Discus characteristics and how to keep them

The discus is a tropical fish native to the Amazon, Purus, and Singu rivers in South America, belonging to the family Cichlidae of the order Perchidae, and is a vertically flattened tropical fish that grows into a disk with its tail and ventral fins extending as it matures. In this article, I would like to explain in detail the characteristics of the discus and how to keep it.

What is a discus?

The discus is a tropical fish in the family Cichlidae (sea bass). The discus originates from the Amazon, Purus, and Singo rivers in South America.The discus is flattened vertically, and as it matures, its caudal and ventral fins elongate to form a disk. The discus gets its name from its disk-shaped body. The primary body colors of the discus are green, blue, and brown. Recently, many new species have been introduced, resulting in a variety of discus with different body colors.

How to keep discus

The life span of a discus is approximately 5-10 years. Their body size is approximately 15 to 20 cm. However, both lifespan and body size vary depending on the environment in which they are kept and the food they are fed. They prefer slightly acidic to neutral water, with a pH range of 5.5 to 7.5. Since discus are classified as tropical fish, they require a heater in winter if kept in Japan.

Points to keep in mind when mixing swimmers

Regarding mixed swimming, first of all, the disposition of discus can be aggressive. However, they are only aggressive under limited conditions. Discus often live in groups. Therefore, when keeping them, keep several together.If possible, we recommend putting in around 6 animals. If you put in too many, fights are likely to occur among the group. Also, if you put in too few, you will not be able to take advantage of their characteristic of swimming in groups, so 5 or 6 fish is best. Be sure to keep an eye on the discus to make sure they are not fighting with each other. Also, be careful not to mix them with small fish that can fit in their mouths, as they may be eaten.

Points about spawning

Many people who keep discus want to breed them. When in the wild, they spawn during the rainy season from May to June. Also, during the rainy season, components such as humic acid and tannin seeping out from jungle plants flow into rivers. These elements turn the water black. This condition is called black water. Black water is similar to rainwater, and is low in nutrients and extremely low in minerals.Replicating this situation in the aquarium will encourage spawning. First, pseudo-black water must be created. Use unscented driftwood or magic reef to lower the pH. It is also effective to lower the water temperature somewhat during the rainy season, when the water temperature drops to about 22°C (72°F). Once the environment is set, discus are placed in pairs. Discus have a habit of laying their eggs vertically on driftwood. Therefore, please keep a piece of driftwood or the like in the house. Another method is to use a spawning bed specially designed for discus. If they succeed in laying eggs, they will lay yellow eggs of a few millimeters in size. In terms of numbers, from 10 to as many as 300 eggs may be laid. The eggs hatch within two to three days if the water temperature is kept at 30°C after spawning. As is characteristic of discus, the parents protect the eggs and fry. During the period before free-swimming, the parent fish feeds water to the eggs and holds the fry in its mouth so that they do not fall apart. Once they are free-swimming, the parent fish secrete a substance called discus milk from their bodies to feed the fry. This discus milk is named milk, but males can also produce it. At this time of the year, they become extremely temperamental and will attack any individual that comes near the fry or eggs. They may attack even in pairs, so please watch them and isolate them, leaving only those individuals that are defending the eggs.

What to keep in mind when keeping a discus

One thing to keep in mind when keeping discus is the type of feed. Discus are a difficult breed to feed with artificial feed. Therefore, a type of food called discus hamburger is made from minced beef or pork and rolled up. There was a time when it was fashionable for discus lovers to make discus hamburgers from their own original recipes. However, it is now known that discus prefer to eat plant foods.For this reason, more and more people are now feeding a well-balanced diet of spinach, peas, shrimp, and red beetles. When feeding discus, be sure to divide the amount of food into several portions that are consumed within 30 seconds to prevent deterioration of the water quality. The discus, along with angelfish and other species, was a key player in the early tropical fish boom. Many people have heard of them and seen them swimming. If you are interested in discus, we recommend that you take a look at them at a specialty store.