As a result, tributaries will change their streamline, inundating crystal-clear waters with mud and clay. This geographic area changes vastly during the course of a year – the rainy season in December promotes flooding, as tropical showers and ice water increase water levels. Discus Fish Tank Setup Brief overview of natural habitatĭiscus fish are naturally found in the floodplain lakes and rivers of the lowland Amazon basin. As a special treat, you can even feed your discus frozen beef heart – just make sure you clean your tank after feeding this food, as it can cause pollution. Blackworms are also a good choice, but these should be fed sparingly, as they can harbor parasites. You can also supplement with bloodworms in a feeder cone. Granules tend to be the best option, as discus don’t like to feed at the surface and will instead feed at the middle of the tank. What foods are recommended for discus fish?įeed your discus fish a varied diet of processed and frozen live foods. This will require more diligent cleaning. Therefore, it can be difficult to keep this fish in the same tank as others, since it will not feed when others are present.įurthermore, because a discus fish’s food is so protein-rich, it is not uncommon for protein-rich leftovers to sink to the bottom of the tank and cause a buildup of ammonia and nitrates. These fish can be challenging to feed, because they tend to stay in a corner of the tank while other fish feed. Artificial feeds, like spirulina or supplements, can also be fed. You can also use foods like prawns, mussels, nettle, vegetables, which are other common choices. Tubifex, brine shrimp, corethra, gammarus, and blood worm are all popular foods. You can feed your discus fish live or frozen feed. Discus fish will also eat zooplankton and other small insects. They tend to eat more invertebrates during the high-water season.

In the wild, discus fish eat a varied diet consisting of plant material (sch as algae and detritus) and small invertebrates.

Symphysodon tarzoo (Green discus) Discus Fish Diet & Feeding What do discus fish eat in the wild?.

Symphysodon discus (Red discus, also known as Heckel discus).

Symphysodon aequifasciatus (Blue or brown discus).

While other subspecies have been proposed and several variants have been achieved by selective breeding in captivity, only three major natural types are recognized, based on their coloring and genetic makeup. There are three different types of scientifically recognized discus fish.

You can help your discus reach a large size by provided frequent water changes during critical growth periods. The maximum size ever recorded for a wild discus is around six inches, but aquarium hobbyists report that these fish can grow as long as nine inches by providing optimal conditions. Interestingly, discus fish tend to grow fastest in smaller tanks. After this time, their growth will level off, with larger fish becoming so huge only in the later years of their lives. They grow rapidly for the first few months, gaining up to an inch per month for the first three months. How fast/slow should you expect them to grow?ĭiscus fish can live for ten years or more. Although they aren’t terribly long, you need to remember that discus fish tend to be as tall as they are long, giving them a blockier appearance and causing them to take up more room in your tank. What size are discus when they’re small?ĭiscus fish start off very tiny, about one or two inches in length. These include the Albino White Snake, the Leopard Skin, the Super Red turquoise, and the Super Red Melon, just to name a few. While there are really only three different genetic types of discus fish, there are dozens of colors and patterns available. Peacock Mantis Shrimp: Care, Behaviour, Diet, Breed and Reproduce

Discus care