Discus Fish Blog

Return To: Why Do Discus Fish Have Black Spots (Peppering)  *I am asked this question often and before I give an answer, I always ask how often the person changes the water and cleans the tank. Getting the answer to this question is important for accurate feedback. Aquarium population and cleaning on a regular program will determine how many Discus fish can be safely added to an aquarium. Discus fish belong to the freshwater South American cichlid family and therefore display a natural cich …

Return To: Best Filter for a Discus Fish Tank  *Aquarium filters are an essential piece of equipment for any ornamental fish tank. They work to break down and remove all the waste produced by the fish as well as any other organic or food waste. The filter will also provide area in which beneficial oxidizing bacteria will grow, these bacteria are essential in keeping the aquarium water clean and free of harmful toxins. Without a filter, harmful toxic waste will build up in the tank and pollu …

Return To: Discus Fish Information  *Discus fish originate from the Amazon River, they make a bright, beautiful addition to any freshwater aquarium. They are non-aggressive and interesting to watch, but they are tropical fish, so they do need to be kept in a tank that has appropriate conditions. Your Discus will thrive if you follow some basics for Discus fish care. Water Parameters For proper Discus fish care, the water should resemble their natural habitat, so the temperature in the …

Return To: How Many Discus Fish Can I Put in a 100 or 55 Gallon Tank  *In my many years of growing Discus fish to adulthood, I have repeatedly found that they grow faster in smaller aquariums rather than large aquariums. I believe they simply burn fewer calories in a smaller tank due to lack of area to swim, which results in them growing faster and larger. You may wonder, why do they grow so large in the wild? My belief is that they have an abundant supply of fresh water and food, which in …

Return to: Discus Fish Sale *The short answer to this question is no. What I have observed in my years breeding Discus Fish is that once a female decides to spawn, pheromones are released by the female enticing any males in the vicinity to take interest in her spawning activity. It does not take long for one or two males to take interest, at which point territorial disputes might break out between all involved. Once things calm down a dominate male will emerge and start the ferti …

Return To: Discus Fish Sale *Many factors contribute to Discus fish growth rates. Including environmental factors, such as aquarium size, water changes, along with diet, and daily feeding schedule. Discus fish grow rather quickly when they are young, mostly due to the continual food supply available to them from their parents. As they reach larger sizes and different stages in age their growth rate slows. Described below is a good chart for growth in relation to age. The following gro …

Return To; Discus Fish Sale *You can be successful keeping Discus fish in an aquarium if you maintain proper conditions for them. You will need a large aquarium, with the exact size dependent upon the size and number of Discus fish you plan to have. Aquariums which are 29 to 50 gallons are a great size to start with and grow Discus in, you can keep between 6 and 15 adult Discus in this size aquarium. Larger aquariums like 75-to-100-gallon will, of course, hold more. This size als …

Return to: Featured Discus Fish *I have tried many freshwater aquarium filtration systems, from expensive wet-dry to inexpensive air driven sponge filters. I must admit, for the hobbyist that has one to just a few aquariums, the hang on the back filters is by far the easiest and will last the longest. Some of my hang on the back filters are still running after 40 years. So, for an inexpensive $30 investment they have paid for themselves many times over. There are several brand names to …

Return to: Discus Fish Sale *Freshwater Discus fish, also known as Symphysodon Discus, are named after their distinctive round disklike shape. Freshwater Discus fish can grow 6 to 8 inches in size, measuring nose to tip of tail and almost as tall. They are native to the slow moving tropical freshwater Amazon River and its tributaries. It is widely accepted that there are four sub species of Discus fish found in their natural habitat, they are, Brown, Blue, Green and Heckel Discus …

Return To: How Long Do Discus Fish Live *When Discus fish first hatch and begin free swimming, they all look the same, a brown body with extremely large black eyes compared to the rest of their body. As they grow and begin to take shape, all Discus fry 1 to 1-1/2 inch begin to take on a solid burnt reddish/orange color regardless of their inherited genetic color. At a size of 2 to 3-1/2 inch, they begin to show about 10% of their genetic color. Typically, blue colored fish begin to sho …

Return to: Discus Fish Sale *Discus fish like acidic water conditions, and your aquarium will run more efficiently when the pH is below 7.0 neutral. Bacteria is less prolific in acidic water, therefore in a Discus fish tank lowering the pH below neutral and into the acidic side will reduce bacteria. Acidic water on a molecular structure will convert toxic ammonia NH3 to a non-toxic form of ammonium Ion NH4. Aquarium ammonia testing kits will still read ammonia if present in the t …

Return to: Do Discus Fish Need Salt in Their Aquarium *White spots on Discus fish are a sign of protozoan parasite combined with fungal infection, and should be treated as such. You need to take immediate action and treat with medicine to cure this disease. Symptom’s will begin with the Discus fish rubbing against objects in the tank, and later with the visual appearance of white spot on the fish. Discus can also exhibit a loss of appetite, clamping of fins and darkening color. These …

Return To: How Long Will Discus Fish Survive After They Stop Eating *When starting a Discus fish aquarium expect them to be part of your life for a while. With proper environmental care and diet, Discus fish will live an average 8 to 10 years. Keeping in mind that this is an average, I did have one customer tell me that he lost his 13-year-old Discus fish during a power outage. I have never heard of an older Discus than this.As Discus fish age, even in water, gravity still has an effe …

Return To: When Do Discus Fish Get Their Color *I’m often asked, if there are benefits to adding salt in a freshwater Discus fish aquarium. There are two salts I will discuss in this article, Rock salt, and Epson salt.Aquarium salt or rock salt are both the same and can be purchased inexpensively at a grocery store, feed store, or the local aquarium fish store, and has been used in tropical fish keeping for decades. It is believed to help the slime coat of fish, acting as prophylactic …

Return To: What to Feed Discus Fish *Discus fish are beautiful, vividly colored fish that are a great addition to an aquarium. Keepers of Discus fish are well aware that their water must be kept clean and at specific parameters for temperature, and pH levels. In addition to their sensitivity to their habitat, they are also delicate in nature, making them more susceptible to disease than hardier species of fish. There are a number of both internal and external Discus fish diseases to b …