decoration at 7 pH and 90F temperature. Please advise. Thanks!
Answer: If the discus has stopped eating that is not good. Usually the first thing I tell someone is to raise the temperature. But your temperature is already at 90 degrees. Your pH is fine but that doesn’t matter all that much. If the smaller ones are fine than I suspect your water is fine. 3 hours is not a long time at all. I ship Discus and Angelfish at at times it can take over 50 hours to reach their new homes. I would suggest trying to offer him some live foods. I don’t like to but when it is necessary I will feed our discus live black worms. And they can go for a week or 2 without food. But the sooner you get them to eat the better. [answer by David; Discus USA]
John from Sydney on September 26, 2010, 7:00 pm wrote
I have 3 discus fish in my 250 litre tank along with other fish, such as clown loaches, blue rams, and tetras, they all get along fine, however my orange marlboro discus, has had some peppering around his nose and spread along his upper body. Was not like this when purchased form the LFS few days ago. My water is crystal clear and my parameters are very good, pH around 7.3 and nitrates close to zero. I perform 25% water change every week and filteration system is top notch.... The discus in question however is very active, plays around and eats even more than the other discus in the tank. Could this peppering be stress related or just bad bloodlines from its parents, or maybe his ready for mating? Help, please.
Answer: Peppering is usually a result of genetics. More stress might cause the peppering to show up more, or maybe your lighting is showing it more. If the fish is eating well, and the other fish are not bothering this fish I would not worry about it. Marlboro discus are basically a pigeon discus, and many of these will show some peppering. I would not be concerned at all. [answer by David; Discus USA]
Garrett on September 27, 2010, 3:53 am wrote
I’d like to say very nice page, great information about Discus. I own a 90 gallon tank with a massive canister filter. I only have a Green Terror Cichlid that I bought two years ago in it. Would he be a okay tank mate if I purchased two discus? Thank you.
Answer by David; Discus USADiscus do not like too much current in their tank. So if your canister filter (massive) is creating a lot of current it would create too much stress for your Discus to do well.
Answer by admin: That "terror" within Green Terror Cichlid’s name isn’t there for without a reason. Incompatible in my opinion.
salim on September 27, 2010, 10:29 am wrote
Quick one example; one red and one blue Discus - will they pair up or do both need to be the same species? I’m new at this, please advise. E.g. red melon and a blue turquoise, can they breed with each other?
Answer: No problem Any discus can pair up together. They do not know if they are red or blue, so it won’t matter to them. Even a Heckel discus can pair off with a Blue Diamond discus (but this is much harder to achieve). [answer by David; Discus USA]
Ricardo on September 28, 2010, 8:33 pm wrote
Thank for all these answers on this page. Really interesting. Got a quick question. Just set my 320 gallon (1200L) tank. I like German blue rams and discus and they can be good tank mates. Should I go with rams with discus or discus with rams, or maybe even. Does it matter?
Answer: You should be able to keep both together. Many hobbyist do that. David; Discus USA
Calvin on October 2, 2010, 9:05 am wrote
Can you please determine the gender of my discus?
Answer: You can email me at david@angelfishusa.com. But there would be no way I could tell you if you have a male or female. I can only tell once they are laying their eggs. David
feroz shaikh on October 6, 2010, 6:42 pm wrote
I have a discuss pair for last 1 1/2 year. Initially after 2 months it started laying eggs for around 8 months, but they ate them all. Later it stopped laying eggs. So what should I do? Let me know, please.
Answer: It’s hard to say why they stopped laying eggs. Your water condition could have changed. The diet may have changed. I would suggest that you do not do water change for 1 week, then do 25% water change with a little cooler water. Do not fill the tank all the way, try only filling it up 75 to 80% full. When they lay the eggs, you might want to put a screen around the eggs so that the parents cannot eat them. If you are lucky, once the hatch and start swimming the parents will take care of them. [answer by David; Discus USA]
andre on October 11, 2010, 9:04 am wrote
Want to get some discus fish, have a 1’6" by 1’8" wide and 2’6" deep tank, it’s 47 gallons. I have no fish in there now, want to set it up for discuss fish. Want to know what type of things I should put in there and how many discus I can put in the tank. Also can I put aquarium sand in there instead of gravel?
Answer: Usually in a 47 gallon tank you could put 4-5 discus. But your tank is only about 18” x 20”, which does not give much room to swim. It is very tall which they like. I would not put more than 3 discus in that tank.. You can use sand or gravel for the bottom of the tank. But you must be sure it will be easy for you to do water changes every week. Discus prefer soft water, and neutral to slightly acid pH. Not too strong of a filter. [answer by David; Discus USA]
sue from liverpool on October 11, 2010, 11:50 pm wrote
I have a 48 inches long, 18 inches high and 14 inches wide tank. I have got 2 black widows, 4 silvertips, 2 dwarf indian gouramis, 2 kribensis, 2 angel, 2 catfish, 2 torpeido barbs, 2 rosy teteras, 2 bristolnoise and 2 dwarf panda, could I have 2 discus and if so what type? Thanks!
