Discus Care

Checklist For A Discus Tank

2011-10-16T22:21:00.000-07:00

Putting together a discus fish tank is probably the most crucial element of discus care, but it really does not need to be an ordeal. Actually with a bit of organization it is actually a really gratifying undertaking. Before you think about choosing a discus aquarium you must think about 3 areas:

first off how big a fish tank will I need?

Discus fish need a lot of room, consequently a Fifty five gallon fish tank will be the smallest size that you'll need.

2nd have I got a spot to place the tank?

Discus don't really like bright lights or noises, and so the fish tank will have to be in a proper space, in addition to still stay in open view so you're able to enjoy your discus.

And then third what's the purpose of the Discus Fish Tank?

Is it going to be a display aquarium or a breeding fish tank, this may effect details like the size of the aquarium and also if you would like plants in there or not

Once you have considered all these components and chosen what fish tank you wish to buy, next the most critical point to bear in mind will be; the vast majority of difficulties with discus are almost always caused by a single thing:

Bad Fish Tank Conditions

Discus are sensitive fish. Their immune system just isn’t set up to handle poor conditions. So when putting together a discus aquarium what we looking to do is recreate, as accurately as you can, the natural habitat . This is achieved by planning and putting together the aquarium the right way.

And so let’s start out at the start of appropriate tank set-up and examine the apparatus you will need for the discus tank. Here is a set of the fundamentals:

- A tank (for discus, larger is better)

- Aquarium lid

- Tank stand

- Heater (two is better)

- A thermometer

- Filters

- Lights

- Air pump

- Stand for your tank

- Bucket

- Net

- Test kits

- Cleaning tools

- Decorations

-A reference book

Choosing The Fish tank

I highly recommend obtaining a tank in a specialized fish store, you will find 2 chief factors behind that

1. Employees will tend to be more knowledgeable in comparison to a general store

2. Fur and feathers off their animals may contaminate you tank in a general pet shop.

Then you can determine whether or not you desire a glass or acrylic fish tank, This is actually an individual choice and I wouldn’t propose one over the other.

Aquarium Size

This is likely the most critical thing to bear in mind when buying a fish tank, for the fact that you cannot change your mind later. A larger, longer tank is ideal for discus, they need to have area to move around and, since they're community fish, you have to have multiple discus fish as part of your tank and that means you will be needing plenty of room for all these fish!

Ensure you use a suitable spot for the fish tank prior to purchasing one. You never want to get yourself a 55 gallon fish tank, merely to bring it home only to find you have nowhere to put it.

Filters

I would recommend biological filters for your discus aquarium, discus don’t do so well with chemical filters.

Bad water quality is simply the number one reason why discus get sick, so deciding on the correct filter is very important.

Heaters

Discus like their water to be between 80 and 86 degrees F (27-30°C), this really is really important, discus are tropical fish thus if the water gets too cold then they should become ill. Consequently possessing a couple of heaters is good, they'll heat the water in a large tank a lot more uniformly and if one were to break you then don’t have a big drama to deal with.

This should aid to construct a discus tank. You may insert items such as decorations and plant life to truly make your discus fish aquarium really feel just like a home for your discus fish

Popular Discus Species Both Natural and Developed

2011-10-09T05:57:00.000-07:00

They're just about the most loved of all the aquarium fish and because of the various discus species, you can easily see why.

The Discus is a really brilliantly coloured, disc shaped fish which is part of the Cichlid family. Angelfish is another common popular member of the cichlid family. One of the things that causes discus fish appear so great in a home tank is due to the length they achieve, of about 10 inches. It should really be outlined , that discus is known as a tricky breed of fish to keep, with many unique needs.

There exists two discus fish divisions: natural discus and cultivated discus. These divisions signifies origin of the discus, the species original found in the Amazon and the ones which are a result of cross-breeding.

The earliest wild discus fish was uncovered by Johan Heckel, and therefore bears the name Heckel Discus. The unique colouring of this discus includes a dark strip down the midsection of their torsos, with a blue or red body. The Green Discus are, as you might expect, a variety of greens, with the addition of dark stripes and brilliant spots of red along their middle.

