Discus Fish Care - What breeders need to know about discus care?

Breeding exotic fish can be an interesting activity and it is also a hobby for many people around the world. Whoever breeds exotic fish needs special information on discus care, since discus fish are generally considered very sensitive creatures. The major focus of discus care should be on creating the most proper living environment in a well proportionate water tank. Discus fish love deep water, so make sure the aquarium you are going to use is proper for the discus group you want to colonize. Normally discus care does not involve any out of common issues; all the breeder needs is to preserve the correct water parameters necessary for healthy living conditions. Otherwise, there shouldn't be any problems.

Take for example an important element in discus care is the weekly water change; however, since the discus don't like changes, only 25% of the tank volume should be freshened. Likewise, for special discus care try to use a filter that eliminates the heavy metals and the chlorine without altering the water pH. Keep in mind that a larger water volume is easier to preserve stable as compared to a small tank for instance; therefore, discus care should include this aspect too. When you feed the fish on beef-heart make sure that you clean all the leftovers as these will contaminate the water.

On the other hand where you have a separate tank with fry, special discus care is required here. The reasons are simple, you feed them more and the water quality lowers, therefore in the case of baby discus you need to change at least 30% of the water in the tank three times a week. Through discus care, uneaten food and waste are eliminated, In other words the more simple you keep the aquarium the higher the water quality. If you use lots of plants and decorations, there will be more discus care issues since they collect lots of dirt underneath. Likewise, avoid using them in baby discus or breeding tanks.

Special attention should be paid to situations that involved increased discus care measures. I'm talking about the breeding period or in case there is some kind of disease that is affecting your fish.

Discus Fish Care

Discus Fish Care - Important facts about discus fish care

When you design your aquarium, make sure you plan the discus fish care area properly because much to the surprise of many tropic fish owners, discus fish care has revealed special features specific to this breed that makes it stand apart. Discus fish make great friends and pets; as you will find out, discus fish respond to you and have a social and bonding behavior unparalleled by other breed. When you make discus fish care a hobby, you'll see they react in the most pleasant ways, watching you moving around the room or even eating out of your hand. No wonder people love them.

Fish breeders are proud to own discus, but discus care raise a few issues, though not too complex I dare say. When you plan your aquarium You should ask yourself this question Is it going to be a family show tank or can the discus fish use it for breeding? Discus fish care is not difficult at all; on the contrary, it brings immense satisfaction. For instance You can see the active role played by the male discus when raising their fry.

Keep in mind the fact that these fish are extremely clean and they like pure water all the time. Therefore, a special part of the discus fish care should focus on keeping a close watch on water recycling, temperature and the oxygen level. Make sure all the living parameters are within the limit in order to avoid various diseases. The maximum temperature of water should be 31 degrees Celsius; if it gets warmer the level of oxygen drops and you'll be confronted to oxygen starvation.

Establishing colonies of nitrifying bacteria in the filter is a major aspect of discus care filter. This is essential since no discus fish care measures allow you to put the fish in a tank without these bacteria. These microbes are responsible for keeping the ammonia and the nitrites under check by consuming the fish waste as food.

Plants also contribute to reducing the amount of toxic substances in the water, but you will still have to change it on a regular basis.

You may choose several nitrification methods in the process of discus fish care, the most important being the type of filter you decide to use.

Discus Fish Care

Discus Fish Care - Where to find discus fish for sale?

We find more and more People offering discus fish for sale. One needs to dig deeper in order to find the best deals. There are professional breeders that that use selection methods and great technologies in order to offer high quality discus fish for sale. There are certain things we need to consider when the discus fish for sale are already coupled. These are the most crucial factors, as it is considered pretty difficult to mate discus fish. One might think that its a false myth, but it is a fact that couple discus fish for sale come for at least a few hundred dollars.

Therefore who should you approach in order to find discus fish for sale? If there is no authorized breeder in your area, you should try looking for private owners who have successfully mated their pets and consequently may have some discuss fish for sale.

Before you buy them talk to the breeder, have a look at the tank where they are kept in order to ensure that the discus fish for sale is in a healthy condition. If you are not sure you may ask a vet to see the discus fish for sale.

Sometimes, you may be yourself in the position to offer discus fish for sale. Once you've successfully coupled some of your pets you need to isolate the fry in a different tank and feed it chopped worms and special food until they reach maturity. It depends on your willingness to offer discus fish for sale because some people like to keep all the fry with them they love them so much. If that is you remember the parents you mated in the first place could be on the way to having another round of baby fish for you.

Due care should be taken to ensure water cleanliness and for providing hygienic food to raise the fry to a maturity level where the discus fish is ready for sale. The baby discus differs a lot from adult discus when it comes to behavior particularly with respect to the food. The babies are so greedy in their eagerness to grow, whereas the adults nibble at food and take their time before finishing a meal.

Discus Fish Care

Discus Fish Care - Risks of your discus fish catching disease

Discus is bred in aquariums all over the world even though it originated in the Amazon River; discus fish are not too vulnerable to diseases. However, all breeders should be well-informed about the risks of discus fish disease, as they are often exposed to various health problems because of improper care conditions. As a matter of fact breeders are the ones responsible for discus fish diseases. Improper care, poor or inadequate living conditions, co-inhabitance with other breeds are usually responsible for the various discus fish diseases.