Answer: That’s quite an assortment of fish in that tank. I would not suggest adding discus into that tank. Discus do best in groups (4-5 fish in a group), and you are pretty well stocked already. If you add discus to that tank, they would have a hard time competing for food. So my recommendation would be, No. Do not add any Discus to your community tank. [answer by David; Discus USA]
tg on October 15, 2010, 5:10 am wrote
72 gallon bow front tank. Eheim 2075 + Lifegard aquatics AF94 with mag 9.5 - filters (Regular media + Purigen + PhosPure in Eheim; Active carbon in AF 94). I am planning to buy 5 2.5 inch discus + 20-25 cardinals. Comments?
Answer by David; Discus USA: Sounds like a lot of water movement will occur in that set up. Discus will be stressed out with too much water movement, so be sure that you try to keep that a minimum somehow... The mix you are doing is fine, but just concerned about overdoing the filtration.
tg on October 18, 2010, 8:23 am wrote
Thanks David. As you can see I am a strong believer of overfiltering. Eheim 2075 does good bio filtration job, AF 94 is a great mechanical filter. I’ve used this filtering set up in my 36g heavily overstocked tank with great results (5 large buterfly koi, 10 rosy barbs, 10 cory). Last week I purchased 72g bow and I am in the process on creating natural slate rock background. Any suggestions on how to reduce the flow without sacrificing water quality in this set up (some sort of flow reflectors)? Once again appreciate your help.
Answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk: In all of my Discus set ups I ran two external filters and fitted spraybars aimed at the front glass, the discus were quite happy with this amount of water flow and never showed any symptoms of being stressed. I did reduce the flow on the outlet vale slightly as well and never had any problems.
David UK on October 21, 2010, 3:39 am wrote
I’m just establishing a discus tank and have purchased a 4 stage HMA and RO filter. When preparing the filtered water for the tank do I just need to add a product like Discus Pro Tropic Marine, or will other additives be required? Also, how many adult discus would suit a 560 litre tank? Thank you
Answer by David; Discus USA: I would not use 100% RO water for your discus tank. We only use RO for breeding pairs right before they lay eggs (and still not 100%). Discus will not grow well if you keep them in Pure RO water. Instead of adding something back to your RO water. Why not just do a mix of say 50/50 RO and regular tap water? That would keep the minerals in the water that the Discus Need to grow and stay healthy. And you could keep 12 to 14 adult discus in that size of a tank.
David UK on October 22, 2010, 2:22 am wrote
Thank you. I should have mentioned - my only concern is that I live in London which has a lot of additives in the water (chlorine etc) which I thought would damage the bacterial filters?
Answer: Chlorine can be removed easily by leaving a bucket (full of water) for 24-48 hours somewhere near the tank or practically anywhere else "as is". If it’s not possible, there are chlorine removers available on the market. I think other products aren’t necessary, this is my experience.
Darshan, Mumbai-India on October 22, 2010, 5:19 pm wrote
Firstly, excellent article on discus fishes. I’m new to keeping these though I have experience in keeping other more aggressive variety (to be read as Red Dragon Flower horn and Thai silk :) ) I have purchased 4 pigeons (1.5"), 8 lepords (2") discus recently and have kept them with 2 silver sharks (3"each) and 2 bottom feeders, in my smaller tank (26"x 15"ht.x 12") I have a power filter for the tank and am feeding them on tetra bits and beef heart along with 20% water change twice a week. I know they would grow out of this tank soon so I’m planning a bigger tank(60"x 24" ht.x 18") for these beauties. I also have another tank which is a 36" x 24’ht. x 12" which has my Pearl Arowana 6" and 4 tinfoils 3" each. Plan on using the small tank as a quarantine/ breeding tank later. Certain Queries which I wanted to clarify from you: - I have read at most of the online sites that discus require tanks with a good height, Should I switch the discus and arowana tanks now since it will be at least a month for my new tank to get done. Wanted to know if the arowana would be fine in the smaller tank for the time being. - Once I put my new tank in place, can I shift the discus directly into it after say 2-3 days of letting the water settle? Also what kind of filteration would you suggest (external or power filter would do) since the discus don’t like high flow water. - At a later stage, once my discus grow to about 4-5" can I keep them with the Arowana in the new tank (have heard from some LFS that arowana do not attack flat fish like discus and angel). - What is the max. no. of discus I can place in the new tank if I’m keeping only discus fishes of different varity. - I plan on keeping driftwood and live plants too, but don’t have any exp with the plants. Don’t want to get into a lot of maintenance for the plants and want to concentrate on my discus and give them a natural environment to be in. Please suggest some plants that are low maintenance, don’t affect the water and would look appropriate for my setup. Your suggestions are highly appreciated.
