-Breeding Discus (Discus Pair)
To breed discus fish, we recommend using an aquarium with a capacity of 150 litres/40 US gallons (60 cm x 50 cm x 50 cm) (24” x 20” x 20”). Juvenile fish should be separated from the parents when they are 12 – 14 days old. At this age they start seeking out food on the floor of the aquarium and could ingest pathogens or germs.
-Discus Pair With Communal Fish In A Planted Aquarium
You will need an aquarium with a capacity of at least 180 litres/50 US gallons (100 cm x 40 cm x 45 cm) (40” x 16” x 18”)
We recommend an aquarium size of 250 litres / 65 gallons (100 cm x 50 cm x 50 cm) ( 40” x 20” x 20”) When keeping a pair of discus fish, the two fish should be at least 14 cm in size, because two smaller fish, kept as a pair, will not grow well in size, as “competitive feeding” does not take place.
–Rearing Discus Fish, Keeping a Discus Group
To rear a discus group (of at least 10 fish) an aquarium with as small a capacity as 180 litres / 50 US gallon is sufficient
(100 cm x 40 cm x 45 cm) (40” x 16” x 18”). However, for 10 fully-grown fish we recommend using an aquarium with a
capacity of at least 300 litres/ 80 gallons.
-Discus Group with Companion Fish in Aquarium with Plant Life
For 10 fully-grown discus fish with additional communal fish and plant life we recommend using an aquarium with a capacity of at least 400 litres / 105 US gallons. (160 cm x 50 cm x 50 cm) (63” x 20” x 20”).
TIPS
1. At the outset, you should establish whether you will be keeping a group of discus or a pair (as described in points 1 – 4 below). You should also make a firm decision as to whether you will be keeping wild caught, asian or european strains and then purchase those fish in future (avoid mixing!).
2. Take your time to prepare a new aquarium thoroughly until you have achieved the optimum water chemistry for our discus fish.
3. You should purchase a generous initial amount of plants and fish stock and, if possible, refrain from adding new plants or fish later (risk of introducing pathogens).
4. Feed a high quality nutritious food 3 x per day.
5. ⅓ weekly water changes.
6. Ideal water temperatures for discus fish are 28° – 30°Celsius / 82,6 – 86°F.
12 hourly lighting via a timer clock and a nightlight is recommended (nightlights
are an orientation guide and prevent discus fish becoming startled then injuring themselves)