How to care for mbuna cichlids with pictures wikihow. Discus breeding secrets by marc weiss cichlid room companion. This discus fish is about 4 long and lives in a densely planted aquarium with lots of live plants. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Discus are generally calm, peaceful fish, but as cichlids, they can be aggressive toward one another, especially when attempting to pair off and spawn. Pdf tropical fish hobbyist download full pdf book download.
Avoid mixing species that are incompatible, as this will lead to aggressive behaviour, stress, and the loss of your fish. Native to the amazon river basin, symphysodon is a genus of south american cichlids native to the amazon river basin. Feeding of discus is a vital factor for its proper growth. For this reason alone they are not recommended for the beginner aquarist. Line the bottom of the tank with crushed coral or aragonite for your fish to burrow in, and provide at least 1 cave per fish. Discus fish have been collected for the aquarium trade from. Discuses prefer to stick to a steady diet of the same foods. Discus fish care handbookzip download, low pricediscus fish care. May 31, 20 very aggressive fish the growing pains of keeping a wolf cichlid parachromis dovii duration.
Dec 08, 2016 discus fish care like we mentioned before, discus fish are relatively hard to take care of and they need some pretty strict conditions in order to stay healthy and happy. I want to be able to inform others that the care of these fish is not as mysterious and unattainable as some would think. Shy or submissive fish should be removed if they are unable to compete. Before buying discus, you should have done your homework and know about the fish, water chemistry and how to care for it. Aquarium industries freshwater fish compatibility chart. Discus fish secrets, discus fish care and breeding youtube. Brown discus probably the easiest kind of discus to keep, this is.
When you purchase your discus from us you will receive a booklet featuring all the important guidelines of how to care for your fish. The hobbyist guide for discus care and maintenance has been written as a helpful guide for caring for discus fish. The general rule of fish keeping is that you should never have a higher ratio than 1 inch of fish per 1 gallon of water. While not ideal, most discus fish can tolerate water with a ph of 5. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading how to care for discus fish like an expert aquarium and turtle mastery book 3. Whether youre a seasoned discus collector or starting out in the hobby, we welcome you to the largest selection of wild and hybrid discus fish for sale online. All information contained in this ebook has been compiled from sources written by experts in the care of discus fish.
Discus fish care starts from their aquarium that must not be less than three feet and must be stable with clean water. Discus caresheet introduction hello all, i have comprised a caresheet on discus fish after a lot of research. Find out what the seller of the fish has been feeding your discus. How to care for discus fish like an expert aquarium and turtle mastery book 3 kindle edition by chipperfield, david. Most discus aquarium fish keepers have this knowledge and the experience with other fish as they tend to keep other types. From discus fish origins, to shape, feeding and breeding. As a guide, we suggest keeping 810cm size discus at a rate of 10 to 12 per 180l. Healthy and problem free discus that spawn as soon as you place the cone in the water.
The stendker family has many years of experience in breeding discus fish. Wild heckel care i plan to put them in a 90 gallon bb tank with bolbitis and java fern on driftwood, the plants and driftwood will provide them some security. However, one has to invest a considerable amount of time for fish care, which is a factor that has to be kept in mind before purchasing discus fish. Discus fish care is a difficult topic, often surrounded by some mystery. The diamond discus will become noticeably more protective during spawning and thus require a large aquarium where they can have their own space. They are slow moving fish so they like to be with other slow moving fish. Remember always keep this in mind when starting care for discus. Due to this and also to prevent the possibility of the fish. Discus are extremely sensitive to disease and water conditions. A complete guide to owning discus fish fish care guide. The discus is a social fish and lives in large groups in their native waters, and has a very advanced social behaviour. Discus are a shoaling fish and best kept in groups. The book will help you to breed healthiest discus fish, full of bright colors and amazing confidence. Discus fish, an mp3 podcast about keeping and spawning discus.
