Petsolutions

Discus are one of the most beautiful fish in the freshwater aquarium hobby today, but they are also one of the fish that aquarium keepers are hesitant to begin keeping at home. There are countless debates among discuss enthusiasts as to how best to keep and care for Discus, but usually it comes down to what works best for each person. There are several basic guidelines to follow in setting up a tank intended for Discus, and these basic guidelines are fairly universal regardless of what opinions are on RO vs. Tap water, how much light light, live or artificial plants, and what kind of foods is best to feed.

Generally the minimum size recommended for a tank intended for housing Discus will be in the neighborhood of 50 to 60 gallons, with larger tanks being required if many Discus are to be kept. Water quality is very important to Discus, so a filter that will turn the tank over at least five times per hour is necessary, but even more water turnover is suggested even approaching eight to ten times per hour. Discus need to be kept quite warm, so more heater power is necessary. Five watts per gallon of water is a minimum for your heater, and it is a very good idea to use two heaters rather than one. If a heater goes out on your tank, there would be a second heater to keep the temperature stable rather than allowing temperatures to plummet. A secure top for your aquarium is a requirement, generally glass is a good choice as it allows for more lighting options if keeping live plants. Substrate (gravel) will vary by not only personal opinion, but also by function. Some recommend a bare bottom, some a thing layer of gravel, and those who are keeping live plants will usually want a specialized plant substrate to encourage good root growth.

Once the tank has been set up with all of the right equipment, it is important to start the aquarium through its normal biological cycle. A new tank should not be cycled with the Discus, it should be cycled with other more durable fish. After several weeks the tank will be cycled, and the fish used to prepare the tank can be given to friends or donated to local pet stores in most cases. Your aquarium should then be ready for the introduction of your first Discus. Generally in a tank of 50 gallon size, three to five discus can be housed with relative comfort. Larger tanks will allow more fish, and the general rule of thumb for Discus is one fish per ten gallons. Your tank temperature for the Discus should be increased to the middle 80s, and they will handle temperatures in the upper 80s and still be relatively comfortable.

At Petsolutions our Discus breeder has been in business for 35 years and is based in Germany with US distribution from a location in the United States. We bring all of the fish here to our freshwater facility where they are placed in specially prepared tanks for quarantine and observation before they are allowed to ship out. Petsolutions Discus are used to a diet of frozen as well as freeze dried foods. Our Discus breeder is an award winner of many American Cichlid Association awards, including best Discus in show. The Discus we ship from our facility are already carefully chosen to be excellent specimens and have been proven to be nearly bullet proof, but if you are choosing Discus on your own there are several things to look for. The fish should be active, should have clear fins with little to no splits in either the fins or tail, it should have clear eyes and should be eating. Your ability to keep the fish healthy at your home or office will depend partly on your ability to keep them well fed. If the fish eats only live foods, you would need to have constant access to live foods and that is not always possible. Discus will quite readily eat frozen and freeze dried foods such as beef heart, bloodworms, and commercially prepared frozen Discus foods.

Regular water changes, either with dechlorinated tap water or with Deionized or Reverse Osmosis purified water is generally considered extremely important in a Discus tank. Weekly water changes of ten to fifteen percent of the water in the tank will not only help with the quality of the water and the color of the fish, it will also encourage quicker growth in the fish. Replacing the media in filters on a regular basis is also important, usually once each month. Setting up lighting on timers is a good idea for any aquarium, so it will give the fish a regular day and night cycle, and if there are live plants in the tank this also keeps the plants from getting too little or too much light.

All of these things are just a touch on the surface of keeping Discus, but the bottom line is anyone with a couple of years keeping tropical tropical fish can make the plunge into Discus keeping and will most likely have good success as long as patience is used and proper feeding, equipment and water quality are in place. There are a variety of websites focused on Discus available on the internet, and there have been many books on Discus published. It is recommended to read and research as much as possible before deciding to make the switch to these wonderful fish, but most who make the change never look back.