Keeping Discus Fish - Hard or Soft Water?

It has been debated a lot about whether to keep discus fish in hard water or soft water. People have had success with both methods so it's not an easy answer but I will share with you, how I do things and what has worked for me.

Here's the first rule I use when buying and importing discus fish;

Match the water conditions of your supplier.

If you follow this rule you will be at a great advantage as the discus will already be accustomed to the water you provide. This will cause a lot less stress than moving discus used to hard water into soft water. Now your water doesn't have to match exactly but if it is about right things should be OK. Don't go getting stressed if your hardness is out a couple of degrees.

Once fish are settled here's how I like to keep mine.

Young Discus

Young discus fish should not be kept in very soft water as there aren't the right minerals present for good growth. They should be raised in slightly hard water with a natural ph. In this water they should grow quickly and healthy. For my young discus I use tap water filtered through activated carbon and then left in storage barrels for at least 24 hours. This will make sure all the chorine is out of the water.

Adult Discus

Adult discus, once 5in should be kept in soft water but still not at breeding conditions as they may still be growing but don't need the minerals like young discus fish. By lowering the softness and ph of the water you will trigger breeding activity between the adults and should get a few breeding. For my adult discus I again use tap water filter through carbon and left to stand but I also add aquarium peat. This softens the water a little and is fine because of the tap water I have. You may have to use RO water mixed with filtered tap water.

Also if using peat to soften water, make sure it is of the aquarium variety. Other garden peat can contain chemicals that can harm discus fish so just be careful.

On a final note, there is no right or wrong hardness to keep discus these days because they are tank bred through generations and have acclimatized to harder water. Just follow these guidelines and you should be fine.

Keeping Discus Fish

Keeping Discus Fish - How to setup your Discus Tank that your Fish will Thank You for!

This is an article on small aquaria. Although far more critical and less forgiving than large displays, due to their small volume of water, a very attractive and satisfying microcosm can be created. As much as we prefer to attempt to recreate conditions as close to the natural environment as possible, you won't want to do that with a discus tank. It would be ugly. Imagine a muddy bottom covered with rotting leaves and some branches hanging into the tank. So, instead of a biotype aquarium we'll do a geographic display. At least the plants and fish will be from the Amazon basin.

We've often heard hobbyists say that they would love to keep discus but they can't afford all of the necessary equipment, the large tanks, the special foods, filters and, besides, they don't know enough about really delicate fish to attempt to keep them. Let us put all of those misconceptions to rest once and for all. Surely discus fish have gotten a bad reputation for being difficult because people try to "acclimatise" them. Fish, as a general rule, don't "acclimatise" without stress. Stress causes the weakening of the fish's immune system and, if continued for an extended length of time, will ultimately end with the death of the animal. It will probably be diagnosed as having had intestinal parasites, a systemic bacterial infection, "hole in the head" disease or any number of ailments. The real cause of death was stress and the disease (dis-ease) was merely a symptom of that stress. We as hobbyists must remember that we don't keep fish; fish keep fish. We keep water! We are aqua-rists, not fish-arists.

Before setting up the tank, it is important to determine the strain and the source of the discus to be featured. If you want to feature wild fish then the species and the area of capture are very important. While we hear that all discus come from extremely soft and acidic water, the quality of that water varies depending on the specific river system or lake. This will also help to determine the appropriate tank mates for your setup. If the chosen discus is to be a colorful, commercially bred strain, such as Jack Wattley's Turquoise Discus, attempt to contact the breeder and get the temperature, pH and hardness of the water in the breeding facility. You will be doing yourself and your pet a big favor by just doing this one little bit of investigation prior to setup.

Usually we'll quarantine any and all wild or unknown source fish for at least one month prior to introducing them to their new home. This is the safest way to get your fish comfortable and eating well while you take the necessary time to relieve the stress if its recent ordeal and observe it for any signs of disease. Many ailments will not become apparent for two to three weeks, and without a proper quarantine period, a potential disaster (and a real headache for you) can be introduced to otherwise healthy tank mates.

Another thing that's overlooked by most hobbyists is the actual volume of water in their aquarium. For a Discus Display Tank we'll use a "20 gallon (77l)" tank. This is an absolute minimum for housing one and, yes, only one discus.

First, we'll measure a standard 20 gallon tank and then you'll see why. A "20 gallon aquarium" does not contain 20 gallons of water. At least we've never seen any commercial aquarium that holds the amount of water that is advertised. We've always wondered why they made the computer monitor manufacturers disclose the actual viewing area of the screen and they don't require that aquarium manufacturers disclose the actual volume of water contained in an aquarium. What ever happened to truth in advertising? If you would like to know the actual amount held by your tank, here is the formula: Length x Width x Height (measure internal dimensions in inches) and divide the result by 231. Here is an actual example of a standard "20 gallon (77l)" tank that we have in our fish room: (inner dimensions) L 23.5" x W 11.5" x H 16" = 4324 ? 231 = 18.72 gal. For a metric conversion (cm), multiply inches by 2.5 and for liters, multiply gallons x 3.85. Next we must allow for 1"+- at the surface for gas exchange and another 2" (5cm) minimum for a substrate. Now the dimensions are: 23.5 x 11.5 x 13 = 3513 ? 231 = 15.2 gallons (58.52l). Add a piece of driftwood and a few rocks and you have 14+- gallons (53.9+-l). There is barely room for one discus.