The most widespread of the natural discus species is the Brown Discus. Whilst this isn't the most spectacular discus, with a few faded stripes and odd pieces of color on the fins, but it's by far the most sturdy of all the wild discus fish. The last wild discus type is the Blue Discus. Much the same in style and design to the Brown Discus, but with really beautiful dark blue colouring everywhere on it's body.

Even though the wild discus may well present a multitude of colours, it gets appealing when you consider the discus fish that originate from breeding of discus fish. One of the newest of these discus fish types is the Albino Discus. So dubbed because of their unique white bodies and striking red eyes.

The Blue Diamond Discus is possibly the most appealing of all discus fish. It has especially striking blue colouring with red eyes. The fact it has diamond in their name is due to it's fins being substantially thinner compared to the majority of the other discus fish, which provides it with a diamond like shimmer!

Despite the fact that there are several varieties, care is the same for most. All discus will need blackwater; water by using a a similar consistency as that of the Amazon. There are blackwater extracts that you can buy from pet stores. The fish tank dimensions are really important that you need to consider the fact discus should reach 10 inches or maybe more, with the temperature between 82-88 Fahrenheit. When it comes to feeding discus, one can find amazing flake food available and even though they can eat some live food, this should be kept to a minimum.

Discus fish are spectacular and can make the home fish tank a focal point, but take care as discus fish care could be very involved and quite challenging.

General Discus Care Advice

2011-10-05T03:04:00.000-07:00

Discus care is not as tricky as many make out, in fact being the owner of and caring for discus fish is a really enjoyable experience, particularly with correct knowledge of the way to look after your discus fish. discus fish are frequently known as “The kings of the aquarium” and for excellent reason. They are elegant, regal, spectacular, striking and challenging. They may have received a bit of a reputation for being frustrating fish to take care of, this isn't exactly true, in actual fact caring for discus fish can be quite gratifying and with a little bit of care in the proper areas you can have a entire discus aquarium full of vibrant and healthy discus. A few essential things to bear in mind are correct aquarium setup, discus diet and ways to prevent discus diseases. It is additionally necessary to think about purpose of your fish tank; is it a display aquarium or is it going to be more of a breeding tank.

Discus behaviour

Every proud discus owner will know, in contrast to other tropical fish which often avoid contact with their owners, Discus fish tend to be rather curious and friendly. A keen awareness of their environment is clearly evident by the way they frequently observe their owners move around the room and quite often discus are even know to watch movement on television.Being friendly and personable by nature, discus will identify and also rush to welcome you when you approach the aquarium as well as eat right out of your hand. Their trusting and open nature is the reason people fall in love with these amazing fish. Discus fish also will create a hierarchical structure with an alpha fish being the top fish. This dominant discus is normally the largest and will be the first one to feed and also pair off.

Discus Tank Mates

This crucial and quite often overlooked part of discus care could make the difference from a happy, lively discus fish and a stressed out neurotic wreck of a discus. Like most humans; Discus fish are generally really picky when it comes to who they live with, it is therefore very important to choose the best friends for your discus fish. Seeing as discus fish will be rather settled and subdued, may come to be bullied by other kinds of big or aggressive fish; freshwater Angelfish is one example. Therefore it's best if you wisely plan which tank mates you wish to add to the Discus tank. Additionally it is necessary not to overcrowd the fish tank, discus fish need to be kept in small groups and can get distressed if their aquarium is too small or populated. Some fish which are best suited to live with discus fish are as follows:

- Emerald catfish
- Royal Whiptail
- Black Ruby Barb
- Dwarf Loach
-Tetra (my personal recommendation Neon, Cardinal and Rummy Tetras look great)
- African Butterfly Fish
- Other small cichlids
-And of course other types of discus fish

Feeding discus

Discus are actually like to eat small meals so it's advisable to feed your discus smaller meals more often, rather then one large meal once per day, grown-up discus should be feed two to three times each day, whereas new discus should be feed roughly Half a dozen times each day. Overfeeding discus fish can be a serious problem, their shape and the fact that their bladder is right on top of their bellies is the reason they they just don't react well to over feeding.

When you abide by these discus care tips and hints you will get a whole aquarium full of happy and healthy discus.

Discus Diseases

2011-10-03T02:47:00.000-07:00

Discus certainly are a stunning and stylish fish, they could add something that's pretty cool to a aquarium, although they are vulnerable to certain discus disease.

