Discus the King of the Aquarium

Last Updated on Friday, 11 February 2011 22:37 Written by Brilliant Monday, 05 July 2010 09:21

Discus – The King of the Aquarium

This fish wasn't given that name for any reason. Discus require a bit more upkeep then the typical aquarium fish. This involves frequent water changes and frequent filter cleaning. Keep a strict maintenance schedule and your Discus will reward you for years to come.

Water parameters:

Discus are soft acidic water fish, this means low hardness and pH under 7.0. Anything over 7.0 is alkaline. Water hardness can be measured in GH and KH or Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)which is a combination of KH and GH and everything else you dont want in your discus water. TDS is the optimal measurement to use when keeping discus but TDS is very broad and it is good to know GH and KH. The perfect parameters are 6.2-6.8 pH, 2-3 dGH 0-1 dKH.

Some folks will tell you they have kept their discus in 8.0 pH and 300+ppm TDS. Quite honestly I would be embarrassed to say something like this let alone suggest others to do so. Discus are soft acidic water fish, they should be kept in soft acidic water. If your not blessed with great tap water and you dont want to bother with water parameters then you may want to consider another fish, like African cichlids.

Changing water is key to keeping happy discus and proper parameters. Even in the planted tank the water should be changed frequently 25-40% three times a week for growing discus. Either way you grow, bare bottom or planted, water changes are required.

Adult discus fed once or twice a day do not require daily or weekly water changes to maintain peak health. Water changes are required when over stocking or feeding four-six times daily.

Discus environment:

The discus display tank should be at least 60 gallons, I would prefer to see all Discus in 90g or above. Stay away from thin tanks like 55g tanks. Choose a tall tank, the dimensions of the 90g are 4'x2'x2'. A minimum of 10 gallons per discus is the typical suggestion. Starting with at least 6 fish.

Discus prefer warmer temperatures them most aquarium fish. Temperatures range from 82F-86F. This is one of the reasons to keep discus in a discus-centric aquarium. This means all inhabitants revolve around the discus or are compatible with the discus. Water parameters, temperament and disease are top reasons why other fish should not be kept in the discus aquarium.

In my experience discus are particular about light. Although my power compact and metal halides systems were nearly the same wattage the discus were very reluctant to come out from hiding after I installed my much brighter metal halide system. I ended up removing the new fixture and installing the old power compact fixture. This is nothing new... Discus do not prefer bright lighting.

Discus do not like a strong current. This is not to be confused with over-filtration, if there is such a thing. You can have massive water movement without strong currents. I use spraybars on my large Eheims to divert the flow and cut down the strong current.

DO NOT have any pointy objects in your tank...like fake corals. Discus are easily spooked and may cut themselves on these pointy objects. Ornaments can be a deathtrap for discus. Young Discus are curious if they see a hole they will try to enter it...sometimes getting stuck and die if not helped.

Aeration is very important in the discus tank. Discus are large fish and take a toll on the tanks oxygen levels. Constant aeration should be provided by either surface agitation, powerhead or some sort of gadget connected to an air pump. Do not allow your source of aeration to cease, you will have a bunch of dead fish in a matter of hours.

Growing out:

Discus are fast growers, much like humans they grow the first part of their lives then the growth slows dramatically. You may hear the use of the word “stunted” which describes a discus that hasn't been grown out completely. Growing out discus involves very frequent feeding, four-six times daily when young. They tend to stop growing around 18 months old. At this point they should reach a maximum size of 6-8 inches.

Bare bottom is the typical setup used to grow out young discus. The tank is a bare bottom tank, no substrate. This is typically filtered with a sponge filter. Daily water changes at least 50%. Bare bottom tanks are usually going to be smaller so large water changes are easier. The reason for the bare bottom is to prevent waste from accumulating on the bottom of the tank, this waste must be sucked out during water changes. This is considered the best route to take for maximum growth of discus.

Feeding:

You can choose to feed your discus "grocery store type food" powerpacked with color enhancing whateveryahcallits (that fit in an autofeeder) or you can hand feed your discus what they deserve. Beefheart! Make your own or use quality frozen foods from your local fish store...getting to know the folks there will be helpful. I also feed a wide variety of frozen foods with spirolina or vegetable type ingredients. Don't forget your garlic. Fresh ground garlic should be added to the beefheart mix. Even if your buying package beefheart you can still defrost and mix it well. See your local butcher when you go to the grocery store to get fresh garlic ;).

Frequency of feeding will vary according to the age of your Discus. Larger "grown out" discus will be fed once or twice a day and graze like cows for what seems like hours. Young bucks will eat like a pack of wolves out of your hand four to six times a day and should be fed that often. Do not overfeed your discus, only feed them what they eat. One large feeding does not make up for multiple smaller ones. Growing out discus can be a task, if done right it is very rewarding and worth the extra efforts.

Stressed Discus:

This occurs when the discus does not act normal. At this time the discus will be reluctant to eat, this will cause a downward spiral towards death. Abrupt changes in environment like rollercoaster water parameters and off the wall tank mates stress discus. Discus are schooling fish and comfortable in numbers. They are very social creatures and interact with one another tremendously. Understand this trait before purchasing and medicating discus.

Medicating Discus:

Fresh garlic can be used to help discus stay in good health. A low pH is reportedly effetive for curing HTH. Best known effective medications are Prazi Pro for flukes & external parasite and Metro for internal buggers. This should be added lightly to the food if the fish are eating. If the fish are not eating then dose the tank. Be sure to follow all instructions and read warnings on everything you decide use. Your best bet is to start out with healthy fish and keep them healthy with a good diet.

Discus purchasing experience:

Purchase your discus in groups. Six or more discus are recommended, with this being said only larger tanks are suggested for discus because of the quantity of fish you will keep. Recommendations begin at a minimum of 10 gallons per discus. For the planted display tank, the larger the discus the better.

Find a reputable local breeder or breeder via the internet. Stay away from blind website purchases. Know your Discus source, know the water parameters of the breeder. Join your local aquarium society, get recommendations from other hobbyists. Always ship your discus NEXT DAY. This is extremely important. Upon arrival the discus may seem a bit lifeless. Pay this no mind...you know your breeder and you know they provided nice fish. TURN THE LIGHTS OFF. Give them a few days to adjust don't feed on the first day unless they are schooling in front of you begging. Feeding at this time will most likely foul up the water. After a day has past they should be more frisky learning the new tank. Attempt to feed with live brine shrimp to get their attention. Only use live foods from a good source. If you don't already know, get to know your local fish stores before purchasing discus.

If you have any questions or comments about my article please post a question in the forum.