Discus Fish

RichBay Pets is a one stop hub for most of the general needs of Discus fish. Most of the foods for discus fish including Hikari Discus Biogold, Hikari Vibra bites and much more are available.

Live Discus fish also can be supplied to all parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andra Pradesh and Karnataka.

For pre-booking of live discus fishes, kindly contact : +91 8547153023 (Only WhatsApp)

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Discus Fish types

Discus Fish comes in different vibrant colours and patterns. Certain major types are highlighted below:

More about Discus Fish

Discus Fishes are known as “King of the Aquarium” because of their royal beauty, rare shape and brilliant colours. Keeping discus fish involves lot of dedication, passion & knowledge. These king Discus fishes are generally kept by Intermediate and Advanced hobbyists who are the “real kings” among aquarium hobbyists or Aquarists and they are honoured by the designation as “Discus Hobbiysts”.

Discus fish which is one of the most beautiful and attractive freshwater fish, belongs to Family ‘Cichlidae’. Species is known by the name Symphysodon Discus. Discus fishes were discovered from Amazon river of South America region. Discus fishes have a laterally compressed body shape and it is more rounded shape. Discus fish are named after their disc shape appearance.

Discus fishes have many color variations and interestingly it can take 1 to 6 years for them to reach their best colors. They can live up to 15 years, but most live for around 10 years.

Refer following Table compiled by RichBay team for essential information on Discus fish

Description	Remarks
Care Level:	Difficult; Intermediate to Advanced Hobbyists
Temperament:	Generally Peaceful
Behavior	Shoaling behavior (To be kept in groups)
Lifespan:	10 Years; 15 years maximum
Size:	8 inches, maximum : 10 inches
Diet:	Omnivorous
Family:	Cichlidae
Minimum Tank Size:	18x18x18 inches for 2 adults. [Height less than 18 inches are not good for adult discus]
Tank Set-Up:	Intermediate; Bare bottom tank is ideal for keeping them healthy. Good filtration and aeration are essential. Water changes to be carried out twice in a week.
Compatibility:	Often compatible; Ideal fishes are Cardinal tetras, Neon tetras, Emperor tetras, Rummynose tetras, Clown loaches, Dwarf cichlids such as Ramirezi, Gaurami, Pencil fish, Hatchet Fish

Ideal Tank Conditions for Discus

• Ideal temperature : 27 to 30°C.

• Ideal pH levels are between 6.5 and 7.5.

Bottom Substrate or planted Tank for Discus?

Discus fishes can be kept in tanks with substrates. In such cases, rounded pebbles to be used, to avoid injuries. Discus fishes can also be kept in planted tanks and doing so can increase the beauty of the setup. Discus fish generally wont disturb live plants. But for easiness in feeding of discus fish and removal of food wastes, it can be kept in bare bottom tank and it is recommended by most of the discus hobbyists.

Behaviour of Discus Fish

Discus fishes are very peaceful in nature. They are schooling fish, and in large groups they can create eye catching experience. Discus fish should be kept together, and those of different varieties also school together and can create a great colour show. A minimum of 5 nos is recommended. Discus fish generally tend to stay in the mid-levels but will rise to the top and dip to the bottom. Check below for ‘Tankmates of Discus fish’.

Discus Fish Food

Discus fishes are omnivores, and in their natural habitat they primarily eat green plant matter such as algae or fallen food. They also eat arthropods, such as insects or crustaceans, and invertebrates such as copepods and amphipods.

For the best coloration and faster growth, a variety of foods should be given to Discus fish. Different kinds of flake food such as spirulina and tropical fish flakes, worms, combined with algae or shrimp pellets, can make up a good diet.

Live foods such as blood worm, earth worm, mosquito larvae, brine shrimps are also good for them and can encourage bright colors to show. Frozen artemia and frozen blood worms are also used by Discus Hobbyists for feeding their Discus pets. But extreme care to be taken while feeding such live feeds since non-hygenic live feeds can cause diseases which can cause death of the fish.

Beef heart mix or Goat heart mix, are commonly fed to them and it enhances growth of discus fish. However, 100% water change is recommended after feeding of such frozen foods.

Today, lot of quality dry food options available for Discus hobbyists to feed their favourite Discus fish. Some of them are Hikari Discus biogold, Hikari Vibra bites, Australian black worms, Tetrbits complete, Tetra Discus Granules, Sera Discus Granules, JBL Novabits, Oceanfree DS-G1 pro Discus food, Exotica Grand Champion Discus food, Exotica Discus food turkey heart, Exotica Day by Day Discus food, Wild Elite bits Discus food, Northfin Discus food, Gene Eleven Discus food, WA Feed factory Discus food, Taiyobits complete for Discus fish, NLS Discus formula, Vitalis Discus pellets, Nutridiet Discus Flakes, etc.

