cheesy feet
Fish Aficionado
Discus in general
Discus Cichlids have taken on the name ‘King of the Aquarium’ for many reasons, such as colour, shape & behaviour. First off, discus can come in many different colour morphs such as Pigeon blood, Red Turk, Blue Turk, Brilliant Turk, Diamond, Blue Diamond, Snakeskin, Marlboro Reds, Red Melons; just to name a few. I would be here all day if I were to write all about the colour morph varieties! Let’s just say, the possibilities of discus colour morphs are endless.
Discus with blue pigment show of their colours best when the aquarium has marine lights (10,000 K +). In planted aquariums, the Blue Turk looks fantastic, as it stands out through the green background of plants.
Picture-Cheesy feet. Sub adult Blue Turk.
Now, their shape, as their name suggests, is like a discus: an almost circular appearance. The only cichlids which come close to the Discus body shape are Angels, Severums or the Uaru; however, these have slight differences in comparison to Discus in shape & colour. Their unique shape just adds to their striking appearance, making them even more attractive to fish keepers.
Note the discus-like shape. As Discus become more mature, they take on a more round appearance.
Picture - Angelmouse
Behaviour: They are very friendly cichlids if kept in shoals of 5 or more (try to aim for odd numbers of discus in shoals as this spreads their aggression). You will not get bored of them swimming up and down the tank in unison, begging for food and exploring around the aquarium.
As Discus are one of the most spectacular cichlids in the world, yet they are not easy to care for nor affordable, but, if you follow my guidelines, you should have few problems. As Discus are becoming even more popular, many breeders allow you to purchase Discus’ at a reasonable price (£10.00-£20.00 for common colour morphs). Most illnesses/parasites are from poor water quality or introduced by new fish or food, so care should be taken.
Discus Details
Size: A healthy discus can reach as large as 9"; however, 6-8" is more common.
Tank Size: As a rule, two adult Discus (pair) should have at least a 30 gallon aquarium. Add at least 10 gallons for each additional Discus. The aquarium should be 16"+ in height, as they are deep-bodied fish. KEEPING ONLY ONE DISCUS WILL RESULT IN STRESS AND INEVITABLE DEATH.
PH: 6.0 -6.5 is needed for breeding. My Discus’ live in a Ph of around 8.0!
GH: 2-11
KH: 1-6
dH: 0-3dH
Temperature: 25-29°C (77-84°F), 28C-31C when attempting to breed
Diet
Discus are carnivorous, so feed live/frozen foods such as: Blood worms, Glass worms, Beef heart, and Tubifex worms. Frozen foods that are high in protein are also ideal. For staple you can use Tetra Prima granules for Discus or Sera Discus granules. It should be around 50-60% granules and 40-50% frozen/live.Flake foods are also good, and other foods such as Discuskin and Discus delights. I personally do not use live food as the live food purchased at my fish shops seem to always result in a fish developing an illness.Variety is best!
Habitat
Discus are found in planted and wooded areas in the slow moving backwaters of the Amazon River system. This water is soft, warm and has little current. They are found in large groups, except when spawning. Their natural food is a mixture of aquatic invertebrates, small fish, insects, and fry. Many other commonly kept South American tetras (such as the Cardinal Tetra) and cichlids can be found in these waters, which can make ideal tank mates. Their shape helps them slip between wooden branches and stems, and their colours provide camouflage by breaking up their outline and blending with the shadows.
How to feed
Feed your Discus at least 3x a day, varying in foods each time. You can feed them small amounts 5x daily, which should speed up their growth rate. Overfeeding will lead to deaths and stunting, so if you have doubts that you are not feeding your Discus the right amount, feed less! The myth of granules expanding (because they haven’t absorbed water when the Discus has consumed them) inside a Discus’ stomach, resulting in bloat, is a myth. Maybe if you are feeding your discus catfish pellets this might happen. It will not occur with the correct food, though.
Useful tips when Buying Discus
When looking at the fishes health, don’t just look at the Discus you have set your eye on, examine the other Discus/fish that are also in the tank. Chances are with Discus, if one is ill so are the rest of them.
The signs to look out for are:
•Stringy white feces
•Thin and pale Discus/fish
•Discus/fish with noticeable abbesses, fungus or ripped fins.
•Discus/fish gasping for air at the top of the water or laying on the bottom of the aquarium on their side.
•If they are in an aquarium with unacceptable tank mates (i.e. Silver dollars), chances are that they’re under a lot of stress and could have a parasitic infection.