Discus diseases come up for numerous reasons. Largely most are attributable to poor upkeep and care of the discus and the fish tank. Everything from sub standard water composition to the temperature can certainly effect the discus and cause them to end up sick. By mainly always keeping the aquarium clean and regularly changing the water, you could hold back a lot of serious diseases from ailing these cherished discus.

Pathogenic agents are unseen, little creatures which could infect the tank water plus your fish. They may exist and breed in both the water and under the slime that covers the fishes body.

Different ways that pathogens would be allowed to contaminate your discus is that you've placed other fish which don't mix very well with the discus fish in the aquarium could potentially cause stress and anxiety for the discus fish which will diminish their body's immune system. This could easily permit pathogenic agents the opportunity to cause your fish serious difficulties. Yet another trigger could possibly be little things like banging into the aquarium, often by accident, excessively. This will likely cause stress to your discus fish and this can have a very similar impact on their immune systems.

If you notice a problem with your water, fix it right away otherwise you are merely asking for infections to attack your discus. A fantastic way to stay away from may be to check on your water with a pH detector routinely. If discus fish do not get the required level of nutrition, this tends to of course mean discus disorders are more likely to come about.

There are a handful of frequent, nasty diseases which a discus fish might possibly get. One example is; hole in the head disease, this is not a great thing for the discus fish to get, given it must be treated immediately. Since the more time your discus has had this condition, the trickier will probably be to cope with. An incredible as well as simple way for you to care for this problem will be to turn up the temperature within the fish tank to about Thirty-six degrees Celsius. Be sure to ramp up the aeration, as the the temperature will definitely decrease the aquariums oxygen level.

In case you are frightened the heat will result in excessive stress, you should employ drugs.

Gill flakes is another widespread disease. This disease is in fact caused by a form of parasite that infects the gills which ends up in the discus having respiratory problems along with a distorted capacity to swim.

Whether you might be contemplating obtaining discus fish, or perhaps are already a discus owner, it's very important for you to heed this information regarding discus care. Then again please don't over worry about your fish, only use common-sense and when you are stumped by a dilemma, look online or read a discus care book and hopefully you should prevent discus disease.

Discus Care Advice

2011-09-30T04:18:00.000-07:00

An aquarium in the home or business can make a back drop which will add an obvious level of peace. You will discover something genuinely calming in focusing on your discus fish move through their tank, and the tones on display if the aquarium includes tropical fish is very gorgeous. When you are contemplating purchasing a fish tank and are solely focusing on the tropical selection of fish, then a fun inclusion in this selection will be a discus fish. They are simply about as near to a family pet as you can possibly get by having a fish, merely because they respond to the world outside theirs by simply following your movements, tap themselves the glass as soon as you arrive to feed your fish, and often will even eat out of your hands. That's maybe what tends to make discus fish such an attractive element for virtually any tank, however caring for discus will call for a little effort.

At the start, remember that all of the brand new fish that's going to be placed within an existing tank needs to be quarantined for 2 weeks, just to be sure it’s not carrying any unwanted organisms or sickness. The discus fish is very vulnerable to those types of diseases, so having a clean tank is extremely important for the health of the fish. A good strategy to have a cleaner tank is to make sure that it is at minimum 55 gallons because this can help protect against pH varying too drastically.

A discus, similar to the vast majority of tropical fish, necessitates a water temperature of 82-88 degrees , so ensure that you maintain that amount to keep them in good health. They are an amazing joyful fish and love to hide and play, which means that putting some items for instance; decorations and plant life permits them to behave how they do in their own natural environment.

As was said earlier, discus will show you if they're hungry and want to be fed, which means take notice of the indicators which can help you maintain a regular feeding schedule. Over feeding too frequently can lead to illnesses.

As friendly as discus fish can be, they are still renowned as being a little bit skittish, and so lighting and tank location play a major role regarding their contentment. Keep your fish tank in a spot this is not going to get many people walking back and forth and keep a bright light overhead to reduce risking potential shadows on the tank which can startle the discus. Finally, ensure that you get new water once per week, but keep it to around 20-30% of the whole volume of water, as excessive change too fast can irritate the fish.