Answer by David; Discus USA: Yes, you need a taller tank for those discus. They can grow pretty fast at times, and you do not have the height to let them develop right. As far as a new tank, you must let it cycle, you can do this my moving one of the filters from an established tank to the new tank. But it will still take some time, and be sure to keep a fish or two in that tank during the cycle process. You must test for nitrite, nitrate and ammonia to know when the cycle is complete but it usually takes about 10 days to 2 weeks. I really would not suggest keeping discus with an Arowana. For adult discus it is recommended 1 per 10 gallons of water….. Sorry, don’t know much about plants. I’ve never had much luck with plants. I do know they like Amazon swords but they do require a little extra light. On the filtration, I would go with a canister type filter but not too powerful. Or better yet an HOB hang on back.
Answer by admin: Anubias species (plants, of course) require a little maintenance if any at all :) .
mas on October 25, 2010, 6:22 am wrote
How long does it take for Discus fish to mature?
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: They can start to be sexually mature and breed at about 1 year.
Isidro on October 27, 2010, 5:12 am wrote
Hi all, I have a 151x60x64 cm aquarium (450l) with external filter suitable for 700l. The water parameters are: - pH: 6.8 - KH: (+-)80 - Temp: 29 C It is fully planted and mature. At this moment it hosts several neon tetra, some corydoras, and 5 angel (scalar) fishes. Plus some shrimp, snails, etc. I would like to add some Discus, as I find them incredibly nice, but I would like to be sure they would fit in the current aquarium, even having the scalars. And if so, how many would be recommended for them to be comfortable. Thanks a lot!
Answer by David; Discus USA: I come up with about 110 gallons. With angelfish or discus the rule of thumb is 1 adult per 10 gallons of water… the neons or cory’s I would be concerned about. So I do not see why you could not add 5 discus to that tank. Just be sure they are larger than your angelfish so that they can compete for their food.
terry jarosky on October 28, 2010, 11:17 pm wrote
I’ve been trying to cycle a 160 gal. tank for 5 weeks. I have a sump with bio balls. I’ve put Dr. Tims bottle of bacteria twice. I’ve put my bacteria sponges from my other two tanks in this tank. I have a 12 inch. cichlid that I’ve been feeding for 4 weeks. I shut off my UV after running it for 2 weeks. Didn’t know it should be on. I have two inch. of gravel. I’ve done water changes with RO water. I have 2 air stones running. My water tests the same for 5 weeks. High Ammonia, 2.0, Nitrates, Nitrites, are in range and never spike. pH is 6.5 . Water is crystal clear. What can I do? How long have you heard to cycle a tank? I have a 60 gal. with Discus to transfer in this tank so the cycling must be perfect because of the Discus. My wife wants it done or out ! Please help
Answer by David; Discus USA: I would think that 4-5 weeks would be more than enough time. Are you sure that your test kit is still good? Maybe old and not giving you proper readings? What are the readings directly from your RO water? Do you have any other filter media you can add to this tank (from the old one?) I really would think it has cycled by now. If you do a 50% water change and your ammonia is still high, I am going to guess it’s your test kit (or something else that you are adding to the water)? Have you added Prime? Or any other chlorine remover? If so, you will get a false reading from most test kits on your ammonia.
asish dhar , india on November 6, 2010, 2:40 am wrote
Hi , I have a 122x46x52 cm aquarium. I have 2 dollar, 6 parrot, 6 rosy barb, 1 red tail shark, 2 bala shark, 5 tetras in this tank, 2 clown loaches . All fish are OK. I was wondering if it would be alright to add some Discus? And if yes, what kind would you recommend?
Answer by David; Discus USA: That seems like about a 55 gallon (or 220 liter tank). I would not recommend adding any discus to your tank. David
Paru on November 6, 2010, 3:32 pm wrote
My dad loves to keep rare fish so do I, I can’t figure out how to see if my discus fish is pregnant. Any clue how to see it?
Answer by David; Discus USA: Discus do not get pregnant (they are egg layers). But they can be full of eggs. The only way to know is when they lay their eggs. They are usually sexually mature at just over a year to 1 ½ years of age. The pair will become territorial and keep others away while they are cleaning something to deposit the eggs on.
maricela on November 11, 2010, 9:11 am wrote
I have a small tank, 10 gallons, and LOVE discus. Obviously however my tank is much too small. Are there any fish that look like discus but much smaller? If so can they fit in a ten to twenty gallon tank? (I am considering getting another aquarium)
Answer: I don’t know any such species.
Brenda on November 12, 2010, 2:24 pm wrote
I was wondering what if any shrimps would make good tank mates for Discus?
Answer by David; Discus USA: I don’t think any shrimps would make good tank mates for Discus, but they would probably make good meals.
Answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk: Shrimps and discus tend not to mix as the discus will always see them as food. I had a colony of cherry shrimp in my tank and once the discus were added, they made short work of consuming them all. I wouldn’t take the risk if you value shrimp, they are a natural food for discus.
