Discus fish, king of all the aquarium tropical fish, is a breed of exotic fishes and is highly popularized as aquarium fish. Discus is a native of shallow streams and lakes running off the Amazon river and its tributaries. In the wild, these fishes dwell close to the shore, among the submerged tree roots. They feature a laterally compressed, disc-shaped body which gives the fish its name 'discus'. The sides of the fish comprises of lovely patterns in green, blue, red and brown.
Today, there are several varieties of this fish for sale at local aquarium stores. Their interactive nature has endeared them to people, making them one of the hottest options as an aquarium fish. These fishes relate to people, and even eagerly rush to greet their owners. They are observed to follow movements occurring in the room, even movements on television. However, these boisterous fishes are highly sensitive creatures and require substantial amount of care while keeping them in an aquarium. Discus care plays a significant role in keeping the fish happy and healthy. Setting up a discus aquarium and proper fish care need not be a costly investment. However, one has to invest a considerable amount of time for fish care, which is a factor that has to be kept in mind before purchasing this fish. For those of you who are pondering as to how to take care of discus fish, below are some basic care tips.
How to Take Care of Discus Fish:
Discus fish care requires diligence on the part of the pet owner. As a pet owner one will have to gather as much information about the fish and its unique living conditions as possible, so as to attain a thriving ecosystem. Understanding their feeding habits, breeding patterns and other needs will help to maintain them properly. One does not want these lively aquarium fish to perish due to lack of knowledge. Some simple discus care guidelines that need to be followed are:
Water Condition: This is an important aspect of proper discus fish care. It is important to recreate the natural environment of the fish, in order to pacify their desires. Absence of appropriate environmental conditions will result in sick and aggressive discus fish. They may even die.
Water Hardness: The parameters of the local tap water needs to be investigated. Hard tap water needs to be mixed with softened water, so as to attain the desired water for the fish. Softening can be done by using a reverse osmosis filter. Water conditions that the fish is accustomed to will reduce the chances of the fish from suffering an osmotic shock.
Water pH: The softened water will adjust the pH to the desired level easily. The recommended pH for fish should be between 6.5-7.5 for display purposes, and between 5.5-6.5 for breeding purposes. Adding peat is a great way to lower the pH gradually, however, it's advisable to have someone well versed with water chemistry to do the job.
Water Temperature: As compared to other tropical fishes, discus aquarium fish requires higher temperature. This factor has to be kept in mind while selecting aquarium plants. In order to change the water temperature, all one has to do is adjust the heater's dial in the aquarium. The temperature level should be checked twice a day, with the help of a digital thermometer. Conventional thermometers are not precise, thus not recommended. For discus fish display, the temperature range is 27.5 to 29C and 30 to 33C for the breeding time.
Water Changes: Water changes are to be carried out on a weekly basis, so as to ensure the health of the discus fish. A water change replaces the stale water with fresh water, thereby discarding the impurities from the aquarium. However, the discus fish does not like changes, so one should only change 25% of the tank volume at a time. One should also clean the bottom of the tank as well as suck up the debris without disturbing the fish to a great extent. Being noisy while cleaning the tank will stress the fish out (sounds are amplified in water).
Chlorine and Chloramine: Local water supplied to most of the regions in the US, are fine for discus fishes. However, in certain areas chloramines (blend of chlorine and ammonia) are added to the water, which is deleterious for the fish. The presence of chloramine can be tested via a tester available at the local aquarium shop. One can use a dechlorinating water conditioner to free the water of chlorine and chloramines.
Food and Nutrition: Discus fishes have small stomachs which can hold only small amount of food. Omega one flake food comprising salmon as the main ingredient is good for the fish and results into greater growth and color development. Frozen brine shrimp, frozen worms and heart food also make a good food sources for the fish. Generally, fishes need to be fed once in a day, however, these fishes exhibit voracious feeding patterns and have to be fed at least thrice a day.
Filtration: Some use chemical filtration media for holding harmful substances, which are discarded during water change. Some even use carbon filtration media to remove the medications or toxins. This carbon filtration media should only be used for a short duration before removal. The power filters used in the aquarium should be furnished with adequate amount of biological filter media. This can be done by purchasing the biological filter media sold for canister filters. This will convert the market power filter (which lacks enough biological filter media) into a suitable discus aquarium filter media. If the Discus fish is fed on beef-heart, one needs to make sure the leftovers are discarded.
These were some basic discus fish care tips. Besides the above mentioned points, one should also note that the discus fishes are social creatures and need to be kept in groups. One should not introduce a lone discus into a tank filled with various other types of fishes. Lone discus fish will survive without their community, however, it will not be happy. After taking care of discus fish for a while, one can even try out breeding discus fish. However, before one gets into breeding them, one needs to master the art of maintaining the right environmental water conditions for the fish. Though discus fish care requires diligence, it is an overall rewarding experience. Hope this article on how to take care of discus fish was helpful and informative! Take care!
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