The majestic and graceful Discus Fish (Symphysodon Aequifasciatus) is described as the “King of Fish Tanks” for good reason. Above all, the species is one of the most appreciated in the hobby due to its color, shape and size. In addition, he is considered by many to be the pinnacle in the creation of ornamental fish species.
Overall, the Discus is a very calm and peaceful fish. However, it should only be kept by experienced aquarists as it’s often difficult to acclimatize in an aquarium. Above all, as it’s an animal that gets relatively large, it needs a lot of space to stay healthy and happy.
Below, check out a complete Discus Fish care guide. Learn about water parameters, food and feeding, appearance, behavior, tank mates, reproduction and aquarium setup.
Discus Fish: Complete Care Guide
Technical Details
Name: Discus Fish, Green Discus, Blue Discus, Red Spotted Discus, Tefe Discus;
Scientific Name: Symphysodon Aequifasciatus (Pellegrin, 1904);
Family: Cichlidae;
Species Origin: South America (Brazil, Peru, Venezuela and Colombia);
Length: Up to 10 inches;
Life Span: 10 years;
Care Level: Difficult;
Water Parameters
pH: 5.0 – 6.5;
Water Hardness: Between 10 – 15;
Temperature: Must be kept between 26 – 30°C;
Distribution / Habitat
Originally from South America, the Discus can be found inhabiting rivers, lakes and flooded forests, both in clear and dark waters, in the Amazon river basin. It prefers to live in calm, slow-moving waters, where it spends most of its time hidden among roots and branches, feeding on insect larvae and benthic invertebrates.
Description
The Discus Fish has a relatively large body and, depending on the specimen, can reach up to 10 inches in length. The species is laterally flattened and has the shape of a small disc. Through captive breeding, there is a wide variety of shapes and color patterns available. In addition, captive bred species are easier to keep in tanks, although they still require very specific care.
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Foods and Feeding
Omnivorous. In nature, the Discus feeds on small worms, crustaceans, as well as plant matter, insects and detritus. In an fish tank he will not be a very fussy fish and will accept most food you give him. However, using the right mix of live, frozen and flake food is critical to keeping these fish healthy and well fed.
Aim to feed your adult discus a diet consisting of around 35 – 45% protein. On the other hand, younger fish or fry need a diet composed of up to 50% protein to accelerate their growth.
Vitamins are very important because they provide the necessary nutrients for the proper functioning of the animal’s immune, reproductive and digestive systems. Some good sources of vitamins include crustaceans, vegetables and algae. You can provide, for example, bloodworms, daphnia, mysis and brine shrimp.
When feeding Discus, try to avoid overfeeding, as it’s one of the mistakes that beginners make most often. Feeding your pet too much can lead to obesity, along with a whole list of health problems and a dirty tank.
A good rule of thumb is to feed the fish with 3% of its body weight. Alternatively, offer them what they can consume in a maximum of 2 or 3 minutes. In addition, uneaten food must be removed within a maximum of 15 minutes, as it may impair the quality of the water.
Temperament / Behavior
The Discus is a very calm fish, but it can become aggressive if kept in groups with less than 5 fish of the species. Furthermore, when kept in groups they form hierarchies, so that weaker fish may suffer and not have space to protect themselves from attack by larger fish. So, you must have plenty of space to keep them comfortable.
The species usually spends most of its time in the middle region of the tank. As much as they are calm fish, they can still show more aggressive behavior during breeding seasons. Therefore, you should be a little careful with your aquarium companions.
Below, we will check some fish compatible with Discus.
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Tank Mates
Most of the time, Discus will get along well with its tank companions as long as they share the same water conditions. However, remember that you should take the Discus as a starting point for choosing tank mates, rather than trying to add it to an already established environment with other fish.
Most species native to South America, especially the Amazon basin, are compatible with these fish.
Corydoras, for example, are excellent companions for Discus (in terms of temperature), although some species do better because they are larger.
Another very interesting group to add with Discus are the Tetras Fish. They have a friendly temperament and ensure a stress-free cohabitation.
I recommend that you just avoid adding Clown Loach to an tank with Discus, as this fish tends to be very agitated at feeding time, which can end up stressing the discus.
Below, check out some of the main tank mates for Discus Fish:
- Rummy-Nose Tetra;
- Golden Tetra;
- Emperor Tetra;
- Congo Tetra;
- Penguin Tetra;
- Neon Tetra;
- Cardinal Tetra;
- Harlequin Rasbora;
- Honey Gourami;
- Siamese Algae Eater;
- Golden Pencilfish;
- Corydoras;
- Ram Cichlid;
- Snails;
Sexual Differences
Although it’s difficult to distinguish the sex, males are usually larger and some have more pointed dorsal fins and thicker lips than females.
Reproduction
The Discus isn’t an easy fish to care for, much less easy to reproduce. Which means you might have trouble achieving a high hatchling survival rate, as with countless other freshwater species that are easier to breed.
If you decide to go ahead and reproduce your Discus, start by creating an environment that encourages spawning.
Typically, the settings will depend on whether you will be raising your hatchlings with their parents or in separate tanks. Fry created in the same tank as their parents are easier to care for as they feed on mucus generated by their skin, although they are at risk of cannibalism and disease.
On the other hand, fry created in a separate tank are protected from cannibalism and infections. However, they are difficult to care for because you will need to have specific foods to serve them. Even so, the Discus isn’t a fully cannibalistic fish, and only the youngest and most inexperienced parents eat their fry.
The first step to encouraging your fish to breed is to keep several of them together in the same environment.
Keep all fish in a large tank and be sure to measure and adjust the parameters (nitrite, ammonia and nitrate). Also, try to leave the water temperature at 27° (Celsius) or more and the pH around 6.5.
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The Discus usually attaches its eggs to plants, logs, as well as rocks and aquarium decorations. A single female, for example, can lay between 200 and 400 eggs, and these hatch in about 60 hours. The fry will consume the special mucus formed on their parents’ scales. After a while, they will be able to feed normally on crushed flake feed.
Aquarium Setup
The tank for Discus Fish needs to have 52 gallons for a group with at least 5 specimens.
In general, these fish prefer environments with slow moving water and are rarely found in areas where there are strong water currents. Also, they tend to congregate near tree logs and roots along the banks of rivers and lakes. To keep this fish healthy and happy, you must therefore replicate its natural habitat.
So, try to include many plants and roots in this tank to simulate fallen tree branches in the water. You can also use floating plants to create a cover and ensure the water current remains smooth.
Also, use a fine-grained or at most medium-grained gravel. Some aquarists even prefer environments where there is no substrate, as this allows the tank to be cleaned more easily and helps to keep the water stable and with good quality.
Discus Fish is a very sensitive to water parameters and, therefore, you must keep an eye on the conditions of your aquarium to create the perfect environment for the species.
References
Kullander, SO , 1996. Eine weitere Übersicht der Diskusfische, Gattung Symphysodon Heckel. D. Aqu. U. Terr. Z., Sonderheft “Diskus”. (Ref. 33249);
Matt Clarke, “New Discus named Symphysodon tarzoo”, “Discus genus revised”, Practical Fishkeeping, Referenced online, 2007;
George Zurlo, David Schleser, Cichlids (Complete Pet Owner’s Manual), Barron’s Edu Series, 2005;
Dr. Rüdiger Riehl and Hans A. Baensch, Aquarium Atlas Vol. 1, Publisher Hans A. Baensch, 1991;
