Discus Fish tanks need to have certain qualities.
All tanks not being made equal with different tanks being suitable for different fish species due to the fish size and other characteristics.
This review will give you comprehensive low-downs of what to look out for when shopping for a Discus fish tank.
Discus Fish Tank Size
Discus are beautiful tropical fish that are a great addition to a home Aquarium. It is important to get to know which tank size is suitable for them. The discus fish grow better in smaller tanks, that is 30-50 gallon tanks. If you need larger Aquariums, then you should have a larger adult discus.
If you were to choose a tank, it should not be less than 200 litres (52 US gallons) but through consideration of the discus size. The tank should have some sort of hood and a compulsory sturdy stand . Be sure with where you place your tank so that once you put fish in it, you do not move it.
Keep in mind that before choosing the tank size, consider the number of fish you want to keep.
Discus Fish Tank Mates
The discus tank mates include; the Neon Tetra, Rummy Nose Tetra and Ember Tetras which are beautiful and easy to care for. The other better tank mates for the discus are Gouramis,Bolivian Rams and the Pencil fish.
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The discus fish has outstanding beauty, coming out in a variety of colors and belonging to the cichlids family. They are characterized by the flat, disc-shaped body which helps them to glide through the tank’s plant life that may be around.
The discus fish can be put together with other Fish so long as they share the same water temperature characteristics. There are also other ideal discus fish tank mates such as;
These tanks come with the following Included in the Pack:
- Cardinal Tetras
- Corydoras Catfish
- Bristlenose Pleco(Ancistrus)
- Clown loaches
- German Blue Rams
- Glowlight Tetras
- Rosy Tetras
- Apisto Agassizi
- Five Banded Barb (Pendazona Barb)
- Long Fin Red White Cloud and the
- Peacock Gudgeon.
Since the ideal tank size for the discus should be over three feet, a temperature range of around 82 degrees Fahrenheit and a pH range of 6-7, then, the above tank mates have the same characteristics. The tank mates should have major characteristics in common.
Discus Fish Care
The environment in which you keep your discus is important. The fish is usually reactivated, hence you should have knowledge on how to keep them happy and healthy.
- First, the tank should be kept clean since the discus fish are sensitive to diseases and water conditions. The discus is allergic to water quality changes. The smaller tank may fluctuate the pH levels and a 40-gallon tank is seemingly the smallest sized tank for them.
- Always quarantine new fish before placing them into your tank. This is because the new fish may be suspected to bring bacteria, parasites and even diseases into the tank. The new fish should be separated for 2-3 weeks in a different tank. If they don’t show any signs during the isolation period, then they can be free to live with the existing fish.
- You should regulate the temperature of the water. Since the discus are tropical fish, they survive in temperatures of 84-86 degrees Fahrenheit. A heater in your tank is reliable for keeping the water temperature optimum.
- The good environment worth the discus is something else to be looked at. The discus’ body is designed for swimming through the foliage. In the wild, discus often hides under logs, rocks, plants or even any sheltered spot available. This clearly shows that whenever you keep them, you should create enough hiding places for them
- Feed your discus the right foods. They do love dining on live food like worms, bloodworms, Daphnia, brine shrimp and other tiny foods.These foods are suitable although sometimes they may end up carrying the bacteria and parasites into the tank.So, should you be careful!
- Discus are very reactivate fish as already said in the article. With things on TV and your presence in the room will make them react. Through their reactions mostly during the feeding times, you should monitor their feeding habits regularly. If they do not eat, then you should know that there is something miserable. Note that overfeeding the fish pollutes the tank and makes them stressed too.
- Use a good canister filter in your tank. Why should you consider an overhead filter? It is because they are easy to clean and also good for a community tank. This filter should be the one that eliminates heavy metals and chlorine from water without changing the pH level.
- Place the tank in a good location, a place that is quiet without busyness. The shadows or even the vibrations caused by people walking past the tank, opening or closing doors nearby make the fish jumpy.
- Good care for discus is also done by changing water weekly at a percentage of between 20-30%. A large amount of water change will stress the fish.
- Set up overhead lighting. The positioning of lights overhead cuts down on the shadows which may tend to scare the fish. With overhead lighting, it secures the fish for they can not see you on your approach.
See also: Battery operated Stock Tank Heater
Discus Fish Price
The price of a discus depends on the size, colour and shape. The price of various fish includes;
- Strain Name 1.7 inches 2 inches
- Red Targuoise $30.00 $35.00
- Cobalt $25.00 $32.00
- Pigeon Blood $25.00 $30.00
- Tangerine $25.00 $30.00
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Discus Fish Types
There are 3 species of discus fish namely;
- Heckles discus (Symphysodon discus Heckle)- They have a unique black vertical barring pattern, of which the first, fifth and ninth of nine vertical bars are wider than the remaining six bars. The fish has a parallel striped body pattern.
- The Green discus-This species has small red dots of varying numbers on the body. The dots may be on the entire body and includes the dotted lines which may occur even to the anal fin.
- The Blue discus-This species has typical and equal vertical black stripes, highly equal in body coloration from brown to blue parallel striping all over the body.
Discus Fish Breeding
The eggs should hatch within 2 to 3 days. After hatching, the fry may tend to remain attached to the site of the egg for some time. If you find out that the discus (parents) are eating the eggs you can alternatively separate and bring the fries up without the parents.
Before the fry detaches, you may reduce the water level. A few days after hatching, the fries should detach from the eggs moving to the sides of the parents to feed from their skin. Increase the odds of the fry locating parents by temporarily reducing the water levels to an approximation of 25 cm.
The discus strains with light coloring may be harder for the fry to locate. Remember to remove the surface eggs were attached to if the fry can feed from it.
Feed the fry with baby brine shrimp for 4 or 5 days after they start swimming. Supplement their diets with a tiny amount of live baby brine shrimp four times a day. If you can’t afford to feed live foods, even the frozen ones work better.
Use a medium-slow bubble on the aquarium air stone to get the frozen baby brine shrimp moving around the aquarium or else the fries will not recognize it as food. The dead shrimp that has not been eaten throughout the day should be removed to keep the water clean.
After the fries attains the age of six weeks, they are free to feed from a variety of foods. The diet ought to be changed then. Feed them with proteins and vitamins-rich vegetables. Thereafter you can move the fry to a different tank separating them from their parents to avoid overcrowding.
Reference
YUMPU: Discus Aquariums for First-Time Aquarium Owners