RAJESH on November 22, 2010, 5:29 pm wrote
I want to keep discus fish in a 3 feet 1.5’ 1.5 tank. How many fishes can I keep in this tank? How much would it cost for a pair, tell me about the food and its cost. And with these discuss fish, can I leave other fishes? If yes, which fish can I leave?
Answer by David; Discus USA: I am going to estimate your tank at about 40 gallons. That means you can have 4 Discus adults in that tank. A pair can cost anywhere from as cheap as $100.00 to $1000.00 or more. It depends what you are looking for. We sell pairs anywhere from $250 to $500.00. In that size tank you would be best not to have other fish with the Discus. Discus are best fed frozen Bloodworms, Frozen Brine Shrimp, and a quality beefheart type food.
Lycia on November 28, 2010, 7:08 am wrote
Hi, I’ve got two aquariums already that are doing great! I’m working on setting up a Discus tank now. I’m five days into it and it seems to be moving along fine. I’ve got ten tetras in my tank to help it through its cycle, a few decorative rock and a little gravel from the other tank toped with my desired new sand. Also a sponge filter with bacteria starts from the other tank as well, to speed the cycle up. My only problem I’m seeing is that my pH is higher in this tank. It’s sitting at 7.6 when the others are at 7 and always have been. I’ve got a new piece of drift wood in it that I got from the reptile section in the pet store to help lower the pH. It looks to be a root of some sort and is connected with screws sealed with hot glue. The wood is very similar to the ones in the aquatic section of the store and I know hot glue isn’t a problem because I have some in my other tanks, but could it be the reptile wood or the screws that’s creating the higher pH? I’ve researched quite a bit on pH and really don’t want my tank to be a headache. I’ve been told discus like the pH lower but isn’t mandatory unless spawning. My main concern (correct me if I’m wrong) is the fact that my pH is off from normal, I know discus are a little more demanding and I don’t want anything to go wrong. Thank you, Lycia
Answer: Yes, Discus prefer slightly acidic waters. You can use peat to reduce pH. Otherwise I’d check carbonate hardness. If this is too low (0-3, if it’s 4 then it’s time to increase it by water change or by adding sodium bicarbonate to the water), then pH may vary and may be 6 in the morning, then 7.5 in the evening and so on.
Karen on December 5, 2010, 2:11 pm wrote
I have four Discus who have developed a white film over 1 eye and seems to be forming on the other. It is getting worse. There also seems to be some fin damage. What do you think it is and how do I treat them with please?
Answer by David; Discus USA: Not easy to figure out without seeing and knowing a little more. But it I would make sure you temperature is at least 85F and you do a large water change. Just might be the water quality….
Rafik on December 8, 2010, 10:38 pm wrote
I have ordered a 2300 gallon tank and plan to keep discus fish and angel fish. The majority will be discus. How many fish can I keep in this size tank? I do not want to overstock the tank and need to keep in mind the size of tank I have and the maximum amount of fish I can have in the tank. I ordered a starfire glass tank size of the tank is as follows 84x30x36 l x w x h.
Answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk: I take it that 2300 gallons is not a typo but the actual size of the tank? Regardless of the tank size, Discus fish and Angel fish require at least 10 gallons of water volume per fish so you can add quite a few to that tank. I would also suggest adding a large group of Corydoras for the bottom dwellers as they interact very well with Discus fish and Angelfish in a mixed tank. Also keep a close eye on the Angelfish and make sure that they are not bullying any of the Discus fish.
david k on December 9, 2010, 6:25 am wrote
Hi - has anyone had luck keeping a discus with roseline sharks - I have a heavily planted tank at pH 6.8 - 75 gallon tank - taller than wider - about 20 cardinal tetras, 3 cory’s and 3 roselines. Would adding a discus be too much?
saranga (srilanka) on December 12, 2010, 11:42 pm wrote
I have 3.5ft X 1.5ft X 2.0ft tank, I used to used chlorine water. (chlorine) two gas lines, with heater (30’), but my poor discuses are dying why is that ? :(
Answer by David; Discus USA: Sorry, but we are very confused by your question… You say you use chlorine water. If you use chlorine in your water that will kill all fish. If you are removing the chlorine, it should be fine but we need more information to try to help you.
lee on December 16, 2010, 4:19 am wrote
I have a 72 gallon fluval profile aquarium. I plan to keep discus along with a shoal of cardinal tetra’s. How many discus would you recommend?
Answer by David; Discus USA: The rule of thumb would be 1 discus per 10 gallons. But I would say 5-6 is more than enough for your tank.
Kim burnet on December 20, 2010, 8:30 pm wrote
Hi, we have a 4x2x2 foot peaceful community tank with 5 discus. As I am typing, our male from our recently formed mating pair is fertilising his girls eggs. We have 3 rainbow fish and two quite large bristlenose cats that we are concerned will think the eggs are dinner. What is our best move to save the eggs from being eaten. My thoughts are to leave them and see what happens as it is their first batch and they are still adolescents (they are old enough for us to be able to sex them). We don’t have the space to move mum, dad and babies, but could move the larger fish into another of our tanks. I think it would cause too much stress to the tank trying to catch them though. We had hoped they would mate but didn’t expect them to do so so soon. Thanks for your help!
