Introduction
You may have heard of the discus fish before. They are very vibrant fish, home to the Amazon River. You may also wonder how to care for Discus. Well, let's discuss!
Care
The most important thing is to reduce stress. This includes their diet, the water temperature, consistent water parameters, and clean water. Avoid tapping on the tank or having the tank next to loud places, such as a TV or speakers. Also avoid flashing lights.
Diet
Discus have very small mouths, eating by spitting out food then chewing and repeating the process. Avoid feeding pieces of food that are too large. The recommended foods are: frozen bloodworms and tropical granules. To enhance flavoring, garlic additive is suggested.
Habitat and Environment
- Keep them warm, between 28° C - 30° C (82° - 86° F). This keeps the fish active and keeps their metabolism going, also showing their colour better.
- Discus are slow eaters, so they would not compete well with fish that are quick eaters. Avoid tank mates such as tetras and barbs.
- pH level between 6.8 - 7.6
- Plants and decorations must be able to tolerate the water temperature. Examples include anubias, java ferns, bacopa, sword plants, and micro swords.
- Water hardness of medium-hard or softer hardness is recommended for daily life. However, for spawning and breeding fry, lower pH and lower hardness is required.
Behaviour
Discus are territorial, therefore the male to female ratio in the tank should be balanced.
Tank Size
The minimum recommended tank size is 75 gallons, due to the potential size of Discus being quite large at 4.8"-6". With 75 gallons, you could place 6 Discus.
Recommended Equipment
- Reverse osmosis filter (for clean water)
- Air stone (for oxygenation)
In General
When introducing Discus to your home aquarium, add multiple at once. Discus should be of similar sizes when adding to the tank.
Types
- Red Pigeon
- Red Melon
- Red Marlboro
- Blue Diamond
- Solid Blue
- F1
- Yellow Marlboro
- Snow White