A fish tank is a superb component for the home, and by including discus, you will definitely be pleased to realize the fish tank takes on a completely new volume of fun. When you adhere to the discus fish care points outlined above, then you've the very best likelihood of having fish that are joyful and whose behavior will reflect that.

for more information ond discus care and how to set up a discus aquarium go to http://discuscare.org/discus-aquarium

Breeding Discus

2011-09-27T21:00:00.000-07:00

The discus fish is a superb inclusion in every aquarium, however , making the choice to add one of these entails a real commitment to their well-being since they're renowned as being tricky to take care of. People who have devoted time to suitable discus care will get a tremendous thrill from these fantastic fish, also some discus fish owners may think of is to attempt to choose a discus pair which may mate. It had not been a long time ago that discus breeding in a home tank has been viewed as something undoable, but through experience, now it is considerably more normal compared with what people may guess.

Tank capacity as well as water conditions will be essential to proper discus care, and all these corresponding key facts apply even more when it comes to breeding. If you were looking after a discus for an extended period, then there's no modifications to make to the aquarium conditions. Discus fish have a nice personality that is definitely their own, and that's the reason why you cannot just simply include a discus pair to the fish tank and hope they are going to breed, therefore, the partnering may actually be the most difficult area of the whole practice. You can find discus breeders who'll sell a couple who have recently mated, however , that can developed into a costly proposition, so some people get round the coupling issue by collecting a group of 6 or even more adolescent discus and allow them to choose his or her mate; sure they can be that choosy.

Should this be the initial try at mating discus fish then there are certain things to look at which can inform you when a couple has paired off. The pair are going to behave strongly whenever they feel like the location they've picked out for breeding is being approached, and they will take turns fastidiously cleaning the area they've picked for spawning. Once they have the area completely ready, the female discus fish lays the eggs in lines, with the male in close proximity to fertilize the eggs. Both male and female will definitely fuss around the eggs, fanning all of them with water and carefully eliminating unfertilized eggs in order to avoid the healthy eggs from growing affected. The eggs will hatch in approximately Two days and the fry (babies) will continue to be within the spawning site for yet another 12 hours.

The first week you will discover the fry eat nutrients produced from between the parents’ scales, and a lot of their time will be spent being trained the way to conceal themselves, an exercise which is common with discus. When you're positive that the fry will no longer be feasting from the parents, you can start feeding them brine shrimp and powdered flake foods. By 12 or so weeks the discus shall be completely matured, at which point they could be sold or relocated to a different tank. Now that you've a couple that have mated previously, you'll notice they can do so on a reasonably consistent basis provided that a high level of discus care is maintained at all times.

Cross breeding a variety of types of discus can certainly be a fun and satisfying experience, nonetheless don't be put off in the event that at first you don't realize success, like most positive things you will need time for you and your discus fish to get it right.

Check out my article on discus breeding for more information; http://discuscare.org/discus-breeding

How to Build Your Discus Fish Aquarium

2011-09-22T03:59:00.000-07:00

Owning your own Discus aquarium can be a fantastic and extremely fulfilling experience. Bear in mind that prior to starting up an aquarium it is essential to are aware that discus became sensitive to their surroundings, hence proper aquarium installation is critical.

Discus fish are a very popular fish for a number of tropical fish hobbyists due to their peaceful natures. In fact, these are just about the most liked fish by both grown ups and youngsters. In contrast to other dull, shy tropical fish, Discus fish interact with their owners. They also have the ability to identify their owners as well as interact with them, if their owner approaches the fish tank the Discus fish will move to greet him or her. This species of fish likes to observe what’s going on in their home and occasionally watch TV.

Setting Up Your Discus Fish Aquarium

A Discus aquarium should not be tough to build. There are a number of step-by-step tutorials available on the net which you can use as a reference.

Searching for the right Discus aquarium is definitely an important factor of Discus care, make sure you choose a large, spacious aquarium. Do not place your Discus within a fish bowl. Because these fish are extremely active, you might wish them to have the option to move around a bit better. They have to have additional room therefore don't forget to purchase a large enough aquarium for the fish. The smallest size Discus tank is approximately Fifty five gallons, this could be sufficient for as many as Six Discus fish.

The normal environment for Discus or any sort of tropical fish is slightly, slightly acidic water, plants of several kinds, varied rocks and caverns. If at all possible, mimic these surrounding as best you can, so that your Discus should live happily in their fish tank. Adjust the PH of their water so it will be of similar softness as their natural water (PH 6-7).