•If you see a discus with a white area, with ‘white stuff’ hanging of it, is actually the Discus’ slime coat and it may have been damaged by another fish or even when it was caught. Either way, a damaged slime coat can lead to infection/disease, which leads to death.
•And anything you might think is unusual!
Filtration
There seems to be a bit of a controversy as to what is the best filtration for Discus. IMHO, sponge filters are the best when breeding/growing Discus, as they quickly collect beneficial bacteria and do a good job of purifying the water. As Discus eat loads of meaty foods and are a classic cichlid (messy), you should aim to at least x2 the tanks recommended filtration. In one of my discus aquariums I have a Bio life wet/dry filter. This keeps the water clean and the Discus happy. In my other aquarium (40 gallons), I have 2 sponge filters capable of filtering a 60 gallon tank and on top of that, I have a Magni jet (for up to a 55 gallon aquarium) Sponge filter, as I found that the two sponge filters were not capable of doing the job alone. So, aim for at least 2x your recommended filtration and just choose what filter is in your range. If you have got the money, aim for 10x biological filtration, then you will be able to do less water changes and spend more time watching your fish!
So my water is not acceptable for Discus, how do I lower the pH?
This pinned thread will explain it all- http
/www.fishforums.net/So-You-Want-To-A...Ph-t187893.html . Try to avoid most chemicals. Tank bred Discus won’t need to have a change in the waters pH, as the Discus will already be acclimatized to it. Tank bred Discus can be very hardy, unlike wild caught Discus, which can be susceptible to parasites and illnesses. As I have stated, my discus are in a Ph of around 8.4, although my decor (wood & plants) seems to lower it to around 7.8.
Maintenance
The more water changes and the more times you feed your Discus throughout the day (remember it’s not the quantity of the food, but the amount of times you feed them throughout the course of the day), the faster the growth. Feed at least 3xs daily. Change water (minimum) every 2 days for young discus, 4 days (minimum) for sub adult Discus and every week-2 weeks (although every month is not unheard of) (minimum) for adults. If you see a large amount of waste build up on the bottom of the aquarium regularly, you should revise how much you are feeding, what your filtration and water change routine is and your stocking levels. Keep in mind that small waste that build ups on the bottom of the aquarium is common, but should also be sucked up with a siphon/python/gravel vac. Clean the filter media every 2 months in aquarium water, keeping the beneficial bacteria and ridding it of old waste. If using a RO (Reverse Osmosis) unit you will not need to add any chemicals to remove the chlorine/chloramines; however, if you are using tap water, you may want to test your chlorine/chloramines levels in your water. Adding water with a lot of chlorine/chloramines in can kill the good bacteria on filters, resulting in a mini cycle. You can buy commercial products which remove chlorine/chloramines for the water.
Tank mates
It is true to say the best tank mate for a Discus is more Discus; however, there are many possibilities. Here is a list of compatible & non compatible fish.
Compatible:
Gold Nugget Plecotomus - Baryancistrus sp.
Upside-down catfish - Synodontis nigriventris
Polka dot catfish - Synodontis angelicus
Black neon tetra - Hyphessobrycon herbertaxlerodi
American flag fish - Jordanella floridae
Twig catfish - Farlowella acus
Whiptail catfish - Rineloricaria sp.
Kuhli loach - Pangio (Acanthophthalmus) kuhli
Cardinal Tetra - Paracheirodon Axelrodi
Clown Loach - Botia Macracantha
Corydoras Catfish - Corydoras sp.(only some species, some may not be suited to Discus temperatures)
Imperial Zebra Plecostomus - Hypancistrus zebra
Siamese Algae Eater - Crossocheilus siamensis
German rams - Mikrogeophagus ramirezi
Moonlight Gouramis - Trichogaster microlepis
Emerald Catfifish - Brochis splendens
Black Ghost Knifefish - Apterontus albifrons
Spotted Headstander - Chilodus punctatus
Pictus Cat - Pimelodus pictus
Clown Peckoltia - Dekeyseria pulcher
Rainbow fish " Melanotaenia sp(be careful, sometimes these fish can stress out Discus and steal their food)
Cockatoo Cichlid - Apistogramma cacatuoides
Bolivian Ram - Mikrogeophagus altispinosa
Dwarf Loach - Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki
Pearl Gourami - Trichogaster leeri
Harlequin Rasbora - Rasbora heteromorpha
Black Ruby Barb - Barbus nigrofasciata
They should not be kept with fish which may try to suck their slime coat off, i.e. Common plecos, Sailfin plecos & the CAE(and others belonging to the Panque group), or other fast moving/fin nipping fish such as Tiger barbs and Blue Gouramis. Also, quarantine all fish for at least 3 weeks before introducing to your Discus aquarium. Please PM me if you have any other tank mates for Discus which are not on this list.
