How to Raise Discus Fish - Simple Things You Should Know When Raising Discus Fish

A wonderful aquarium or fish tank can earn you lots of appreciation from whoever is visiting your house. And discus fish is the best fish that you can choose for your tank. This is because not only are they very colorful and attractive, but also they adapt to aquariums better than most tropical fishes.

However, they do have some specific habits and thus you require proper care so that they can adorn your tank for long.

Discus are shy and this can complicate their overall behavior when put them together with other breeds. However, the following tips can ensure that you do not have any problems in raising them.

The tips on how to raise discus fish are:

1. Make sure that the water in the tank remains between 74 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the ideal temperature for discus fish to grow because it is similar to the warm water of their natural habitat.

2. Also maintain a pH level between 6.5 and 7.5 for discus fishes. In case the water becomes too acidic, bring down the pH level with soda.

3. Keep the water clean at all times with the help of filter pumps. Also clean the filter regularly to ensure that it functions properly.

4. Buy discus fish food only, because they have very specific food habits. You should give them small and frequent meals, to facilitate growth.

5. As far as the right ambiance is concerned, you can try to keep the fish tank in a quiet part of your house, because discus don't like din.

If you want to raise discus fish and learn how to properly care for them, click here.

Important Things to Consider When You’re Planning to Breed Discus Fish

As a pet lover or hobbyist, you know that having a discus fish in your aquarium can really add beauty to your home. They are one of the most beautiful freshwater fishes to own and they are also eye-catching.

If you love discus fish, you may have considered breeding them at one point of owning them. Aside from the fact that you will be able to increase the population of beautiful and colorful discus fish in your aquarium, they can also be a source of extra income as you can sell the juvenile discus fish.

However, before you actually consider breeding your discus fish, you need to remember that breeding them can be a challenge. When it comes to breeding discus fish, there are several things that you need to keep in mind in order for you to successfully breed discus fish in your aquarium.

Also, it is very important to be familiar with the behavior of the discus fish especially when they are mating or starting to breed.

The first thing that you have to consider is the fish tank. You need to make sure that you have the right fish tank for breeding discus fish. A 20 gallon fish tank is great for breeding as this will give you enough space for both the mating pairs to swim around and breed. 20 gallon fish tanks are perfect for 2 pairs of discus fish. But, if you are planning to breed several pairs, a larger fish tank may be needed.

You also have to keep in mind that discus fish are social animals. They live in groups in their natural habitat, which is why you need to have at least 2 or 3 pairs of breeding discus fish in the breeding tank.

As for the tank itself, you have to keep it clean and simple. Never overcrowd the fish tank with ornaments. A few plants and rocks will do as it will serve as places for them to hide. Also, you should remember to provide an area for them to lay their eggs on. This can be a slate or a vertical structure where discus fish are known to lay their eggs in.

The water temperature, acidity, and hardness should be stable enough and it should mimic the water in a discus fish’s natural environment. You should also keep the water clean. So, try to change 50 percent of the water at least once a week and make sure that whenever you feed your discus fish, you need to clean or remove uneaten fish food.

When breeding is successful, the fry should be separated from the adults in order to avoid letting them get infected by parasites from the adults. Also, you have to remember that juvenile discus fish needs proper nutrition in order for them to grow up healthy.

Remember these tips and you can be sure that you will be able to successfully breed discus fish. This will not only make your aquarium more beautiful to look at but it will also give you a source of extra income by selling juvenile discus fish.

The 2 Things that you Should Concentrate on When Discus Fish Keeping

When talking about the health of the discus fish, there are really only two main aspects where great concern should be focused on. These two will dictate highly whether your discus fish will be able to spawn or let alone be healthy and live a long life. These two is the water where they live in and the food they ingest. Another minor aspect that should also be kept in mind prior to owning a discus fish is the tank mates that your discus fish will have. Generally, it is recommended that the discus fish should be the largest fish in the tank.

It has always been said that prevention is better than cure, so knowing what signs to look out for to determine whether there is something wrong with the tank or with your discus fish. To be honest, it’s much more bothersome to be treating illness rather than just plainly keeping a routine of maintaining a clean tank, at least you can put it in your schedule. Besides, keeping your tank water clean is just one of the responsibilities of owning an aquarium.

Imagine, what would life be if we don’t have air to breathe? Water is air to the discus fish. If your breathing in thick smog all the time then it’s a certainty that you would get sick, maybe develop cancer, or even choke to death in an instant. So, in maintaining the water of your tank, you not only need to keep it clean, you also have to get the right pH levels and the proper temperature which will simulate the waters where the discus fish came from, which is the Amazon river.

Changing the water in your tank should be done at least once or twice a week. A partial change will also be good and it will require less handling of your fish. Changing at least a quarter to half the water in the tank will suffice as long as you have a good biological filtration system installed. In some cases, some aquarists would just add some medication to clear up the dirt. This though should not be done often.

As for their food, you should ask the store clerk what food they have been accustomed to. Discus fish can be picky so you need to ensure that you can, maintain the food that they usually eat. Make sure though to never overfeed your fish. The extra food will just become dirt inside the tank. For younger discus fish, you should feed them about four times daily, older fish only needs to be fed twice a day. Growing fishes need the food more.

Discus fish should also be fed live or frozen food from time to time. As they re carnivorous, this will add protein to their diet, protein they need to stay healthy. Usually, they would prefer blood worms or shrimp brine.

To help keep the tank clean, always clean your tank two hours after you have fed them, remove the excess food right way.