When you need fish foods, remember to visit RichBay eShop to buy them.

Discus fish need feeding every day, and to be fed what they eat in a 5-10 minute window. Excess food (if any) should be cleared up immediately after that, as excess food can lead to health issues or bad quality water.

How many days discus fish can live without food?

Based on experience of hobbyists, adult discus fish can survive with out food for more than 2 weeks. Hence, if you go for short vacation trip or family tours, please don’t bother much about discus fish. But if you really want to feed it during such cases, Automatic feeder is a good option. But in any situation, please avoid dumping additional food on the tank since it can cause bad water conditions which can harm the Discus fish.

Heart Mix food preparation for Discus Fish

Different Discus breeders / Hobbysits prepare heart mix in their own ways according to their convenience and experience. From our experience, we noticed that adding to many contents reduces the shelf life of the mix. One of the compositions is shown below for your information.

• Animal heart (Goat – GHM / Beef – BHM) 1.5 kg: Only red coloured portion to be used. Fats, veins and other portions to be removed to avoid indigestion and bloat in Discus fish
• Prawns or Salmon fish : 500 g (Optional)
• Multivitamins tablet : Supradyn / Zincovit preferred – 5 Nos
• Vitamin C tablets : Celin – 3 Nos (To increase immunity)
• Calcium Tablet : Shelcab – 4 Nos
• Becomplex Tablets : 4 Nos
• Spinach leaves : 12 Nos, after short steaming for 10 minutes (This has to be made as paste for easiness in digestion for baby discus fish)
• Egg yolk : 3 Nos (Optional)
• Green peas : 100 gm (Optional)
• Folic Acid (Optional)
• Colour agent (Optional)

For preparation of heart mix for discus fish, above Ingredients to be grinded in a mixer or meat grinder. For binding of the heart mix, Gelatin/banana/egg yolk (semisolid form) to be used. Uniform mixing to be ensured. Some portion of the mix (1/4th) can be added with medicines for internal parasites (which can be later used, in case of disease). Heart mix to be stored in freezer. Deep Freezer to be used as far as possible. Heart mix can be generally used up to 3 months, but it purely depends on the storage conditions and type of Ingredients.

Discus Fish Diseases

‘Prevention is better than Cure’, it is very much relevant in the case of Discus Fish. We have to avoid all possible conditions which can cause disease to the fish, bcoz in certain cases, recovery of Discus fish is very difficult or not possible. The sooner you are able to spot the symptoms, the earlier you have to start the treatment and it is found that early treatments are more effective.

Certain diseases are covered below in this section

Pop eye in Discus

Eyeball of affected discus fish looks cloudy and swollen and protruding. It is a bacterial infection usually caused by poor water quality. It can cause blindness in Discus fish and even death.

Remove the affected fish to quarantine tank and carryout large water changes, ie, 50% for 3 consecutive days.  If condition is severe, fish antibiotics such as Neomycin, Kanamycin, or Erythromycin to be used. Special medicines which are available in the market for Discus fish Pop eye disease also can be used.

Cloudy eyes

Cloudy eyes is a sign of a fungal infection and it happens due to bad water conditions. White film like colour can be seen in the eyes of the discus. Cloudy eyes disease and pop eye disease are not the same. In pop eye disease, eye of the fish protrudes out (see above).

Move the fish to quarantine tank & treat with medicine for fungus such as Methylene blue. Use Aquarium salt and carryout frequent water changes to reduce this condition.

Rapid breathing

Sometimes, immediately after water change, rapid breathing of Discus fish happens due to ph variation, it may get settle down later : so need not to worry. But Rapid breathing can be an indicator of poisoning in the tank [excess of nitrates, ammonia, chlorine, or chloramine] or due to lack of oxygen or it can be an indication of some other diseases.

Lack of oxygen in the tank to be verified. Additional air stone can be provided. Using Aquarium test kit, ammonia and nitrate levels in the tank. can be verified. Water change/Usage of De-chlorinator etc can be done. Remove all wastes including food wastes. Clean the filters and wipe inside of tank including corners.

