What is special about discus fish?
In home aquariums, discus live for an average of 10 years, but can live up to 15 years, and can grow up to 8 inches. Like many fish in the home aquarium, they will eat almost anything that fits within their mouth. Due to their size, they often require a minimum 55–75 gallon aquarium.
Are Discus hard to look after?
Discus fish are one of the most beautiful freshwater fish in the hobby, known for their spectacular colors and large, circular shape. However, they’re notorious for being extremely difficult to keep, with Internet forums often recommending strict practices like 100% water changes every day.
Are Discus good for beginners?
Wild caught discus can be challenging to keep, due to their specialized water chemistry and dietary needs, however, most discus sold today are captive bred and are much easier to keep. That said, they are not for beginners for a variety of reasons.
What are the different types of discus?
They belong to the genus Symphysodon, which essentially contains three species: the Heckel Discus (S. discus), the Green Discus (S. aequifasciatus), and the Blue and Brown Discus (S. haraldi).
How do I know if my discus is happy?
A healthy Discus should always be lively, should have their fins open, and curious about what’s going on inside the tank and… outside. It’s attention towards the exterior is a good sign. Of course, we’re talking about a “shy” fish so its curiosity will not ever be comparable with that of a carp, as an example.
What is a alenquer discus?
The Alenquer Discus Fish look very similar to a Wild Discus Fish. The coloration is a brown base with beautiful blue and red around the body. These German Alenquer Discus Fish are kept at 86-88 degrees and will do fine in most water conditions. The Alenquer Discus Fish are a great addition to any Discus Fish Display.
How do you tell if a discus is stressed?
Strange Swimming: When fish are stressed, they often develop odd swimming patterns. If your fish is swimming frantically without going anywhere, crashing at the bottom of his tank, rubbing himself on gravel or rocks, or locking his fins at his side, he may be experiencing significant stress.
Why do discus have black stripes?
The black strips are called stress bars. Discus usually show stress bars when they are stressed. Some discus, such as PPB (Pidgeon Bloods) that do not have stress bars. Instead, they have peppering, black spots, which is more prominent around the nose area.
What is a pigeon blood discus?
Pigeon Blood Discus are a selectively bred or man-made species of Discus that typically have a creamy yellowish to orange base color, highlighted by bright red eyes and trimmed off in black stripes and spots. The tails of Pigeon Blood Discus are almost always black.
How do I know if my Discus is happy?
Do fishes like water changes?
Water also needs to be changed to reintroduce elements and minerals necessary for your fish’s well-being. As time passes, elements and minerals are used up by your fish or are filtered out of the water, changing the overall pH of the water.
What is peppering in Discus?
15th Oct 2018. Return To: How to Treat White Spots on Discus Fish. -The best way to reduce Pigeonblood freckling also referred to as “peppering” is to keep the aquarium background and bottom light. The lighter the color the less freckles the Pigeonblood Discus will display.
What is pigeon blood Discus?
Why do Discus have red eyes?
Discus must have a red eye to be considered a worthy specimen. In the main, wild Discus do have bright red eyes, so some fishkeepers consider a red eye a must characteristic. However, most Discus available today are domestically-bred mutations and the eye can be yellow/red/albino and so on.
What is peppering in Discus fish?
What does ammonia smell like in fish tank?
Ammonia. Once you know what ammonia smells like, you’ll recognise it for the rest of your life. It smells like pee-filled babies’ nappies, which is ironic because it’s widely used in household cleaning products.
Why are my fish gulping at the surface?
The reason they are at the surface trying to breathe is due to a lack of dissolved oxygen in the water. The low levels of oxygen are mainly due to a lack of aeration or poor water quality, which can then cause the fish to stress.