Angelfish: Good or Bad tank mates?
nmonks (registered user): The disease Hexamita, which is very common in commercially raised stocks of angelfish and some dwarf cichlids (esp. Mikrogeophagus ramirezi) can easily spread to Discus. Without antibiotics, it is very difficult to cure. Be sure to quarantine them in a separate aquarium for at least 3 weeks.
So I know what a Discus is and what requirements they need, but what tank set-up do they need?
There are three ways you can go.
1. Heavily planted aquarium with bogwood/Mopani (can help to get Discus less shy) roots. The only advantage you get from setting up a tank like this is the appearance and the fish which will love it; however, you must stop algae and maintain the plants while keeping a healthy environment for your Discus. If you want to set up an aquarium like this, I suggest you have a look through the pinned articles on the planted tank section of the forum.
2. Bare Bottom (no substrate). Usually used for growing young Discus or for breeding Discus. Advantages with this set up: can be easily cleaned, less or no algae issues and a much easier way to keep the water clean. You can use any of the normal decors and even potted plants such as the Amazon sword. IMO Amazon swords are a must, because Discus use these plants to rest on when sleeping.
3. Normal set up. Gravel/sand as substrate and Bogwood/Mopani roots (do not use rocks which may raise the pH) for decor. This kind of set up is quite easy to do, but as it will not have plants I doubt discus will like it much.
When setting up any Discus aquarium, you should make sure you include plenty of retreats (Mopani roots/plants), which provide cover and shade. These will make your Discus feel more secure.
Many people ask "Why are my Discus skittish?" Well, the most common reasons are:
1. You have not got enough retreats and decor to make your Discus feel safe. Add more retreats and hides such as mopani roots, bogwood & plants.
2. You only have a small shoal (under 5) of Discus, which will make them feel insecure. Have a minimum of 5 Discus. If you have a pair, they will be ok by themselves.
3. You have incompatible tank mates, which steal the food, spook or bully your Discus. Remove the tank mates.
4. High traffic area. If you have a tank where lots of things are going on (I.e. kitchen/lounge) they feel insecure because of all the vibrations and movements outside the aquarium. Move the aquarium to a room with less traffic.
5. Your aquarium has bright lights, which spook the Discus when you turn them on. Replace the lights with something more suited to Discus (say 1 WPG).
nmonks (registered user): The mistake people make with discus (and angelfish) is not to build the wood up to the waterline, and instead scatter it at the bottom where it's no good to the fish at all. What these species want is plenty of tall, tree trunk-like bogwood around which they can school and hide.
I've had my tank set up for a while now and I want to go the next step. How do you breed Discus?
Short Version
To start of you will need a minimum of a 55gallon aquarium (keep it bare bottom so you can quickly remove waste) & 6 sub adult or adult Discus. For ideal conditions, your pH should be between 6.0-7.0, kH of 1-6, gH of 2-11, dH of 0-3. You will need to feed the parents a very good diet (as shown earlier). In time, you should notice that some Discus form pairs. Once this happens, separate the pair and place them in a minimum of a 30 gallon aquarium. Perform water changes every day or every second day. It is proven that Discus breeding & feeding responses are triggered when water changes are performed, because it simulates the changes in season in the Amazon River. Once your pair is established, they may lay eggs as many times as 15x a week! The eggs take roughly 2 days to hatch and become free swimmers another 3 days later. You will notice the fry stay to the parent’s side and eat their slime coat (for food). After they have been free swimming for 5 days, you can feed them brine shrimp. Remove the fry after 2-3 weeks, as the parents can become stressed and it is a risk to their health. Breeders recommend feeding 6x+ a day for hatchling Discus, as their appetite will be strong and this is the stage where they grow rapidly. Try to do water changes everyday after the last feeding on your rearing tanks. Then the processed is repeated!
Detailed version by DiscusAngel
There are two ways to go about obtaining a breeding pair of discus. The most common is to buy a group of young discus and grow them up together. For a good chance of getting a pair, at least six discus must be purchased, hopefully from a few different sources so as to get some genetic diversity in the breeding program. These fish are then housed together until pairs can be determined. When two discus pair off they will defend a territory in the aquarium against all of their other tank mates. When this behaviour is observed it is time for the breeder to move the "newlyweds" to an aquarium of their own. The second way to obtain a breeding pair is to go out and buy one. This is a more expensive route, since proven pairs sell for several hundred dollars, but it will yield the fastest results.