Leaning or laying down

Laying down is not normal for a discus fish. This mostly happens when a discus is transferred from a low-pressure environment to a high-pressure environment. For instance from a bag to a large tank, hence it can be moved to a smaller tank to reduce pressure on it’s body.

Nitrates and ammonia levels can also cause this problem. Check the water conditions and carryout the needful to correct the water conditions.

Stress can be another reason. Sudden switch off/switch on of lights, fast movements of persons, door openings, disturbances in the tank, high aeration waves in the tank, position of tank in busy area, presence of baby fishes/Over consumption of body mucus by baby fishes, introduction of aggressive fishes, Removal of tank mate, etc can cause Stress in Discus Fish. Sometimes Stress can even lead to death of the fish. Reason for Stress to be verified and to be corrected. After correction, aquarium salt can be dissolved in the water to solve the problem.

Fin rot or tail rot

Fin rot/Tail rot generally caused by bacteria. It can be initiated by another fish in the tank by nipping the fins or tails. Nipped fins or tails are exposed to bacterial infections. Hence tank mates to be selected with extra care for Discus fish. Bad water conditions can make the case severe.

Remove the affected fish to quarantine tank and carry out anti-bacterial treatment with solutions to kill bacteria. Water changes to be carried out on main tank for the safety of other fishes.

Bloated or swollen belly

Swollen belly is the sign of bloating. This can be due to intestinal blockage or a parasite. A bloated fish move less and appears to be lazy.

Adding food to the discus tank to be controlled. Additional quantity can cause intestinal issues due to over eating. Mild soaking of discus food before feeding can avoid such issues bloating to some extent. Aquarium salt such as Epsom salt is very good in such cases for digestion.

If white thread-like feces appears, then it can be due to a parasite. (See next section)

White feces

If Discus fish excreting long white feces that look like strings, then it is due to internal parasite. It can be fatal, if not attended early.

Move the fish immediately to quarantine tank and carryout medication. Metrodinozole is one option; so many other medicines are also available Today in the form of solutions to remove internal parasites. Try the best one from it. Carryout frequent water changes and use aquarium salt.

Hole in the head

Hole in the Discus head is a parasite infection. If not treated in early stage, this can be fatal. Bad water quality is the cause for the existence of such parasites.

Move the patient Discus fish to quarantine tank and treat with anti-parasite medicines such as Octoxin or anti-parasite solutions. Carryout regular water changes and use aquarium salt.

Head standing disease in Discus

It is loss of balance for Discus fish. The fish simply go head or tail down and not be able to hold in a vertical swimming line in the tank, but might be able to do so for short periods of time, and again revert back to the head-or-tail down. So this condition can happen due to multiple reasons;

• Water quality: Poor water conditions (ammonia, nitrite, foul water)
• Digestive system blockages: Dry foods that swell up inside fish, parasites (flagellates or worms) (usually bloating is visible)
• Swim bladder problem: Bacterial, drop in temperature, flagellates, tumor
• Medication reaction
• Blood flagellates 

Try the following for head standing disease;

• Carryout large water changes
• Look for bloat, if so, add Epsom salt
• If severe, Try Antibiotics

Velvet Disease

Scratching or rubbing against other objects can be due to Velvet disease. It is caused by parasites, due to poor water conditions or from another newly introduced fish or plants. It creates white velvet-like growth on the skin. Initially, it may seem like white powder or dust but it eventually spread and turn black. Fish will be under stress.

Affected Discus fish to be moved to quarantine tank for treatment. Anti-external parasite medicines to be used for treatment. Regular water changes to be done. Usage of aquarium salt may reduce the stress levels.

Skin Ulcers

Fish bites, burns from heater, cuts from sharp objects etc can lead to wounds and if unattended converts to skin ulcers. Usually ulcers appear as a sore or an ugly red patch on the fish. Avoid all sharp objects for discus fish tank. Move the fish to quarantine tank & treat your Discus fish with an antibacterial medicine. Use Aquarium salt and keep good water quality.

Gill Flukes in Discus Fish

Gill flukes are quite common in discus fish, especially when the fishes are younger in age. When flukes are there on gills, Discus fish breathe heavily. Scratching on objects, Staying away from other fishes, Loss of appetite, flared gills, dark body etc are certain symptoms. This is a bacterial disease.

Removal of food wastes, especially frozen food wastes after every feeding is important to keep away gill flukes. Gill flukes can be treated by using Potassium Permanganate (PP). Take 2 grams of PP and to 1 liter of water and make a solution. Approximately, For 100 litres of tank water, add 100 ml of Potassium Permanganate diluted solution. Flubendazole / Formalin / Fluke tabs / Praziquantel, etc also can be used for treatment.

