Everything About Discus You Need to Know Before You Buy
Among aquarist Discus are considered the “crown jewel”. While these fish can make the centerpiece of any aquarium, keeping them is much more challenging than just admiring their beauty through an aquarium glass. Therefore, before you buy discus fish, it is essential to understand their specific needs, including proper tank maintenance, care feeding options and breeding.
Factors to Consider Before Buying
Discus fish are not recommended for beginner aquarists due to their specific care requirements, it requires expertise for adequate discus fish keeping.
Discus are large fish, growing up to an average of 6-8 inches in diameter. It is advisable to keep these fish in groups rather than separate individuals or single pairs. Therefore, for a group of 5-6 discus, you need a tank that could hold up to at least 200 litres, although a 275 litre or larger tank is ideal. The ideal water condition is warm, soft, slightly acidic water. With optimum conditions ranging from 28°C to 30°C in water temperature , with a slightly acidic pH range of 5.5 to 6.8 and water hardness ranging from 1 to 4 dGH.
These fish produce a considerable amount of waste, therefore frequent water changes are essential. This is a 25%-50% water change out of the total volume in the tank. A high-quality filtration system is essential to maintain optimal water quality.
Discus fish can be relatively expensive, depending on their size, color variety. Prices can range from AU$20 to AU$600 or even more for rare or large varieties. It’s important to invest in healthy, seasoned fish from reputable sellers. Melbourne Tropical Fish offers a wide selection of Discus fish, including Red Melons, Spotted Eruption, Blue Turquoise, Blue Diamond, Powder Blue, White Diamond, Spotted Leopard, Red Turquoise, Golden Yellow Discus, Cobalt Discus, Snow Leopard, Red Cover, Flora Turquoise, Pigeon CheckerBoard, Red Marlboro, Flora Snakeskin, Red Checkerboard Adults and many more. Melbourne Tropical Fish ensures that customers receive healthy, well-seasoned fish.
With expert advice and a commitment to quality, Melbourne Tropical Fish is your go-to source for all your aquarium needs.
Discus fish are non-aggressive and social but are also slow feeders. You should avoid fast, aggressive and larger fish that may outcompete them for food and tank space. Fish species like Cardinal and Rummy- nose tetras, Corydoras catfish, Ram cichlids and Bristlenose plecos are suitable tank mates.
- Look for active fish that have clear eyes, and exhibit no signs of disease (such as clamped fins, white spots, or lethargy).
(Tip- Healthy discus will have vibrant, consistent coloring and be responsive when you approach the tank)
- It's always best to purchase from reputable sellers like Melbourne Tropical Fish Aquarium, where the discus are well-cared for and properly acclimated.
Setting Up Your Discus Tank
Discus fish require large, spacious tanks, which could hold > 200 litres being ideal for larger groups or mixed tanks. A tall aquarium is preferred, as discus tend to swim in the mid level waters.
Maintaining stable water conditions is important for discus fish as sudden changes in water parameters can lead to stress, disease, and even death. The ideal water conditions for a discus tank include the following:
- Filtration- A high-quality filtration system is necessary to remove waste, as discus are sensitive to nitrates and ammonia. Use a canister filter with biological filtration to maintain water quality. These filters are available to purchase at Melbourne Tropical Fish.
- Heater- A reliable aquarium heater is needed to maintain a consistent optimum temperature within 28°C to 30°C.
- Water changes- Approximately a 20-30% water change every two weeks is needed to ensure optimal water quality is ideal to keep nitrates low and water parameters stable.
It is best to use a water testing kit to ensure that all water parameters are within the required range.
Discus prefer a natural environment, so it is preferable to choose substrates and decorations that mimic their native habitat. Fine sand or bare-bottom tanks are commonly used for discus, as both options are easy to clean and allow for clear visibility of waste material. You can also add driftwood, rocks, and live plants to add a glimpse of their natural surroundings to their tank set up but ensure that those additions do not alter the water parameters significantly and cause a negative impact for the well-being of these fish.