Regardless of how you get your pair, you will need an aquarium set up for them with the objective of breeding in mind. A twenty or twenty-seven gallon tall tank is ideal for these "tall" fish. The bottom is left bare, so that removing any left over food and other debris is easy. The only decor required by the pair is a spawning surface. Discus lay their eggs in the same manner as angels, and so a vertical surface should be provided for them to deposit their eggs on. I use an inverted ceramic flower pot, but the discus aren’t picky and will use whatever surface is available. A potted plant or two can be added to the breeding tank if so desired, and will provide some shelter for the pair, but this is not essential. As far as filtration goes, a sponge filter should be used to handle the biological load, and an outside power filter to pick up any debris that may be in the water. I also like to add a mesh bag of peat moss in the power filter so as to better replicate the natural water conditions that discus come from.
This brings us to the first and most important secret you will need to know if you are going to have any success breeding discus. This is the secret of water quality. Discus come from the warm, soft, acidic waters of the Amazon River. It’s no surprise then that discus thrive when these conditions are replicated in the home aquarium. For both general maintenance and breeding of discus the pH should be kept at 6.5, and the temperature around 86 F. Any alterations that need to be made to the water chemistry should always be done prior to the water being added to the tank. For general maintenance water changes should be performed weekly. However in the breeding tank, a small water change should be done every day, or every second day. Frequent water changes increase appetite and promote mating activity in discus. It’s no coincidence that discus will often spawn after a water change.
The second secret is related to the first, and this is the secret of food. If good water quality is maintained the discus will have large appetites and should greedily accept any food offered to them. My discus get fed only frozen bloodworms. The reason for this is that they are clean and convenient to use. Other foods that can be used include beef heart, Tetra Color Bits, frozen or live brine shrimp, and live white worms. If feeding beef heart, one must be careful that none is left over because it will foul the water very quickly. Live tubifex or black worms should never be fed to discus at any time, as I can guarantee that they will introduce parasites to the tank.
Once these two secrets are mastered, breeding discus is a cinch. The breeding pair will lay eggs as often as every week, as many as fifteen times. They will usually go through two of these spawning cycles in a year. The eggs take 48 hours to hatch , and are free-swimming another 72 hours later. Immediately upon becoming free-swimming the fry will move to their parents’ sides, and start feeding off the mucous secretion that is produced by the parents during this time. The fry will feed off their parents’ sides for as long as you leave them together, but they should be offered newly hatched brine shrimp after being free-swimming for five days.
I recommend that the fry be removed between two and three weeks after reaching the free-swimming stage, as leaving them with the parents any longer can be hazardous for the parents’ health. The youngsters will actually reach a point where they can start ripping off scales and bits of flesh from the parents. Once the fry are removed the pair will spawn again in short order. The fry, now in a tank of their own, should be fed six or more times a day. The best foods to give the fry are newly hatched brine shrimp and chopped bloodworms. It’s amazing how fast baby discus grow, for the first few weeks there is noticeable daily growth. In the fry tank it is important to do a partial water change every night after the last feeding.
Conclusion
Discus are fantastic fish and have definitely earned their name ‘King of the Aquarium.’ I have to admit they are definitely the most attractive fish I have (owning 8 of them myself). These fish are not for a first time hobbyist; however, any fish keeper who has enough knowledge to be able to run an aquarium (and keep the fish alive in it!) should have success with Discus. They are not as hard to care for as some people say, because if master your feeding and water changing routine, you will find these fish as easy to care for as any other fish (well maybe not any fish).
Kev_kb's Conclusion
RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH, don't read this thread and think you know it all! Always research, you'll read lots of different views and over time you'll make your own decisions about things. Find a decent local breeder with quality fish and be prepared for time and expense it takes to keep these wonderful fish. If you can match their requirements they are really not that hard to keep.
I hope you have found this information useful. I will get better pictures of my Discus (phone camera isn't working atm?!) and edit the information when I think fit. So if you have any advice, ideas or pictures please PM me and I will add them, of course giving the credit to you!I need pictures from you guys for different colour morphs!
Thanks!
