

Once you become a pro, you can even set up proper breeding conditions by adding a spawning cone. While not for a newbie or anyone looking for a low-maintenance aquarium, discus fish provide a fun, gorgeous option in a large, tropical tank. They eat every day and you have to get rid of any excess quickly, or the ammonia levels will build up and kill your sensitive fish. Combine this with standard tropical fish food and perhaps some plant matter. You’ll get the best coloration if you sometimes allow them to feed on fresh, live animals, such as mosquito larvae or bloodworms. Provide a mix of algae, shrimp, and commercial flakes. These creatures are omnivores and truly need variety to spice up their lives and brighten their scales. Additionally, sometimes these guys like to hide, so you should include wood along with some plants, like seagrass. You’ll want to run regular tests, both before you add the fish and once they’re in permanently. It’s also important to condition your source water and make it a little more acidic than normal, around a pH of 6 or 7. You should confirm that you can keep your temperature in the mid-80s before you even add your new pets to the housing. How should I set up my discus tank?ĭiscus fish typically require low flow, high temperature, and low pH. We actually recommend corydoras (a type of catfish) as good tank mates, along with tetras, clown loaches, and gouramis. Even the other types of fish will affect the frequency since you may have some that produce a lot of waste and others who help you clean, like catfish. This also varies based on how large the aquarium is and how many fish you have in your habitat. That means there’s basically always some new water in the tank. Many owners do 25 percent, three or four times per week. When you first bring your animals home, set up a schedule with regular refreshes on certain days. Unless you have very young fish, you do not need to perform daily water changes, however, this species does require cleaner water than the average fish. Because they come in a variety of vibrant colors, you get to witness a show as the greens, blues, yellows, and reds merge and flow together. There’s a huge benefit to this though: When your new pack swims together, it’s a sight to behold. This is not an aggressive breed, so don’t worry about monitoring them too closely, although you’ll want to make sure that the littlest ones don’t wind up being starved out. When you first bring together your school, they’ll have to figure out who’s the boss. Should discus fish be kept together?Ībsolutely! In fact, they must be kept in small groups as they will not live happily on their own. With the right expert care, you should have your swimmers for as long as you have your dog or cat.


They are nothing like a science fair goldfish that might not even see its first birthday. Lastly, these fishies can live up to 15 years! Yes, you read that right. When you’re first starting out, you’ll likely select only a few smaller fish and get a beginner’s tank that’s 30 gallons or less. As a larger animal, discus will require a very large tank, at least 50 gallons but even up to 100. That’s because discus fish have very specific water requirements and need to school. We don’t recommend this particular aquarium-dweller to beginners, who should first gain experience with easy fish and then graduate to more challenging species. Do discus fish need daily water changes?.