Discus prefer subdued lighting, as their natural environment is dim due to the heavy vegetation and canopy of trees in the Amazon Rainforest, which is their native habitat. Use low-intensity LED lights or place the tank in a shaded area of the room to prevent stress incurred by heaving.
What to Feed Your Discus
A balanced diet is essential for the health and pigmentation of your discus fish. In the wild, they feed on small invertebrates such as worms and crustaceans, plant matter, and detritus.
In captivity they can be given high-quality pellets and flakes specifically formulated for discus. These foods are rich in vitamins and nutrients. Another healthy food option is bloodworms, brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, and daphnia which are excellent sources of protein providing a similar amount of nutrition as their natural diet. These fall under the frozen food option category and are available for purchase at Melbourne Tropical Fish Discus Food.
Live feed such as blackworms, mosquito larvae, and baby brine shrimp are great options but should be fed carefully to avoid the introduction of parasites.
Another most common feed used by discus breeders is a homemade mix to ensure they receive a high-protein, nutrient-rich balanced diet.
Prepare your own Homemade Mix
Ingredients
- Beef heart
- Spinach
- Carrots
- Shrimp or fish fillets
- Multivitamins (optional)
- Gelatin powder (to bind the mixture)
Steps
- Take the beef heart and remove all fat and sinew, as they can negatively affect the fish’s digestion. Cut out the beef heart into small chunks.
- Then in a food processor, blend the beef heart with spinach, carrots, and shrimp or fish fillets until it turns into a smooth paste.
- Optionally, you can add multivitamins designed for fish to boost the nutritional value.
- Finally dissolve gelatin powder in hot water and mix it into the paste to help bind the ingredients together.
- Then spread the mixture onto a baking sheet and freeze it until solid.
- Once frozen, cut the mixture into small cubes or sheets suitable for feeding.
If preparation is difficult, this homemade beef heart food mix is available to be purchased at Melbourne Tropical Fish.
Also, always remove the uneaten food from the tank to avoid contamination and maintain a clean tank.
Discus Breeding
Breeding discus is a challenging but rather compulsive experience. Discus are monogamous! Scientifically monogamous means their pairing up is long-term pair bonds and will care for their offspring as a shared responsibility. However, the breeding process requires proper water conditions and careful observation.
Identifying Breeding Pairs
Discus fish do not display sexual dimorphism, the males and females look almost identical so it's difficult to differentiate the sexes. However, during breeding, you can observe certain differences such that the males are often slightly larger with more pointed dorsal and anal fins; and the females tend to have a rounder body much oval-like shape and a thicker ovipositor (egg-laying tube).
Discus will naturally pair off when kept in groups. Once a pair forms, they will separate from the rest of the school and begin selecting a spawning site, usually a flat surface like a rock or plant leaf.
Spawning Process
Once a suitable site is chosen, the female will lay eggs, and afterwards the male will fertilize them. Discus are well known for their excellent parental care. Both parents are involved in fanning the eggs to provide oxygen and keep them clean. The eggs typically hatch within 48 to 60 hours, depending on the water temperature.
After hatching, the fry (baby fish) will feed on a mucus secretion produced by the parents' skin for the first week. Make sure you maintain clean water during this time to prevent infections or parasites.
Raising Fry
After a week of feeding on the mucus, the fry should be introduced to baby brine shrimp or commercially available fry food. At this stage regular water changes are needed to ensure the fry's growth and survival. Discus fry are sensitive to poor water quality, so careful monitoring is essential to ensure their development.
Discus Fish for Sale
Discus fish are highly prized due to their extreme attractiveness and complex care requirements. It is for a reason they are called the King of the Aquarium.
Prices for discus can vary greatly depending on their size, variety, colour vividity and source of the fish. Wild-caught discus are often more expensive than captive-bred varieties.
When looking for discus fish for sale, it is important to buy from reputable breeders or fish stores. For the best selection and expert advice, head to Melbourne Tropical Fish, where you can purchase these fascinating fish, discuss food and all the supplies you need to create the perfect tank setup and conditions for them.