Brilliant Turk
Pigeon Blood
Red Turk
Leopard snakeskin
Red Marlboro
Blue Diamond
Spotted Pigeon blood
Red Turk Snakeskin
Peach Dragon
Snow fire
Pictures by Me,Angelmouse, Beechey,DiscusAngel.Edited by;Invaderwithkey
Discus Cichlids have taken on the name ‘King of the Aquarium’ for many reasons, such as colour, shape & behaviour. First off, discus can come in many different colour morphs such as Pigeon blood, Red Turk, Blue Turk, Brilliant Turk, Diamond, Blue Diamond, Snakeskin, Marlboro Reds, Red Melons; just to name a few. I would be here all day if I were to write all about the colour morph varieties! Let’s just say, the possibilities of discus colour morphs are endless.
Discus with blue pigment show of their colours best when the aquarium has marine lights (10,000 K +). In planted aquariums, the Blue Turk looks fantastic, as it stands out through the green background of plants.
Picture-Cheesy feet. Sub adult Blue Turk.
Now, their shape, as their name suggests, is like a discus: an almost circular appearance. The only cichlids which come close to the Discus body shape are Angels, Severums or the Uaru; however, these have slight differences in comparison to Discus in shape & colour. Their unique shape just adds to their striking appearance, making them even more attractive to fish keepers.
Note the discus-like shape. As Discus become more mature, they take on a more round appearance.
Picture - Angelmouse
Behaviour: They are very friendly cichlids if kept in shoals of 5 or more (try to aim for odd numbers of discus in shoals as this spreads their aggression). You will not get bored of them swimming up and down the tank in unison, begging for food and exploring around the aquarium.
As Discus are one of the most spectacular cichlids in the world, yet they are not easy to care for nor affordable, but, if you follow my guidelines, you should have few problems. As Discus are becoming even more popular, many breeders allow you to purchase Discus’ at a reasonable price (£10.00-£20.00 for common colour morphs). Most illnesses/parasites are from poor water quality or introduced by new fish or food, so care should be taken.
Discus Details
Size: A healthy discus can reach as large as 9"; however, 6-8" is more common.
Tank Size: As a rule, two adult Discus (pair) should have at least a 30 gallon aquarium. Add at least 10 gallons for each additional Discus. The aquarium should be 16"+ in height, as they are deep-bodied fish. KEEPING ONLY ONE DISCUS WILL RESULT IN STRESS AND INEVITABLE DEATH.
PH: 6.0 -6.5 is needed for breeding. My Discus’ live in a Ph of around 8.0!
GH: 2-11
KH: 1-6
dH: 0-3dH
Temperature: 25-29°C (77-84°F), 28C-31C when attempting to breed
Diet
Discus are carnivorous, so feed live/frozen foods such as: Blood worms, Glass worms, Beef heart, and Tubifex worms. Frozen foods that are high in protein are also ideal. For staple you can use Tetra Prima granules for Discus or Sera Discus granules. It should be around 50-60% granules and 40-50% frozen/live.Flake foods are also good, and other foods such as Discuskin and Discus delights. I personally do not use live food as the live food purchased at my fish shops seem to always result in a fish developing an illness.Variety is best!
Habitat
Discus are found in planted and wooded areas in the slow moving backwaters of the Amazon River system. This water is soft, warm and has little current. They are found in large groups, except when spawning. Their natural food is a mixture of aquatic invertebrates, small fish, insects, and fry. Many other commonly kept South American tetras (such as the Cardinal Tetra) and cichlids can be found in these waters, which can make ideal tank mates. Their shape helps them slip between wooden branches and stems, and their colours provide camouflage by breaking up their outline and blending with the shadows.
How to feed
Feed your Discus at least 3x a day, varying in foods each time. You can feed them small amounts 5x daily, which should speed up their growth rate. Overfeeding will lead to deaths and stunting, so if you have doubts that you are not feeding your Discus the right amount, feed less! The myth of granules expanding (because they haven’t absorbed water when the Discus has consumed them) inside a Discus’ stomach, resulting in bloat, is a myth. Maybe if you are feeding your discus catfish pellets this might happen. It will not occur with the correct food, though.
Useful tips when Buying Discus
When looking at the fishes health, don’t just look at the Discus you have set your eye on, examine the other Discus/fish that are also in the tank. Chances are with Discus, if one is ill so are the rest of them.
The signs to look out for are:
•Stringy white feces
•Thin and pale Discus/fish
•Discus/fish with noticeable abbesses, fungus or ripped fins.
•Discus/fish gasping for air at the top of the water or laying on the bottom of the aquarium on their side.
•If they are in an aquarium with unacceptable tank mates (i.e. Silver dollars), chances are that they’re under a lot of stress and could have a parasitic infection.
