Discus fish

Description of the discus fish

Discus (Symphysodon heckel) are natives of the Amazonian waters, and they can rightfully be called the kings of any aquarium. Firstly, they are incredibly beautiful: large, bright, round (more precisely, disc-shaped, for which they got their name), they resemble precious stones. But that’s not all. Discus are true intellectuals of the underwater world. 

Even naturalists studying the fauna of the rivers of the Amazon system drew attention to the structure of the life of a flock of discus. These fish usually live under the roots of coastal plants that go into the water in groups of up to 1000 individuals. But this is not a mindless bunch of fish, this is a real community. The most richly colored, smart and strong fish is chosen as the leader. And, if a predator encroaches on a flock, it is the leader who rushes forward to lead the aggressor behind him, and he, without hesitation, rushes in pursuit of a bright spot. But to catch the leader is very difficult, because he is incredibly fast and cunning. And while he distracts the predator like that, the rest of the flock manages to successfully hide. Discus are rarely caught even by bait, as they successfully bypass any traps.

Their bright colors and unusual shape immediately attracted the attention of aquarists, but it turned out to be not so easy to adapt the discus. For example, experts did not immediately find out that fish feed fry … practically with milk. More precisely, the secretions of their own body, so the kids at first must be close to their parents (1).

Types and breeds of discus fish

At the moment, there are various breeds of discus, which differ mainly in color. The progenitors of most breeds were wild-caught pack leaders: the strongest, smartest and most beautiful fish. The breeds were named after the areas where their ancestors were caught, or by the names of the breeders.

Red discus. Their color varies from brick to cherry and often depends on proper nutrition. This coloration is highly valued among breeders and is called “super red”. There are also shades of brick, salmon, coral. However, red discus can lose their brilliance in the absence of color-supporting food. Particularly beautiful fish, which has a red color combination with other shades, for example, red-turquoise.

Cobalt Discus. The stripes and sequins of these fish have a rich blue to purple tone. Here the options are: “uniform cobalt”, “turquoise cobalt”, “metallic cobalt”, “purple cobalt”, “lilac panther”, etc.

Turquoise Discus. This color is often confused with cobalt, but it is a warmer shade and does not tend to purple. This is perhaps the most common suit. Among them, such shades as “brilliant turquoise” and “snake skin” are distinguished.

Pigeon blood. This is a kind of red coloration, but it looks much richer and more refined. Their shade is warm, the fish themselves are often covered with white spots of varying intensity. At the same time, their fins are much darker than the body. According to the shape of the white spots, the varieties “dragon” and “ghost” are distinguished (spots against a red background merge into one).

Golden Discus. These fish are painted in a dazzling yellow color, over which white stripes and spots of varying intensity and shape are scattered (2).

Discus fish compatibility with other fish

Discus are peaceful fish, but sometimes they can be difficult to keep with other species due to excessive demands on conditions. The high water temperature and other factors are too specific for discus to be comfortable with other species. 

Also, do not place these beauties with frankly aggressive fish. Even the angelfish, with which they are closely related, can begin to harass their aquarium neighbors with excessive cockiness.

Keeping discus fish in an aquarium

Discus are one of those fish that can survive in the wild in the most extreme conditions, but in the aquarium they are incredibly capricious. Yes, in their native Amazonia they live in very warm and rather muddy water under steep banks and tree roots, and in an artificial environment they can die from the slightest change in the composition of the water or its temperature. So, if you have already decided to have these living gems, be prepared for the fact that it will take a lot of effort. 

Because discus tanks require intensive cleaning, many breeders do not recommend laying any soil on the bottom. But still, it is worth putting some beautifully curved driftwood and planting more plants.

Discus fish care

For a long time it was believed that the discus fish is so difficult to keep that it is better not to start it at all. However, modern technical means in the field of aquarism can solve many problems. 

In a word, discus are not Newton’s binomial, and everyone can master their content, there would be a desire and love for fish.

Aquarium volume

There is a stereotype that discus can only survive in huge aquariums. As practice has shown, this is not entirely true. Of course, he should not be planted in tiny jars, especially since the discus is a schooling fish and he will be very sad when he is alone. But giant water tanks are also not required. Cubic aquariums measuring 50x50x50 or 45x45x45 cm are popular in Japan today. These beauties feel quite comfortable in them.

Water temperature

Perhaps this factor is decisive for discus. These are extremely heat-loving fish, so you should carefully ensure that the water temperature in the aquarium does not fall below 28 ° C, but it is better to keep it at 30 – 35 ° C. 

Even in the southern tropical countries, heaters are installed in aquariums with discus. In short, the warmer the water, the better the fish will feel.

It is also very important that the aquarium is always clean. Water should be changed as often as possible, and this is not a whim. The fact is that the waste products of discus are very poisonous for the fish themselves – which is why in nature they can only survive in running water.

What to feed

Intelligent fish of the discus world is very sensitive to the purity of food. Therefore, you should not offer them a bloodworm or tubifex collected in natural reservoirs, the purity of which leaves much to be desired. It is much more reliable to feed discus with live food grown in aquaculture systems. Some breeders make their own feed mix from shrimp meat and beef heart. The vitamins they need are obtained by eating the soft leaves of aquatic plants, so they must be in the aquarium.

There are special fortified dry foods that contain everything necessary for the full development of discus. In addition, they have elements that support the bright color of the fish.

By the way, often the refusal of discus from food, which in all respects should suit them, can be a common whim. And when they are a little hungry, they willingly take to the meal (3).

Reproduction of discus fish at home

As mentioned earlier, discus reproduce in a very peculiar way. Already from a very young age, the fish are divided into pairs (before spawning, it is better to seat them in separate aquariums), and, if all the conditions in the aquarium meet their high requirements, they lay eggs. As a substrate for this, any object in the form of a column or cone with smooth walls, placed on the bottom, or plants with wide leaves, is suitable.

It is very important that the hatched fry have the opportunity to be near one of the parents, because for the first few days of their life they feed on substances that are secreted by the skin of adult fish. However, care should be taken to ensure that they do not attempt to feast on their offspring (sometimes this occurs among discus), and then the fry will have to be transplanted and fed with dehydrated egg yolk.

Popular questions and answers

We talked about keeping discus fish in an aquarium with veterinarian, livestock specialist, pet store consultant Anastasia Kalinina.

Sources of

1. Shkolnik Yu.K. Aquarium fish. Complete Encyclopedia // Moscow, Eksmo, 2009 
2. Kochetov S.M. Discus – the kings of the aquarium // M .: Astrel, 1998
3. Kostina D. All about aquarium fish. AST. 2009