Here is majority of the things that i have learnt about Discus over the last few months, now that i'm trying to breed them!

They are found In the Amazon River in South America and that they are a peaceful carnivore, which love to be fed with live food such as small bugs, mosquito larvae, tubifex worms, blood worms and flakes! The enjoy deep tanks not long tanks for they aint the most active of fish. If using a large longer tank it should be heavily planted with lots of driftwood/rocks which allow them to shelter in. A temperature range between 27-30 degrees celcius and a PH level of no less than 6 and no greater than 7.5 is ideal, weekly water changes and excellent filtration is also very handy! for they arn't a very hardy fish!
Discus prefer to be kept in schools, i have 6 together and they love it! when i first started i only had 1 and it died :(

As for breeding (ive nad no luck) but i've been told by my discus dealer that if i up the temperature a little bit and have clean pieces or rock/slate that they will eventually lay eggs on it! And that the fry actually feed off the parents slime coated body!

They are 1 of if not the most colourful freshwater fish that exists, also reasonably hard to breed (why there so expensive) prolly not a fish for beginners!

Hope my information may be of some help when buying discus


--Ash (Opiate) :rockon:

If anyone else has more information or other experiences with Discus Please add ur info/experiences! :)

Well....Now that i have owned discus for quite a few months i thought i should do i write up on the maintenace i have to put up with!! :)

Discus require sooo much special care and attention, sometimes i really think whether it's worth it or not...but it is... My dealer told me to make sure that i had a large enough tank to give plenty of open space and also lots of places to hide, inwhich i had nothing to worry bout for my tank is 4x18x18. These shy,(sexy), fish like to retreat among driftwood/rocks or vegetation when disturbed, which unfortunately is whenever i enter the room!, they are all getn use to human presense which is fantastic.... Now it's a good idea if plants in a Discus tank are robust and reach up to the surface of the water, clay flowerpots can be added also, like i've mentioned b4, i purchasewd a ceramic witches hat, because they like to lay there eggs on smooth "witches hat" shaped rocks lol. The substrate should be dark and the lighting subdued.

Water quality must be pristine, which is a pain in the ass!!! for water changes are a must say 1-2 a week..(inwhich i dont do!!) but i do, do regular top ups!!, Make sure you tank is well filtered with partial changes a MUST.

Sorry if i've already mentioned a few of these things in my first post! but yeah it's just what i've had to do!

thanks ......


The information in this entire thread..is from my own experiences and ofcourse what my dealer and my friends with discus have told me!
-Ash