CAUTION: Putting PP directly to the tank can harm the fish. PP treatment to be done only with diluted solution. Improper treatment, non-scientific quantity, prolonged treatments etc with PP can kill your fish or in other words it can burn your fish. We strongly recommend you to carryout detailed studies about PP treatment from net (see youtube videos) before you try it for the first time.

The discus plague

It appears as wool like growth on the body of discus fish. It is a dangerous condition and it can quickly spread across the aquarium, since it is a viral infection. Discus fish lose its vibrancy and beauty and become all dark and slimy and becomes less active. Sometimes it may stay closer to the surface, as if trying to breathe oxygen from the air. Recovery is difficult for this disease.

Move the fish or fishes to quarantine tank. Medicines are less effective for viral infection. Carryout water changes and increase oxygen. It is better to talk to an expert or a Vet for treatment. By understanding the symptoms, experts only can confirm whether it is discus plague or something else, since darkening can be there when fish is under stress too.

Discus Fish care

The best way to ensure healthy fish is through observation and frequent maintenance. Discus fish are sensitive to water parameter changes. Carryout water changes, 2 times a week. Keep large tank for Discus fishes. If tank size is small, keep less nos. Remove excess food and other wastes. Water temperature to be monitored and if required, heater to be used.

Parasite infections can also cause the fish to scratch their sides on ornaments or on the sediment. Reddened areas may also show up, with rapid breathing. Avoid sharp objects inside the tank.

Spend time watching your fish daily and if you notice changes in behavior or coloration, it could be an indication something is wrong. Find out it and treat at initial stage. Gill flukes can cause death of the fish. Try to do bi-weekly or monthly treatment with potassium permanganate solution. PP treatment duration to be identified clearly before starting it. Do it only if you can be there near to the tank, so that you can attend it in case of emergency.

Stress can kill Discus fish. Hence avoid all possible causes for it. Keep the water clean and stable, and feed them correctly. Don’t let kids tap on the glass, and limit the amount of traffic near their tank. Also, don’t put aquarium right next to the TV with lots of loud noises and flashing lights. Don’t place tank near doors or passages.

Breeding of Discus Fish

Breeding Discus is a real challenge. They are very difficult to breed however, this makes them very rewarding too.

Selection of Discus Breeding Pair

Discus fishes form monogamous pairs. It is difficult to form pair with another fish, after the death of it’s mate, similar to freshwater angel fish. Having a good pair is a luckiest thing in discus keeping hobby. Successful breeding and raising is only possible, if we have a perfect confirmed breeding pair.

There are mainly 2 options to get a breeding pair. First one; purchase a breeding pair of discus fish. But it is costly. Second option, is to start with a group of six or more juvenile discus fish and to raise them together. Because discus fish are difficult to sex while they are still young, you may need to wait until the fish mature and they may naturally pair off on their own. Female discus fish reach sexual maturity at 12 months of age, while males take a few months more to mature. Once your fish reach sexual maturity, watch for a pair to become territorial about a certain area of the tank. If this pair of discus fish begins defending their territory against other fish, or if they begin pecking at the glass, it could be a sign that they are ready to spawn. Discus pair dances together; sign of perfect pair. Discus pair to be separated from community tank for successful breeding

Healthy, varied diet of live, dry, frozen foods to be given for discus fish pair. These foods will condition your breeding pair, preparing them for spawning.

Ideal conditions for Discus breeding

Discus fishes have very specific requirements for breeding, and all the parameters previously mentioned (in ‘Ideal tank conditions’ section) must be perfectly maintained. ph of 6.5 is ideal for breeding discus fish. Less TDS water is required for breeding of discus fish. Ideal temperature : 28°C to 31°C. Ideal tank sizes are 1.5×1.5×1.5 feet / 18x18x18 inches or 2×1.5×1.5 feet / 24x18x18 inches. Very large tanks are not recommended for breeding or in other words breeding is practically difficult in very large tanks. Little variations in tank parameters or even a water change or temperature change can simulate breeding of discus fishes.

Frequent water changes to be done to maintain water quality in breeding tank. Bare bottom tanks are generally selected for breeding. To keep your tank clean, install sponge filter. Sponge filters are a good source of mechanical and biological filtration but they will not produce suction strong enough to put eggs or newly hatched fry in danger.