Answer by David; Discus USA: Kim, With Discus you must keep the eggs with the parents, and it usually takes a few spawns until they learn to take care of their eggs and fry. In a community tank it’s not likely that the fry will make it. Almost impossible. Your best option is what you don’t want to do, and that is to move the pair into their own tank for their next spawn or you could do as you said and move the other fish into another tank. If you can move the pair, the ideal size tank would be 29 gallons (which is approx 30”L x 18”H x 12”W.
Benj on December 21, 2010, 10:02 pm wrote
Hi! I was wondering about buying an aquarium, how big should it be and how many discus can I keep?
Answer by David; Discus USA: The size depends on how many discus you plan to have. Adult Discus require a minimum of 10 gallons per fish (and more is better)… I always say minimum tank size for discus should be 55 gallons. (or 220 liters) And that can hold 5 adult Discus.
Benj on December 22, 2010, 9:21 pm wrote
Hi! It’s me again! Thanks for the answer but I was wondering about a 50g tank that can hold at least 3 discus. Will that work? Also, I was also wondering if I have to clean my tank even though I had a filter, do I have to clean the decor or gravel? Thanks!
Answer by David; Discus USA: Sure, a 50 gallon tank can hold 4-5 discus…. And you must do water changes on a weekly basis (25% or more) for discus to do well. The gravel can be siphoned to clean about once a month. You must keep the water quality very good for Discus (or most fish).
kenlaur on December 23, 2010, 5:23 pm wrote
My father was the first to breed discus in captivity. In 1970 we went on vacation with the money he made from selling the fry to a local store.
Laura on December 27, 2010, 3:56 am wrote
I have a large goldfish tank and today I asked a person at a fish shop about the temperature of my tank. My tank ranges in the areas of 24-29 degrees Celsius. Is it possible for me to keep discus in the water temperature of that or not? Also the person told me that putting goldfish with discus can work but it’s a hit and miss... I was wondering, can discus survive in my tank? It’s 40cm by 40cm by 40cm tall. If they cannot survive in my tank am I going to have the discus separate or can they get on with goldfish? I’m sorry if I’m bothering anyone but i am curious. Seeing as I saw a discus and I wanted to know is all. Thank you for helping!
Answer by David; Discus USA: Discus and Goldfish are very different. Goldfish are cold water fish while Discus are Tropical Fish. I would never advise anyone to mix Goldfish and Discus in the same tank. Also 24 is too cold for Discus. And the temperature needs to be stable. 29-30 would be ideal.
Fernando on December 30, 2010, 6:27 pm wrote
Hello. I’ve had my 4 discus for a few months, they’re roughly 3-4" long and in a 50 gallon tank. I’ve been longing to add neon or cardinal tetras into the tank but I’m worried about the discus bullying or eating the smaller fish. I’ve done a bit of research and read stories of discus eating them. Should i be concerned? Or what can I do to prevent this? Thank you so much! And I’m sure the tetras will be thankful as well.
Answer by David; Discus USA: If you would have introduced the neons when you first got the Discus you would have probably been just fine. Now that they are already about 4” you might be right and they could eat them. We keep neons and cardinals with our angelfish and discus but they grow up together. We never introduce them once the angels or discus are large.
Andrew on December 30, 2010, 11:32 pm wrote
Hi all, Great read on getting ready for Discus fish. We saw them at the store and instantly fell in love. Although our two fancy tailed goldfish, might be making a trip to the store for an exchange of Discus. Enough about that... We just purchased a 65 gallon tank with an external canister filter and all the other goodies that go along. The dimensions meet what was stated above for tank size. Since this would a new tank, when is a good time to add the fish? 2 weeks for the cycle to occur? Or should I wait until the parameters, meet what was specified above or what the store has their tanks at? Are there any good "starter" fish that could help with the cycling? What about those EcoBio rocks? Thanks in advance! -Andrew
Answer: A good time is when your tank has been cycled already. Read the following articles, please: The Essential Nitrogen Cycle, Aquarium Bacteria, Aquarium Starter Cultures, Biological Cycle In The Aquarium. This should help I think. These bio rocks (although I don’t know the "EcoBio" ones) are designed to house more bacteria than ordinary rocks, so it’s good to get them. Not only your filter will filter the water, but rocks will do a better job too.