The most prevalent discus fish diseases are the ones common to fresh water fish in general. For instance the ammonia poisoning is a discus fish disease that appears because of improper nitrogen cycle in your aquarium. This may be due to adding tropical fish in the water before the ammonia has been eliminated or maybe the filters don't function properly. Change the water regularly and avoid over-crowding the tank in order to avoid this disease. If you notice red and swollen gills or the fish staying at the water surface gasping for air it might be due to this disease.

Ich is another common disease that is caused by poor water quality it is characterized by the appearance of white spots on the fish body and fins. The best way to fight this discus fish disease is by increasing the water temperature and administrating medication available in any pet store.

You can take the carbon filter out before adding the medication, as the filter might absorb useful substances. Make sure you have a quarantine aquarium in order to prevent any discus fish disease.

Oxygen starvation which is one of the discus fish diseases can be caused by inappropriate temperature of the water. A higher water temperature also requires an increased level of oxygen in the water. Therefore, you can easily avoid this discus fish disease by taking care of the aeration level, speeding up the flow rate of the filters. I recommend you turn off the tank light for a while, as this also causes temperature to rise and exposes the fish to the risk of the oxygen starvation discus fish disease. Always, keep in mind that the ideal temperature for the discus fish is 31 degrees Celsius at the maximum.


Discus Fish Care

Discus Fish Care - Breeding Discus Fish Made Simple

Breeding Discus fishes has become truly an art form for many fish lovers. Such care is required during this process as they can be quite fastidious to breed, susceptible to disease and easily stressed if they are not kept under optimal conditions. Notwithstanding this, you will still find that most Discus fish are being bred in captivity and given the development of new technology, maintaining optimal water conditions has become much easier to sustain.

One of the most important factors to look out for when you are embarking on the breeding process is the chemistry of the water level. You want to test this as you need to achieve the right balance of chloramines, chlorine, pH and alkalinity before placing these fishes in the water. Having established the correct level of pH and alkalinity in your raw water, a simple colour test kit will determine the presence and concentration of either. You need to ensure that you keep your pH below 7 and above 5.5. The ideal pH for discus is 6. At pH levels above 7, discus are stressed. Below 5.5, the pH is inclined to plunge rapidly, so you will probably find that 6 to be comfortable for both the fish and the fish keeper.

Once the parents have spawned new eggs, you have a choice of either leaving them in the tank with the new fry hoping that they get it right. However, the eggs would be at risk of being eaten, so you may wish to invest some time in raising the new discus fish yourself. If you choose the latter, then remove the eggs after a few hours and place them into a smaller tank in some of the water from the main tank to maintain the same environment and water temperature that they were born in. Insert a little sponge filter or air stone to assist with the filtration process. To prevent egg fungus, it is recommended that you add a couple drops of methyl blue in the water and within around 48 hours the eggs should hatch. Within a further 72 hours they will eat their own yolk sacks and will be swimming freely.

Then you need to ensure that the correct diet is implemented - very little and often is the key, say, 4 or 5 times a day. They should be fed on liquid fry food and rotifers and then in a couple of days feed them on newly hatched brine shrimp and powder fish food.

Ensure that all large floating particles of uneaten food, fish waste, and plant waste is removed from the tank to sustain a pollutant free environment. 50% of the water should be changed every day, but make sure when doing so the same chemical environment is maintained as before, otherwise the new fish will become stressed.

After a fortnight, you will be able to move the new school of discus fish to a bigger tank, preferably using a container as a net so as not to cause them any stress or damage in the process. As they are such particular fishes, continue to feed them 4 times a day with a 50% daily water change and watch them flourish.


Discus Fish Care

Discus Fish Care - Feeding and Lighting Tips for Discus Fish

Discus Fish are often classified as difficult to care for. They can be creatures of habit and don't tolerate change well. However, they can

be kept by almost anybody with some knowledge and effort.

Feeding Discus Fish can be a challenge. They have no unique nutritional needs and can be raised on most high-protein fish food. However,

their cautious nature and reluctance to adapt to new foods and surroundings creates problems.

They have been known to go for weeks without eating before trying and accepting a new type of food.

Starving for a month or so will cause them to relent and accept a new food. This starvation period could slow or stunt the growth of the

young fish.

As a precaution ALWAYS ask what type of food they are accustomed to and have been eating. This information would go a long way

toward helping the fish to adapt more quickly to their new home.

You can always introduce new food at a later time by slowly mixing the new food with for familiar food and thereby weaning them from

the old while helping them to grow accustomed to the new diet.

While diet may be a problem to overcome lighting doesn't seem to be a problem. Although there is a popular opinion that bright lights

may bother them. However, others are of the opinion that Discus Fish are indifferent to lighting.

If you observe that your Discus Fish are hiding most of the time lighting may not be the problem it could be something else. Perhaps they

simply need more time to feel at ease in their new surroundings.

It is wise not to introduce new foods and new surroundings at the same time. Slow is always the best approach.

Remember Discus Fish are shy and sensitive to disturbance and lack of protection. They will add beautiful color to your aquarium and are

worth the nurturing.


Discus Fish Care