•If you see a discus with a white area, with ‘white stuff’ hanging of it, is actually the Discus’ slime coat and it may have been damaged by another fish or even when it was caught. Either way, a damaged slime coat can lead to infection/disease, which leads to death.
•And anything you might think is unusual!
Filtration
There seems to be a bit of a controversy as to what is the best filtration for Discus. IMHO, sponge filters are the best when breeding/growing Discus, as they quickly collect beneficial bacteria and do a good job of purifying the water. As Discus eat loads of meaty foods and are a classic cichlid (messy), you should aim to at least x2 the tanks recommended filtration. In one of my discus aquariums I have a Bio life wet/dry filter. This keeps the water clean and the Discus happy. In my other aquarium (40 gallons), I have 2 sponge filters capable of filtering a 60 gallon tank and on top of that, I have a Magni jet (for up to a 55 gallon aquarium) Sponge filter, as I found that the two sponge filters were not capable of doing the job alone. So, aim for at least 2x your recommended filtration and just choose what filter is in your range. If you have got the money, aim for 10x biological filtration, then you will be able to do less water changes and spend more time watching your fish!
So my water is not acceptable for Discus, how do I lower the pH?
This pinned thread will explain it all- http
/www.fishforums.net/So-You-Want-To-A...Ph-t187893.html . Try to avoid most chemicals. Tank bred Discus won’t need to have a change in the waters pH, as the Discus will already be acclimatized to it. Tank bred Discus can be very hardy, unlike wild caught Discus, which can be susceptible to parasites and illnesses. As I have stated, my discus are in a Ph of around 8.4, although my decor (wood & plants) seems to lower it to around 7.8.Maintenance
The more water changes and the more times you feed your Discus throughout the day (remember it’s not the quantity of the food, but the amount of times you feed them throughout the course of the day), the faster the growth. Feed at least 3xs daily. Change water (minimum) every 2 days for young discus, 4 days (minimum) for sub adult Discus and every week-2 weeks (although every month is not unheard of) (minimum) for adults. If you see a large amount of waste build up on the bottom of the aquarium regularly, you should revise how much you are feeding, what your filtration and water change routine is and your stocking levels. Keep in mind that small waste that build ups on the bottom of the aquarium is common, but should also be sucked up with a siphon/python/gravel vac. Clean the filter media every 2 months in aquarium water, keeping the beneficial bacteria and ridding it of old waste. If using a RO (Reverse Osmosis) unit you will not need to add any chemicals to remove the chlorine/chloramines; however, if you are using tap water, you may want to test your chlorine/chloramines levels in your water. Adding water with a lot of chlorine/chloramines in can kill the good bacteria on filters, resulting in a mini cycle. You can buy commercial products which remove chlorine/chloramines for the water.
Tank mates
It is true to say the best tank mate for a Discus is more Discus; however, there are many possibilities. Here is a list of compatible & non compatible fish.
Compatible:
Gold Nugget Plecotomus - Baryancistrus sp.
Upside-down catfish - Synodontis nigriventris
Polka dot catfish - Synodontis angelicus
Black neon tetra - Hyphessobrycon herbertaxlerodi
American flag fish - Jordanella floridae
Twig catfish - Farlowella acus
Whiptail catfish - Rineloricaria sp.
Kuhli loach - Pangio (Acanthophthalmus) kuhli
Cardinal Tetra - Paracheirodon Axelrodi
Clown Loach - Botia Macracantha
Corydoras Catfish - Corydoras sp.(only some species, some may not be suited to Discus temperatures)
Imperial Zebra Plecostomus - Hypancistrus zebra
Siamese Algae Eater - Crossocheilus siamensis
German rams - Mikrogeophagus ramirezi
Moonlight Gouramis - Trichogaster microlepis
Emerald Catfifish - Brochis splendens
Black Ghost Knifefish - Apterontus albifrons
Spotted Headstander - Chilodus punctatus
Pictus Cat - Pimelodus pictus
Clown Peckoltia - Dekeyseria pulcher
Rainbow fish " Melanotaenia sp(be careful, sometimes these fish can stress out Discus and steal their food)
Cockatoo Cichlid - Apistogramma cacatuoides
Bolivian Ram - Mikrogeophagus altispinosa
Dwarf Loach - Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki
Pearl Gourami - Trichogaster leeri
Harlequin Rasbora - Rasbora heteromorpha
Black Ruby Barb - Barbus nigrofasciata
They should not be kept with fish which may try to suck their slime coat off, i.e. Common plecos, Sailfin plecos & the CAE(and others belonging to the Panque group), or other fast moving/fin nipping fish such as Tiger barbs and Blue Gouramis. Also, quarantine all fish for at least 3 weeks before introducing to your Discus aquarium. Please PM me if you have any other tank mates for Discus which are not on this list.