Spawning of Discus Fish

It is advised to use a spawning cone, which provides the best place for them to lay their eggs. After egg laying by female, Male will fertilize them immediately after they have been deposited. Cone can help male discus fish for better fertilisation. If cones are not available, female may lay egg somewhere in the tank, which makes fertilisation difficult. Egg guards can be used to protect eggs on cones. Following spawning, the discus fish will guard their eggs, fanning the water around them with their fins to prevent the growth of fungus. Methylene blue can used to reduce fungus on eggs. Breeders separate the female as she is more likely to damage her fry, and the male will rear the fry on his own. So, Generally, in the case of Discus fishes, Fathers are better than mothers in caring their babies.

If the pair is a matured one, The fry hatch after three days, and in another three days they will be independent swimmers, Initially, fry feeds from the mucus of parents. If hatching not happened, sex of the parents to be re-verified. Sometimes 2 females may act as a pair and generate confusion to breeders. Immature males also fail in fertilisation,

Raising of Discus Babies

Breeding of discus fish may be challenging, but raising discus babies is the most challenging one. Most of the breeders fail at this stage. Raising discus babies is a hard job. It involves lot of labour as well as patience. Initially, the free-swimming fry will then begin to follow their parents around the tank, feeding off of the layer of mucus that forms on the bodies of the adult discus fish. If babies are not able to attach with parents, death rate of babies may increase. Water level to be reduced to enable the baby to attach with the parents. White background of the tank also may help babies to locate their parents to some extent. In some cases, one of the parents may try to eat their babies. In such cases, that parent to be separated.

Your discus fish fry should be kept in the tank with their parents for between 10 and 14 days after hatching before being separated and raised to maturity. If batch size is small, it can be kept with parents above 1 month, in order to get healthy discus. If batch size is large, it can damage your valuable pair, so be careful.

After separating the fry from their parents, raise the fry on a diet of newly hatched baby brine shrimp (bbs) or similar micro organisms. The more you feed the fry, the more quickly they will grow. 4-6 times feeding required for small fries. Once it has reached coin size, heart mix can be given for fast growth. However, water change to be done immediately after giving such foods. Aged water is ideal for babies.

Discus Fish Tankmates

Tank mates must meet two criteria: they should be able to live in high temperatures and they cannot outcompete the discus for food. In general, discus are slow feeders, so if you put them with speedy, bullet-shaped fish (like barbs or even huge schools of tetras), the discus will tend to lose that race. Even other hot water fish like clown loaches, German blue rams, and angelfish can be too fast for them.

Instead, consider starting with a discus only tank where they are the centerpiece fish. Once you get them eating well, consider gradually adding cardinal tetras, Sterbai cory catfish, or maybe a bristlenose pleco. However, avoid getting too many tank mates, or else the discus may lose out on nutrition.

Discus Tips for Beginners

There are many things to keep in mind with discus that are different from other cichlids.

They like warmer water, mid-80s Fahrenheit.

They like lots of clean fresh, water and lots of water changes. I do 50% a day, some do 30% three times a week.

They like to be in groups of about 6 or 8 (a 50 gallon is a good size tank).

They don’t do well with other fish in the tank (there are a few exceptions).

It is easier to keep the tank clean if it has no gravel.

Don’t use carbon in the filter (this can lead to disease in discus).

Never put new discus in with old discus without keeping them separated (quarantined) for a while to make sure they are not sick and affect the other fish.

One of the most important things is to get from a reliable source. A good breeder will have healthy fish and good customer service (answer all questions, help with problems, even after the purchase).

A variety of food is good. I use flakes, live blackworms (from a good source, i.e. clean worms), some safe frozen foods like Hikari (sterilized) blood worms, some pellets (soak before using to prevent swelling up in the stomach), and frozen beef heart.

Keeping things stable is important. Don’t add chemicals except to remove chlorine/chloramine. Messing with pH is usually not necessary.

Age water, that is, put the water that you want to use for the aquarium in a barrel a day before you want to use it for water changes. Use good aeration and set a heater at the tank temperature in the barrel. This is done if the pH of the tap water is not stable (if you check pH out of the tap, then let the water sit overnight and check the pH again and its different).

One other note. If you see a picture of a discus that you would like to have, show that picture or send an email with that picture to the breeder so they can do their best to give you what you want. You have to remember little fish may grow up to look different, especially if it comes from cross-breeding two or more kinds of discus. It could look like the male, or the female, or a combination, or even like one of the fish farther back in the breeding sequence (like the grandparents may be a different type). Ask the breeder what the possibilities are, or buy grown fish.