If you change 40% - 50% of the water each and every week, maybe, just maybe we can add a few more fish for interest. It is important to remember that the tank mates to be chosen are native to waters with a temperature in the 84? - 86? temperature range.

Compatible dither fish would be:

6 - 7 Cardinal Tetras Paracheirodon axelrodi or

5 - 6 Rummynose Tetra Hemigrammus blehri, H. rhodostomus or

5 - 7 Pencilfish Nanobrycon sp., Nannostomus sp. (depending on adult size) or

6 - 7 small Hatchetfishes Carnegiella sp., etc.

All of the above tetras are schooling fish and can be found in very soft and acidic water. For bottom fish I like to use Dwarf Cichlids rather than Corys Corydoras sp. as they are usually found in waters less acidic and not as warm as those that Discus inhabit. The same holds true for the Neon Tetra Paracheirodon (Hyphessobrycon) innesi.

The following are some appropriate small cichlids:

1 male + 3 female Ram Cichlids Microgeophagus (Papiliochromis) ramirezi or

1 male + 3 females of your favorite Apistos Apistogramma sp. or

1 male + 3 female Checkerboard Cichlids Dicrossus filamentosus, etc.

Because of the temperature and low pH, the choice of plants is rather limited:

1 - 2 Amazon Sword Plants Echinodorus parviflorus (doesn't get too large)

12 or more: Alternanthera sp. make a colorful (burgundy red and olive green) contrast to the Sword Plant(s)

These plants require lots of Full Spectrum lighting so purchase a florescent hood for two 24" bulbs. The only filter necessary for this display is a small "hang on the back" power filter because you are going to change 50% of the water each week - Aren't You Not!?

Keeping Discus Fish

Keeping Discus Fish - Getting Your Tank Conditions Correct

So you're thinking about caring and breeding Discus Fish. Before you go out and buy your fish you will need to prepare their new home. The general consensuses is that Discus Fish are difficult to keep, but in fact can be kept with minimal effort or knowledge by almost anybody. One of the first and most important jobs that must be done is maintaining the water quality in the tank. The temperature required for Discus Fish to live is between 26 - 31?C (78 - 88?F). Most people keep their tank temperature around 29?C (85?F), which seems to work the best. Another thing to consider is the hardness and PH balance of the water. Generally for keeping Discus Fish, (as long as it's within reason) this doesn't matter all that much. However for breeding a low hardness and PH of around 6 - 7 is required for fertilization to occur. Unless you buy Discus Fish straight from the Amazon Basin (where the water has extremely low PH and Hardness Levels), then you'll be buying Discus Fish that have been bred for generations in a variety of water conditions. The final aspect to consider when creating excellent tank conditions is filtration. Everyone knows that discus require excellent water quality and that a good filter is at the heart of this. Now there is not one type of filter that suits discus best as different filters do different jobs and it just depends on what you need it for. There are basically three types of filtration these are mechanical, biological and chemical. Mechanical This is the first stage of any filtration; the water is drawn or pumped through layers of material that removes any debris from the water. This is important, as sediment will block the next stage of filtration rendering it useless. If the flow rate of your filter drops off then clean or replace the mechanical media immediately. Biological The heart of the filter, basically bacteria will live in this area of the filter, they convert the fishes waste, (ammonia) to nitrite and finally nitrate, thus creating a safe environment for your discus. Chemical The final stage of filtration is very much controlled by you, for various reasons we may wish to add carbon or peat to the filter, these media's either absorb impurities or alter the chemical balance of the water. This is usually toped off with a fine wool pad to polish the water as it returns to the aquarium. I hope you enjoyed this article and it has given you a small insight to creating the ideal water conditions for your Discus Fish.

Keeping Discus Fish

Keeping discus fish

The last decades have seen more materials written about Keeping Discus Fish than about any other fish species. Anyone who thinks about keeping discus fish in the aquarium should get well informed before actually purchasing them. They are considered royal fish native from the calm and warm Amazon waters that charm through their behavior. Keeping discus fish requires some background knowledge about what to expect from them and what to offer to make such pets happy. Discus fish are considered creatures of changing behavior that also manifest personality.

When keeping discus fish you?l notice that they are calm and shy in general, but when they make couples they often can become aggressive to their own kin and others due to breeding territory protection. Keeping discus fish will bring lots of both challenges and rewards. First of all, within a group it is often common that the weakest discus be severely bullied, a treatment that can sometimes result in death. Therefore, keeping discus fish in groups of minimum six individuals is considered ideal. Thus you increase the confidence of the group members and lower the risk of ?ommunity?misbehavior.