Andrew on December 31, 2010, 12:20 am wrote
Hi all, Can someone please explain the Water Preparation again, in lay-man-terms... :-) Is it suggested to purchase a RO filter? Does this filter remove all the impurities - metals, chlorines, etc that is mentioned above... Then for all H20 changes I would use the RO filtered water? What is an HM Filter? Ugh, so many questions... Thanks in advance... Andrew
Answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk: RO (Reverse Osmosis) water is pure water after the filtration process. Unfortunately using pure RO water in a Discus set up is not a good idea as the water needs minerals adding back to it before it can be used again. The advantage is that you are only adding back to the water exactly what you want in there. There are many re-mineralising products that you can use or some keepers will use a RO/HMA mix that serves the same purpose. HMA water is basically water that has passed through a HMA filter and had all of the Heavy Metals and toxins removed, this water is not as pure as RO water.
tony on January 9, 2011, 4:50 pm wrote
About a month ago I bought a red Marlboro discus and a turquoise discus. They’re both about 2 inches around. I put them in a 40 gallon tank with drift wood and plants. I’ve been noticing that the turquoise discus seems to be picking on the Marlboro, but only when it comes out from hiding. The red Marlboro has started to get dark strips on it as well, I’m not sure if it is sick, stressed, or normal. I’ve been reading on here and I don’t think I can but I would also like to know if I can introduce 1 more discus into the tank? If the red Marlboro sounds like it is sick what can I buy or what can I do to get it better? They both eat everyday and don’t act shy. They come to the top of the tank to eat.
Answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk: This is a common problem when Discus are not kept in small groups, one of the Discus will be bullied by the other, when in a group the dominant Discus gets distracted and the aggression is shared out amongst the rest of the group. The stripes are stress bars and if the Marboro is hiding, this is not a good sign. If your tank is only 40 gallons I would suggest getting two more discus but this will mean lees fish from other species to keep the tank understocked.
Jacob on January 13, 2011, 8:09 am wrote
I have a 55 gallon tank with a 10 gallon refugium and is working very well, my plant are taking off and I was wondering if I would need to get another filter in order to house discus.
Answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk: A lot of people underestimate the filtration power of a successful refugium, for piece of mind I would add another filter as back up if you intend to add some discus, they do demand the highest of water quality. With the tank that you have six discus would be the maximum that it could house.
lynn on January 19, 2011, 4:50 am wrote
need help with a reverse osmosis unit, I live in hard water area, tds reading is 409 from tap, and 0. 25 from a reverse osmosis unit, this is good and ro unit is working properly so I have been told, only problem is, the pH in the butt where I store the ro water has a pH reading of 7.2 -7.5, this is too high for the fish I wish to keep ( discus ), so how do I get the ro water to 6/6.5 without using chemicals, also why is the ro water so high, I have read others ro readings and they are all at 6, please help.
Answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk: Are you checking the RO water as soon as you have filled the butt or after a 24 hour wait. When I ran my RO unit it read a pH of 6.0 initially but would gradually increase over the day as I aerated the water, as the CO2 is driven out the pH will rise. I kept tank bred Discus for many years using RO water at a pH of 7.6 with no problems at all, Discus keepers tend to worry about the pH level too much. As long as the water quality is high the Discus will be fine, adding bogwood to the tank will keep the water soft and perform regular water changes. What does the pH of your tank water read at, I bet it is lower than the reading from the RO unit.
lynn on January 29, 2011, 2:50 am wrote
Hi Mick, Thanks for your reply, I found that if I left the R.O water for 24 hours in the water butt I went down to 6, 6.3 so I was well pleased, anyway my next question is, is it necessary to keep carbon in my filters? I have 2, and took it out of both, or is it just a matter of preference to use it? Thanks, Lynn
Answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk: Contrary to what most retailers will tell you, carbon in the filters is optional. I tended to add it after medication had been added to the tank and run its course, carbon is a great way of removing the excess medication from the water. Some keepers run it all of the time to polish the water but I have never found this necessary. If carbon is used it needs replacing every few weeks or it will become saturated and start to leach toxins back into the water.
James on February 1, 2011, 4:30 am wrote
Hi, I have a 3ft x 18inch x 12inch tank. Would I be able to keep any discus in the tank ( have no other fish )? Thanks
Answer: No, the tank isn’t tall enough for Discus.
ken on February 8, 2011, 7:20 pm wrote
Hi, I bought 2 discus 3 days ago and they are still not eating my food that I give them, I gave them flake food and brine shrimp, what should I do?
Answer by David; Discus USA: Really need a little more information. But before you purchased them did you see if they were eating? What is the temperature of your tank. If it’s under 86F I would raise it to 86 – 88F. That could get them to start eating… And make sure there is no uneaten food left in the tank after feeding. Are there other fish in the tank? How big is your tank? Did you do a water change? If not, change a minimum of 30% of the water right away.
Derick on February 8, 2011, 10:11 pm wrote
Hey, is rain water OK for water changes?
Answer by David; Discus USA: Rain water is fine as long as it is not a run off from a roof or other places where it can get contaminated. IF you are sure it is pure. IT IS GREAT!