Additionally, ensure the water is free of toxins and chemicals. Many locations in the USA put a variety of quantities of chloramines in their drinking water. Discus aquarium water will need to have small amounts of chloramines (ammonia and chlorine). Accordingly test and treat the water properly before adding it to the fish tank.

Control the water temperature in the aquarium , the suitable water temperature for any Discus tank is 84 to 86 F (or 26 to 31 C).

You may prefer to decorate your Discus aquarium by using plants or just leave it bare bottom. A lot of owners favour bare bottom. A bare bottom aquarium is simpler to wash, since there is no stones, you do not have to worry about getting at uneaten meals trapped within the pebbles. In addition, it stops your Discus hiding in rocks and plant life. If you're breeding Discus , you might like to choose a bare tank; which is the most widespread selection for Discus fish breeders since it is simpler to retain optimum conditions for the Discus fish, without having to thinking about the vegetation.

A bare bottom aquarium just has an air stone or power head, allowing water circulation. A sponge filter is also set up for biological filtration. This will be a cheaper installation as opposed to a planted fish tank. Unfortunately, your aquarium will not be as attractive.

At the end of the day, Discus care doesn't have to be too expensive. You can start up by having a bare bottom fish tank. After that, try including basic accessories, toy, rock and plants, just be sure you include some accessories or plants this will mean that the Discus have a way to hide, this is vitally important to keep ones Discus fish healthy.

To learn more about setting up a Discus aquarium, go to DiscusCare.org, your one stop discus care resource, there you will also find complete list of equipment you will need for setting up a Discus tank

Ways To Prevent Discus Fish Disease

2011-09-21T22:36:00.000-07:00

The discus is a kind of fish originally from the Rivers of the Amazon. They are named "discus" because of their appearance; they possess a somewhat circular shape and vibrant showy colours. These fish are used to the rivers,streams and brooks in the Amazon, they also want loads of lustrous greenery in their tank as well as soft water. Even though a lot of these beautiful, elegant, exotic fish seem to have been the fashion for the last 80 years but, they are not the simplest to keep. They can be regarded as a fragile types of fish and quite disease-prone.

Whenever caring for discus, you must use a very large tank to enable them to stay healthy. From just 6 months old they are the roughly tennis ball sized so that ought to indicate round about what volume fish tank they are going to need, in general not less than 10 gallons for every mature discus fish as a rough calculation. Since they will do well in a larger group, approximately six or eight together, from this you will understand that a rather big fish tank is indeed necessary.

Discus fish Maintenance Tips

Water - Discus fish tanks necessities frequent care and weekly complete cleaning. The water temperature should stay at a steady 28-30 degrees Celsius. Discus Fish prefer slightly acidic water having a P.H. level of at least 6-7. Also, diligently keep track of their fish tank for nitrogen waste.

Aggressive Fish- Don't house them together with aggressive fish as they quite simply would not do well. They generally better with a bit more placid fish but definitely would rather have more of their own species. Be mindful to never put them with a lot smaller fish because they may well consider them lunch.

Discus Fish Disease

Good fish tank maintenance is the most important factor of discus care, water plays an important part in keeping a happy discus. When the temperature in their tank is not watched carefully they may become despondent. When you find the colours of your discus start to diminish then you know that may well have a miserable Discus. An unhappy fish will lose their appetite. You may even see that they start breathing quicker. Whenever you begin to see they are passing a white-rope-like feces chances are they are becoming sick on account of the aquariums temperature. However this is easily remedied by fixing the conditions inside their fish tank which are unsuitable.

Care has to be taken when deciding on the sorts of fish which your Discus are living with as they possibly can become stressed out by aggressive tank-mates and because of that end up unwell. Whenever you see that they are acting like they're stressed, then just taking them out from the aquarium will benefit them. A frequent mistake is housing them with an algae eating kind of fish and thinking that this breed won't harm them.

Discus Fish could get diseases caused by worms. One of the more common of these is hole in their head disease. this can be cured by commonly available treatments. These may be used with their food. There are certain different far more severe sicknesses that they might get yet, in the great majority of situations, can be prevented by simply maintaining good aquarium conditions and the proper water temperature.

To learn more about keeping and breeding Discus fish, go to my Discus care website, there you will find out about preventing Discus disease and also a complete list of common Discus diseases