Angelfish: Good or Bad tank mates?
nmonks (registered user): The disease Hexamita, which is very common in commercially raised stocks of angelfish and some dwarf cichlids (esp. Mikrogeophagus ramirezi) can easily spread to Discus. Without antibiotics, it is very difficult to cure. Be sure to quarantine them in a separate aquarium for at least 3 weeks.
So I know what a Discus is and what requirements they need, but what tank set-up do they need?
There are three ways you can go.
1. Heavily planted aquarium with bogwood/Mopani (can help to get Discus less shy) roots. The only advantage you get from setting up a tank like this is the appearance and the fish which will love it; however, you must stop algae and maintain the plants while keeping a healthy environment for your Discus. If you want to set up an aquarium like this, I suggest you have a look through the pinned articles on the planted tank section of the forum.
2. Bare Bottom (no substrate). Usually used for growing young Discus or for breeding Discus. Advantages with this set up: can be easily cleaned, less or no algae issues and a much easier way to keep the water clean. You can use any of the normal decors and even potted plants such as the Amazon sword. IMO Amazon swords are a must, because Discus use these plants to rest on when sleeping.
3. Normal set up. Gravel/sand as substrate and Bogwood/Mopani roots (do not use rocks which may raise the pH) for decor. This kind of set up is quite easy to do, but as it will not have plants I doubt discus will like it much.
When setting up any Discus aquarium, you should make sure you include plenty of retreats (Mopani roots/plants), which provide cover and shade. These will make your Discus feel more secure.
Many people ask "Why are my Discus skittish?" Well, the most common reasons are:
1. You have not got enough retreats and decor to make your Discus feel safe. Add more retreats and hides such as mopani roots, bogwood & plants.
2. You only have a small shoal (under 5) of Discus, which will make them feel insecure. Have a minimum of 5 Discus. If you have a pair, they will be ok by themselves.
3. You have incompatible tank mates, which steal the food, spook or bully your Discus. Remove the tank mates.
4. High traffic area. If you have a tank where lots of things are going on (I.e. kitchen/lounge) they feel insecure because of all the vibrations and movements outside the aquarium. Move the aquarium to a room with less traffic.
5. Your aquarium has bright lights, which spook the Discus when you turn them on. Replace the lights with something more suited to Discus (say 1 WPG).
nmonks (registered user): The mistake people make with discus (and angelfish) is not to build the wood up to the waterline, and instead scatter it at the bottom where it's no good to the fish at all. What these species want is plenty of tall, tree trunk-like bogwood around which they can school and hide.
I've had my tank set up for a while now and I want to go the next step. How do you breed Discus?
Short Version
To start of you will need a minimum of a 55gallon aquarium (keep it bare bottom so you can quickly remove waste) & 6 sub adult or adult Discus. For ideal conditions, your pH should be between 6.0-7.0, kH of 1-6, gH of 2-11, dH of 0-3. You will need to feed the parents a very good diet (as shown earlier). In time, you should notice that some Discus form pairs. Once this happens, separate the pair and place them in a minimum of a 30 gallon aquarium. Perform water changes every day or every second day. It is proven that Discus breeding & feeding responses are triggered when water changes are performed, because it simulates the changes in season in the Amazon River. Once your pair is established, they may lay eggs as many times as 15x a week! The eggs take roughly 2 days to hatch and become free swimmers another 3 days later. You will notice the fry stay to the parent’s side and eat their slime coat (for food). After they have been free swimming for 5 days, you can feed them brine shrimp. Remove the fry after 2-3 weeks, as the parents can become stressed and it is a risk to their health. Breeders recommend feeding 6x+ a day for hatchling Discus, as their appetite will be strong and this is the stage where they grow rapidly. Try to do water changes everyday after the last feeding on your rearing tanks. Then the processed is repeated!
Detailed version by DiscusAngel
There are two ways to go about obtaining a breeding pair of discus. The most common is to buy a group of young discus and grow them up together. For a good chance of getting a pair, at least six discus must be purchased, hopefully from a few different sources so as to get some genetic diversity in the breeding program. These fish are then housed together until pairs can be determined. When two discus pair off they will defend a territory in the aquarium against all of their other tank mates. When this behaviour is observed it is time for the breeder to move the "newlyweds" to an aquarium of their own. The second way to obtain a breeding pair is to go out and buy one. This is a more expensive route, since proven pairs sell for several hundred dollars, but it will yield the fastest results.