Matt on February 10, 2011, 5:18 am wrote
Hi, I have recently bought a new tank 330 litres 150 x 39w x 55h, 3 large beautiful pieces of driftwood and I want the tank to be for mainly for discus. I have just put in 2 pearl gouramis, 2 green phantom l200 plecs and 10 rummy nose tetras. How long should I leave it before adding discus to the new tank? How many can I add? Does it matter if there all different types of discus? And finally what’s the best way to reduce the pH from 8.3 to a reasonable level as I am cautious about using pH down chemicals to do this!
Answer by David; Discus USA: Well, I would not add more than 5-6 discus in that tank. You can mix all types together. Doesn’t really matter. I use Muriatic Acid (same as pH down).. But wait a week or so, as your water may not be stabilized yet and can drop a bit. You need to wait until the tank cycles. The only way to know is by testing for nitrites, nitrates, and ammonia…. But it can take as little as 10 days to as long as a month. Give it 2-3 weeks… and I’m sure you will be fine.
lynn on February 15, 2011, 5:43 pm wrote
Hi, I have 2 large external filters each has a water flow rate of 2000 liters per hour, my tank holds 435 liters water, so I know that they are big enough for the tank, my question is, does the size of the filters make a difference as to how many discus I can have in it, I know that I could safely have 9-10, but wondered because of the bigger filters I can have more. The tank has also got lots of live plants in it. Thanks Lynn
Answer by David; Discus USA: Just because your filtration is good, doesn’t mean you can add more discus. Each discus needs a minimum of 40 liters of water. I would not put more than 8 to 10 discus in that tank… You would be looking for trouble down the road.
lynn on February 16, 2011, 4:29 pm wrote
Thanks for the reply, just one more question. I have 7 discus at present in the tank, and the very first one I bought was in the tank on his own for a few weeks, he was doing fine, I thought that he would make the tank his, and be the boss, then I got 2 more, the same size as him, then I got the other 3, the problem is, he comes to feed along with the others but gets pushed away and tends to stay on his own most of the time, so I try to give him food while the others are in a different place just to make sure he gets food. Do you think there is anything to worry about with him being on his own most of the time? He seems OK apart from this.
Answer: This is natural. As long as your fish eats, there’s nothing to worry about.
john ferguson on February 23, 2011, 7:41 am wrote
My discus laid over 100 eggs 4 to 5 days ago. Looked this morning and no eggs on the bottom of plants leafs. And there are white dots stuck to the glass beside heater with the breeding pair beside it not moving, is this normal?
Answer: White dots may be eggs - not fertilised ones or fungus. The reason why you don’t see any eggs is this (in most cases): Your fish ate the eggs, or your fish ate the newborns.
CJay on March 15, 2011, 6:37 am wrote
I have an 100cm by 40cm by 40cm aquarium, is this an okay size for a small group of discus? I only have 2 angles and a plec in there at the moment. I am looking to get a new lifespace 680 which is a 280 liter tank, but keeping my old one for breeding or illness. Thanks!
Answer: If you’re sure that you’ll get that 280 liter tank before your fish reach maturity, then it’s OK to get two Discus. The problem with Angelfish and Discus is that they require tall tanks; Because they grow tall. If your aquarium’s depth is 40cm, we must deduct a couple of centimeters for substrate and something from the top too. So in the end you may end up with 35cm which isn’t very good for Discus, nor for Angelfish.
Claudia on March 23, 2011, 6:45 am wrote
I had a 40 gallon tank with two discus in it and they grew so big I just purchased a 75 gallon tank for them. Is 75 gal. too small to add two more discus? Also, the original two act like a pair but I have not had any eggs. The only other fish in the tank are 6 small tetras, a pleco and two clown loaches. Are the clown loaches a bad combo if the discus finally do lay eggs and if so what can I get to aid in bottom cleaning?
Answer by David; Discus USA: You can easily keep 6 to 7 discus in that 75 gallon tank. I keep clown loaches with discus and never have any problems. Others advise against it. My clown loaches are huge now.
Cherry on April 1, 2011, 11:48 am wrote
I have a sick discus. It is listless. Since we received it about 6 weeks ago it has been excreting white faeces. I have treated with live blackworms soaked in metronidozole and garlic guard. Sick discus seemed to get better but now has suddenly become sluggish. Any suggestions? It looks like it won’t last long.
Answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk: Your Discus definitely has a problem in the digestive tract, have you tried worming the fish with a reliable worming powder, these are readily available to purchase. Is the Discus showing ana other symptoms such as darkening of the body coloration? My Discus were wormed on a regular basis and this also seemed to prevent any other digestive problems.
Tertius on April 2, 2011, 2:11 am wrote
Are the following tanks big enough: a Breeding tank with the dimensions of 60cm (Length) x 30cm (Width) x 50cm (Height), a "Growing on" tank: 90cm (Length) x 30cm (Width) x 40cm (Height) and a "Display tank": 1m (Length) x 45cm (Width) x 50cm (Height). Will this do?
Answer: Yes, the dimensions seem OK to me.
