Asked by: Lihong Alaiz
pets fish and aquariums

Are discus fish easy to take care of?

43
King of the Aquarium
Wild caught discus can be challenging tokeep,due to their specialized water chemistry and dietaryneeds,however, most discus sold today are captive bred andaremuch easier to keep. That said, they are not forbeginners,for a variety of reasons.


Thereof, are discus fish hard to take care of?

These fish are very difficulttokeep Domestically-bred Discus are really nodifferentto any other fish and these are the very basicrules: Keepthem in groups, as they are a shoaling species. Providethem withchemically clean water.

Beside above, what is the best food for discus fish? Worms. Just like regular fish, yourdiscusfish can also be fed bloodworms, black worms and alsowhiteworms. All these happen to be one of the best foods fordiscusfish in terms of nutrient content.

Beside above, what fish can I keep with discus?

If you're looking for some good tank mates, here's a lookat12 that are tops:

  • Top 12 Discus Tank Mates.
  • #1 Cardinal Tetras.
  • #2 Corydoras Catfish.
  • #3 Bristlenose Pleco (Ancistrus)
  • #4 Clown loaches.
  • #5 German Blue Rams.
  • #6 Rummy Nose Tetras.
  • #7 Glowlight Tetras.

Are discus fish for beginners?

With so many stunning variations, both in the wild andinhome aquariums, discus have won the hearts of manyaquarists.Unfortunately, for beginners, discus fishcare mightbe overwhelming, especially if they started out withhardyfish like goldfish or betta fish.

Related Question Answers

Elizabel Worlein

Professional

Why are discus expensive?

Discus fish are so expensivebecausebreeding and keeping them requires some of the most laborintensivefish keep practices known. Breeding discus,however,requires more care, very good water conditions, less fishin thetank and the expensive bigger ones are probably a yearorso old.

Adonaya Lane

Professional

How do you prepare water for discus fish?

Discus prefer warm, soft, acidic water.pHshould be between 6.0 and 7.0, with hardness between 1°and4° dKH (18 to 70 ppm). Temperature should be keptbetween82° and 86° F, although wild Heckel discuspreferwater near 90° F. Use an Aqueon aquarium heatertomaintain proper water temperature.

Jalila Azevo

Explainer

How do you keep discus healthy?

To keep discus, keep them in a tankthatholds at least 10 gallons of water per fish. Install a heaterandthermometer in the tank so you can keep thetemperaturebetween 84 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, set up ahigh-qualityfilter in the tank to keep the waterclean.

Asis Morgaz

Explainer

Can you keep one discus by itself?

In fact, the discus fish are said to be shy.Theywill only thrive well in an aquarium with a groupofdiscus fish and not quarrel at all. The discusfishshould not be kept alone as they need company and livingalonemight stress them out, eventually leading totheirdeath.

Pankaj Pirkenseer

Explainer

How much does a discus fish cost?

Discus Fish for Sale Price List
Strain Name Size#1 (1.75 inches) Size#2 (2.0 - 2.5 inches)
Cobalt $25.00 $30.00
Pigeon Blood $25.00 $30.00
Tangerine $25.00 $30.00
Red Turquoise $30.00 $35.00

Valdirene Kochli

Pundit

How many discus Can I put in a 55 gallon tank?

If one cleans their tank and gravel once every5to 7 days on a regular basis, completes a 25% water change,anddoes not overfeed, you can stock a 100-gallon tank with35to 40 adult Discus fish. This stock level will resultinyour Discus fish growing evenly.

Raeann Meurer

Pundit

How many discus Can I put in a 60 gallon tank?

It's a pretty big discus fish and it requires55gallons of space per fish. Therefore, if we aretalkingabout a 60 gallon tank, you can only fit 1 royalreddiscus fish into it. These guys require the water tobebetween 79 and 86 degrees, with a pH level between 6.1and7.5.

Lima Quara

Pundit

Can I keep discus with angelfish?

However, whether they can live together inanaquarium depends on several things and which aquarist youlistento. Angelfish and discus are both cichlids.Thisshould be enough to keep them apart, but some aquaristshavekept them in the same tank. Both discus andangelfishlike wood to hide behind.

Petya Stallbaum

Pundit

How often should discus be fed?

3 to 12 months of age – feed up tofivetimes per day. Over 12 months of age – feed twotothree times per day. Be careful to not overfeed them.Overfeedingyour discus could cause health problems andwaterpollution.

Aslan Tuduri

Pundit

How long can a discus go without eating?

We recommend not feeding the fish while you areaway.Discus fish larger than 10 cm and other semi-grownfishcan survive quite well without food for 2-3weeks.Larger and older fish can survive even longer, from 1to 2months.

Kone Borners

Teacher

Can I keep guppies with discus?

Yes, the guppies should be quite compatiblewiththe discus - i've done it myself - no problems.However,yes, the temp is generally too high for them & itwillshorten their life span. It's that's a combination offish thatsuits you, go for it !

Chahinaz Matzievsky

Teacher

What size tank does a discus fish need?

If you keep a pair of companions with plants, thenyourequire a 65-gallon tank. Recommended dimensionsare40” x 20” x 20”. The two fish should beofthe same size and at least 14 cm long. Rearing groupofdiscus will need a 50 gallon tank for10fish.

Salobral Marchukov

Teacher

Can you mix Tetras?

Tetras are colorful, peaceful andinexpensive,depending on the specific species. Most tetrasare schoolingfish, swimming together in groups. Generally,tetras willonly school with their own species. However,there are severalsituations where fish of different specieswill schooltogether.

Xiaoguang Zehetner

Teacher

What temperature do discus fish need?

Temperature ~84°F
The optimum aquarium temperatureforDiscus is around 82°F - 88°F(28°C-31°C).Note that higher temperatures such asthese lower dissolvedoxygen and limit the number of fishhoused in theaquarium.

Giselle Entrambasaguas

Reviewer

How long do discus fish live in a tank?

6 to 8 years

Maliki Tsei

Reviewer

Can Gouramis live with discus?

These fish tolerate high temperatures thatdiscusfish require. However, make sure that the tank hasenough hidingplaces. These peaceful fish do well withdiscus.Though all types of gouramis are said to becompatible withdiscus, it is advisable to go for dwarfgouramis andpearl gouramis.

Xiaojing Schmidtke

Reviewer

Do discus fish need light?

Aquarium Requirements
In the aquarium, discus fish need verylittlelight. Ambient light will likely provideenoughillumination for the fish in most cases. However,despitetheir fondness for darkness, they do come from thetropics-- so make sure they receive 10 to 12 hours of lightaday.

Sekou Resta

Reviewer

Can discus eat flakes?

Usually fish are ready to eat first thing inthemorning and are more receptive to new food.discusneeds various protein diet,you have to feedBHM/GHM,antsegg,liveworms/earthworms,hikari discus biogold(goodflake food),frozen dried bloodwormsetc

Anjanette Albillo

Supporter

Do discus have teeth?

The reason for this is their teeth, or lackofteeth. Discus fish do not haveteeth,but rather grinders in the jaw. During this process, manyfoodparticles fall to the bottom of the discus fishaquarium.Discus fish will expel water at foodsresting on theaquarium bottom, then pick them up as theyfloat.

Co-Authored By:

EveryThingWhat Staff Editor

9

8th January, 2020

45

79% of readers found this page helpful.

4.6/5

Click a star to add your vote

Similar Asks
Trending