Discus are very sensitive fish that means they are very hard to keep.They're not recommended for fish-keeping beginners. They are really very expensive fish you don't want to risk them dying off quickly.
Tank
Discus need a bigger tank at lest 50 gallon water holding tank (for adding more fish you need additional 10 gallon of water for each fish). You'll need a larger tank if you going to have several Discus in one tank. Keep your tank in a quite pace. There shouldn't be a lot of activity, as shadows or vibrations can frighten the fish.What fish should I look for ?
When you visit pet store to buy a new fish you should follow this tips.
- Round shape Discus.
- Clear eyes, no nicks.
- Colour should be good.
- Fins should be straight, no bent rays.
- Good body mass, not thin.
- Good appetite.
- Swimming and not hanging in the corner.
Water Condition
Discus are sensitive to disease and water conditions. They don't like water changes well.They need very clean water to leave.Change about 30% of the water every week (That may vary on your tank size). Don't change too much of the water or change the water too often. Don't use normal tap water Use dechlorinated tap water.Make sure the pH level is between 6 and 7; levels below 6 and above 7 will cause discus stress.(For more information about pH watch ⬇video )Filtration
They need very clean water so you need a good filtration system. Filter helps to keep maintain the water quality.You need three types of water filtration system-
1.Chemical filtration.
2.Mechanical filtration.
3.Biological filtration.
Temperature
Discus are a tropical fish they need water temperatures at around 28 to 30 Celsius(84 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit). Use a heater to get the perfect temperature. Increase temperatures will decrease the amount of dissolved oxygen.Dacore
Decoration makes your tank good looking and give your fish hiding place and gives your tank a natural look. Discus are adapted to swim through foliage and like hiding under logs, rocks and plants. Give them plenty of places for the discus to hide. Planted tanks with CO2 injection will usually have a pH level of 6.8, which is the ideal level for most discus fish. As they are originally from the amazon, having long stem plants and lower foreground plants will make them feel more comfortable. It'll also soften the water and lower the pH level.Some experts recommended for no decore even no substitute/gravel. If you want to going with sand substrate don't use more then 1/2 inch thick layer unless you want to plant on it (It may grow up harmful bacteria) .
Feeding
Feed them various types of food to give them good amount of minerals and vitamins. Feed them worms, live or frozen bloodworms, broken up beef heart or brine shrimp, as well as pellets and flakes. Be careful, however, because live blackworms can carry bacteria and parasites, and beef heart can pollute the tank, so turn off the filters when feeding.Take notice of their feeding habits, as there may be something wrong if they are not eating properly. Do not overfeed them because overeating can cause the fish stress. Discus fish prefer to eat from the middle and not from the surface.Discus are reactive, and they will react to any object in the room, such as your presence or the television.
It is recommended that their diet contain about 55% of protein. You will need to feed them live foods such as shrimp and bloodworm, as well as beef heart once or twice a week. Before feeding freeze any live food to kill any diseases or parasites and to preserve the vitamins and fat.
Adding New Fish
You will need 2nd tank as a hospital tank or New arrival tank. It will helps you to keep your fishes healthy. New fishes could introduce bacteria, parasites, or disease. keep them in the hospital/2nd tank for a few weeks. If they show no sign of illness, you can put the new fishes in with the old ones. Sometimes, fish can cross contaminate; this is known as the "discus plague". You'll notice something going wrong within two to three days. There's no certain cure for this, but you can give them medication and try other solutions, such as increasing the temperature of the tank to 92 degrees Fahrenheit (36 degrees Celsius) to boost the fishes' immune system.Hospital tank helps you to prevent spread disease one fish to another. If you notice any one fish swim ocourdly or any sign of disease separate him in the hospital tank and find the proper cure and if necessary change the main tank water for safety.
FOR MORE INFO WATCH THIS
There are many points we do not write in this post. For thees points see this video.For keep wild discus this video is recommended .
0 on: "Discus fish care"