Jaquie on April 3, 2011, 3:03 pm wrote
I recently set up a 174 Liter (45.9 Gallon) Fluval corner tank with a bow front, dimensions 66cm(w) x 66cm(w) x 58cm(h). I am currently cycling the tank with 10 Danios. In my local pet shop I found 2 beautiful blue/turquoise Discus about 5-6 inches long. I purchased them from the pet store and the owner has agreed to keep them for me for 2 months. After I purchased them, I asked for a water sample so I could match my water parameters. I had to use R/O water because I am on well water. I tested the shop’s water and it is crazy hard. He said that he just uses city water. The GH was 380mg/L, KH is 210mg/L, pH is 8.0! Mine is GH 100mg/L, KH 80mg/L, and pH is currently 7.5. I have purchased a CO2 injector with a pH controller (it hasn’t arrived yet) in order to keep my plants healthy and keep my pH about 6.8. My question is how do I bring these fish home in 2 months without putting them into osmotic shock (or worse)? I know you can’t change GH or KH (or pH) more than about 1 degree per day? Do I change my water parameters to match theirs with CaCO2 and bicarb and then slowly change it back down? The only way I know how to do that is to do small daily water changes, and I think it will take weeks to bring it down to my parameters? Not only that but I think this hard water will kill all my Amazon Sword plants. Would peat in my cannister filter change the hardness by 1 degree/day or would it take much longer and does peat just change the KH or both KH and GH? Do you have any better ideas? I also would like to know if I can put 3 Discus in a tank of my dimensions (just for display) to share the dominance around a bit. I have read that you need a minimum of 40 gallons per pair, and others have said that you can stock it 1 fish per 10 gallons? I was only planning a small shoal of Cardinals and Corydoras to go with the Discus. If I get my money back for these 2 Discus (because now that is what I am considering), and purchase 2 (or 3) from Edmonton which is 2 1/2 hours away, how do I ship them and keep them warm and not stressed for that long?
Answer by David; Discus USA: Why are you waiting 2 months to receive those fish? Your tank should be cycled in 2-3 weeks. Also, why not bring your water to the shop a couple of weeks before you get the discus, so he can slowly add your water to their tank? We keep our Discus in fairly hard water and very high pH (about 7.8). We only use RO water for spawning so the eggs can be fertilized. You can safely put 3-4 discus in your tank. It’s 10 gallons per fish. As far as shipping. Use a heat pack or two. We ship out our angelfish and discus all year long. Sometimes in -10 temperature.
shane on April 3, 2011, 4:57 pm wrote
I’ve been keeping discus fish for some time now and have had my fair share of diseases and headaches... I’ve managed to overcome most of these with minimal losses... But I have a fish issue that is confusing me... One of my fish that I have had since he was a wee little thing has developed identical indentations on both sides of his body and I can’t figure out why. These dents are above and back from the stomach/abdomen area and I don’t suspect it to be associated with parasites or weight loss as he has not become thin in any other part of his body. He does occasionally experience abnormal swimming patterns, usually a subtle slight up/down or forward/backward jerking motion. Other than that he seems to be feeding normal and has been one of my fastest growing discuses in the tank. Any ideas? Thanks a bunch, shane
Answer by David; Discus USA: My best guess without seeing that fish is that it is a deformity. That fish probably should have been culled. But without seeing it is would be hard to say for sure.
Jaquie on April 6, 2011, 7:50 am wrote
I wrote on April 3 and asked about water hardness issues at the pet shop where I bought my discus. Thank you David for your great advice about asking the shop owner to change his water with my RO water, instead of changing my water to match his. I have another question. In the tank at the shop with my 2 blue turquoise discus, there are 2 other discus. I was thinking of purchasing them also to encourage the shop owner to change his water to match mine. I don’t know what type these other 2 discus are and neither does the shop owner. They appear brown from a distance, but on close inspection, the larger of the 2 (approx 5") is starting to colour with a red background and turquoise spots (like a snakeskin). The smaller one (4") also has the same colour pattern starting but to a lesser degree. Are these fish possibly just juveniles and have not coloured yet to their full potential? Or are they just not a colourful variety, in which case I would rather look for some red turquoise? What confuses me is the blue turquoise which I already bought are the same size and are already in full colour. I know it is difficult to tell without seeing them yourself, but I hope you can answer the question as best you can. To make it easier, in other words, are they born in full colour or does the colour develop as they get older (or larger), and are some varieties quicker to colour than others?
Answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk: Nowadays there are many colour variations as more and more Discus are being bred with crossing the strains, the juvenile Discus will display slightly different markings and it is only when they mature that their full colouration will be displayed. Some strains of discus such as the Blue Turqs will display their colours earlier than other strains, this is perfectly normal and is also a good indicator that the fish are healthy. When I first kept Discus many years ago, there were only a few tank bred strains available but it seems now that any colour under the rainbow is available. By the way the Red or Blue Turqs are one of the hardier species of Discus and are usually kept without too many problems!

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