Regardless of how you get your pair, you will need an aquarium set up for them with the objective of breeding in mind. A twenty or twenty-seven gallon tall tank is ideal for these "tall" fish. The bottom is left bare, so that removing any left over food and other debris is easy. The only decor required by the pair is a spawning surface. Discus lay their eggs in the same manner as angels, and so a vertical surface should be provided for them to deposit their eggs on. I use an inverted ceramic flower pot, but the discus aren’t picky and will use whatever surface is available. A potted plant or two can be added to the breeding tank if so desired, and will provide some shelter for the pair, but this is not essential. As far as filtration goes, a sponge filter should be used to handle the biological load, and an outside power filter to pick up any debris that may be in the water. I also like to add a mesh bag of peat moss in the power filter so as to better replicate the natural water conditions that discus come from.
This brings us to the first and most important secret you will need to know if you are going to have any success breeding discus. This is the secret of water quality. Discus come from the warm, soft, acidic waters of the Amazon River. It’s no surprise then that discus thrive when these conditions are replicated in the home aquarium. For both general maintenance and breeding of discus the pH should be kept at 6.5, and the temperature around 86 F. Any alterations that need to be made to the water chemistry should always be done prior to the water being added to the tank. For general maintenance water changes should be performed weekly. However in the breeding tank, a small water change should be done every day, or every second day. Frequent water changes increase appetite and promote mating activity in discus. It’s no coincidence that discus will often spawn after a water change.
The second secret is related to the first, and this is the secret of food. If good water quality is maintained the discus will have large appetites and should greedily accept any food offered to them. My discus get fed only frozen bloodworms. The reason for this is that they are clean and convenient to use. Other foods that can be used include beef heart, Tetra Color Bits, frozen or live brine shrimp, and live white worms. If feeding beef heart, one must be careful that none is left over because it will foul the water very quickly. Live tubifex or black worms should never be fed to discus at any time, as I can guarantee that they will introduce parasites to the tank.
Once these two secrets are mastered, breeding discus is a cinch. The breeding pair will lay eggs as often as every week, as many as fifteen times. They will usually go through two of these spawning cycles in a year. The eggs take 48 hours to hatch , and are free-swimming another 72 hours later. Immediately upon becoming free-swimming the fry will move to their parents’ sides, and start feeding off the mucous secretion that is produced by the parents during this time. The fry will feed off their parents’ sides for as long as you leave them together, but they should be offered newly hatched brine shrimp after being free-swimming for five days.
I recommend that the fry be removed between two and three weeks after reaching the free-swimming stage, as leaving them with the parents any longer can be hazardous for the parents’ health. The youngsters will actually reach a point where they can start ripping off scales and bits of flesh from the parents. Once the fry are removed the pair will spawn again in short order. The fry, now in a tank of their own, should be fed six or more times a day. The best foods to give the fry are newly hatched brine shrimp and chopped bloodworms. It’s amazing how fast baby discus grow, for the first few weeks there is noticeable daily growth. In the fry tank it is important to do a partial water change every night after the last feeding.
Conclusion
Discus are fantastic fish and have definitely earned their name ‘King of the Aquarium.’ I have to admit they are definitely the most attractive fish I have (owning 8 of them myself). These fish are not for a first time hobbyist; however, any fish keeper who has enough knowledge to be able to run an aquarium (and keep the fish alive in it!) should have success with Discus. They are not as hard to care for as some people say, because if master your feeding and water changing routine, you will find these fish as easy to care for as any other fish (well maybe not any fish).
Kev_kb's Conclusion
RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH, don't read this thread and think you know it all! Always research, you'll read lots of different views and over time you'll make your own decisions about things. Find a decent local breeder with quality fish and be prepared for time and expense it takes to keep these wonderful fish. If you can match their requirements they are really not that hard to keep.
I hope you have found this information useful. I will get better pictures of my Discus (phone camera isn't working atm?!) and edit the information when I think fit. So if you have any advice, ideas or pictures please PM me and I will add them, of course giving the credit to you!I need pictures from you guys for different colour morphs!
Thanks!
Brilliant Turk
Pigeon Blood
Red Turk
Leopard snakeskin
Red Marlboro
Blue Diamond
Spotted Pigeon blood
Red Turk Snakeskin
Peach Dragon
Snow fire
Pictures by Me,Angelmouse, Beechey,DiscusAngel.Edited by;Invaderwithkey
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