When keeping discus fish you have to respect their habits. For instance mating is a matter of personal choice when it comes to parenting. Therefore, arranged matches are not to the like of the discus that are independent in their choice of a partner. Keeping discus fish that go through the breeding process is best achieved in a separate tank especially prepared for the purpose. In case you?e keeping discus fish in couples together with the rest of your aquatic pets, you risk having some nasty violent behavior because of territorial claims. Discus fish prepare the perimeter were they are going to have their babies by cleaning it first and defending it throughout the whole period.

Once you have fry, you?l be surprised that discus feed their young alone. However, when keeping discus fish of such different ages together, it is good to assist the parents?effort by also giving some special food to the fry too such as baby brine shrimp. After three or six weeks at the maximum, keeping discus fish together with their fry is not at all recommended. You should separate the fry and leave the exhausted parents recover. Use a special tank for the fry only and feed them at least three times a day to support the accelerated growth rate.


Keeping Discus Fish

Keeping Discus Fish - Tips on keeping discus fish

Many manuals have been written about keeping discus fish than about any other exotic fish. This is mainly due to their popularity among pet owners. They are very sensitive creatures so in order to keep discus fish one has to be aware of their ideal living conditions, feeding and breeding habits.

Discus is a native of the calm and warm Amazon River Keeping discus fish requires the pet owner to have the right information about what to expect and what to offer them to make these exotic creatures happy. Discus fish keeps changing their behavior according to the environmental factors.

They are shy in general but when keeping discus fish you may notice that they become aggressive to their own kin and others due to breeding territory protection. The weakest discus gets severely bullied and attacked. Therefore, keeping discus fish in groups of minimum six individuals is considered ideal. Keeping discus fish in groups also increases the confidence of the group members and lower the risk of "community" misbehavior. Thus keeping discus fish brings both lots of both challenges and rewards.

Their mating behavior is far different from other species since they select their own partners therefore you have to give respect to their personal choices when keeping discus fish. Arranged matches may not work as they are very independent creatures. A separate tank should be arranged for mating purposes. If you are keeping discus fish in couples together with the rest of your aquatic pets, you risk having some nasty violent behavior because of territorial claims. You can easily notice that discus fish prepares the perimeter were they are going to have their babies by cleaning it first and defending it throughout the whole period.

Once you have fry, you'll be surprised that discus feed their young alone. However, when keeping discus fish of such different ages together, it is good to assist the parents' effort by also giving some special food to the fry too such as baby brine shrimp. It's advisable to separate the fry and adults after three or six weeks at the maximum. The exhausted parents should be kept in a separate tank to recover while the fry grows in a different tank. You can feed the fry three times a day because they eat greedily to grow faster.


Keeping Discus Fish

Keeping Discus Fish - Tips on keeping discus fish

More manuals have been written about keeping and breeding discus fish then any other exotic fish. This is because they are very popular

with pet owners. Discus fish are very sensitive creatures, if you want to keep long lasting discus fish you need to be aware of there

preferred living conditions and feeding and breeding habits.

Discus is a native of the calm and warm Amazon River Keeping discus fish requires the pet owner to have the right information about

what to expect and what to offer them to make these exotic creatures happy. Discus fish keeps changing their behaviour according to the

environmental factors.

They are generally shy but if your planning to keep discus fish you will notice that they become quite aggressive to there own kind this is

because of breeding territory protection. In this type of situation only the strong discus survive and the week get attacked. Its best to

keep to keep discus fish in groups of minimum six individuals is considered ideal. By keeping them in groups it will increase confidence in

group members and lower the risk of misbehaviour. Keeping discus fish can bring lots of challenges and rewards at the same time too.

Discus mating behaviour differs from other species they like to select there own partners just like us humans that?€?s why you will need to

give them respect when it comes to selecting a partner. If you try to force a couple together this will not work, discus fish are very

independent, imagine if you were forced to get with somebody you don?€?t like. A separate tank will be needed for mating purposes, If

you are keeping discus fish in couples together with the rest of your aquatic pets, you risk having some nasty violent behaviour because of

territorial claims. You can easily notice that discus fish prepares the perimeter were they are going to have their babies by cleaning it

first and defending it throughout the whole period.

Once you have your fry, you'll be surprised that discus fish feed their young alone. However, when keeping discus fish of different ages

together, it?€?s a good idea to assist the parents' effort by also giving some special food to the fry too such as baby brine shrimp for

example. I would recommend you separate the fry and adults after three or six weeks at the maximum. The exhausted parents should be

kept in a separate tank to recover while the fry grows in a different tank. You can feed the fry three times a day because they eat

greedily to grow faster. For a professional guide on this subject


Keeping Discus Fish