They need the social interaction to develop their character to its fullest. Discus are social fish and live in large groups in their native waters, and have a very advanced social behavior. Everything you wanted to know about discus fish in one article. Recent research suggests are five species of discus, though there is some debate around this in the aquarium hobby, there are two species that are commonly available. With our discus, you are sure to have the best in the world coming directly from mr. We used modified digital models to examine whether discus fish use only. Discus can be susceptible to internal parasitic infections, so take care with live foods, and due to the fats proteins its perhaps best to feed animal meant sparingly if at all. Moreover, if you make your discus tank bare bottom then you can use even 1 or less than 1 watt per gallon. They do well under a higher level of care compared to other kinds of aquarium fish. Breeding the blue diamond discus is difficult and not recommended for first time breeders.
This is the most important step when caring for these fish. Just stop feeding them for a few days before gradually introducing them to the new food. Desired heritable traits or characteristics that can be transmitted from parent to offspring must be identified and selected and a selective breeding program put in place to produce a population with the desired color markings and looks phenotype. Discus are fish from the genus symphysodon, which currently includes the species s. Do not buy fish from aquariums that contain dead, dying or diseased fish. There are many color variations available thanks to selective breeding, and interestingly it can take up to 6 years for them to reach their best colors. Use an aqueon aquarium heater to maintain proper water temperature. Heinz stendker assembled the basic stock for the presentday professional fish farm in the form of four discus fish, it was by pure chance that these 2 pairs raised approximately 1,000 juveniles in the course o. Discus are carnivores, therefore they require a meatbased diet. Discus fish symphysodon haraldi is a wellknown and economical ornamental fish. They need the social interaction to develop their character to its best potential.
There has been little success in this area for most individuals keeping discus due to the dedication it requires. One feature not found in most other aquarium species is the young fish s instinct to feed from the parents skin, making them easier to care for if you are willing to leave the two generations in the same tank. The use of specially formulated cichlid discus foods occasionally supplemented with frozen beef heart and other frozen and live foods should provide a suitable diet. Advice on raising and breeding discus fish with forums. Tank living environment as mentioned earlier, sometimes less is better and that is definitely true when it comes to discus care. Types of discus extremely popular with breeders, discus have proved highly adaptable, with the four original wild species developing into a wide range of interesting varieties. Discus can be, and have been, bred even in partial seawater, but i prefer to stack the odds in our favour. Very aggressive fish the growing pains of keeping a wolf cichlid parachromis dovii duration. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. The complete discus fish care guide freshwater central. Discus fish if well fed, will display extremely fast growth rate often achieving fullgrown adult size of 8 inches in just 9 months starting from a small few millimetres fry.
To care for mbuna cichlids, keep them in a tank that holds at least 20 gallons of water so they have plenty of space to swim around in. However, discus are an incredibly intelligent and colorful fish, and can be one of the most rewarding aquarium fish to keep. There are two species of discus, which have been divided into the following subspecies. The difficulty when choosing tank mates for discus is that the fish is slow, it eats slow and inhabits in water with rather high for other fish species temperature. Some of the most popular types of discus are as follows. Julie wants to share the first step when caring for discus fish is to keep a clean tank.
The peaceful behavior, body shape, posture, and stance of the fish, along with its appealing colors and. Discus fish a complete pet owners guide repost free. These fish should be fed what they can eat within a few minutes 2 to 3 times a day. Fishes, tropical fish, aquarium fishes, aquariums discus fish care publisher neptune, n.
Discus have been labelled as fussy fish and not recommended for amateurs because water conditions must be kept at the optimum. Among the key things to note is that discus only spawn in an aquarium that is at least 15 inches deep owing to their tall shape. I want to be able to inform others that the care of these fish is not as mysterious and unattainable as some would. Since discus fish have such a wide range of colors expressed. Discus fish types, care, facts, and natural habitat. Do not buy fish from tanks that have an unusual colouration as it is highly likely that the fish are being dosed with some drugs. Before you attempt to breed your discus fish, take the time to learn how to select a breeding pair, how to prepare the breeding tank and how to care for the fry after your discus fish have. So due to this body shape this fish moves more vertically than horizontally. Discus fish market worlds largest bangkok thailand duration. Discus a guide on breeding and caring for these magnificent.
Discus fish care starts from their aquarium that must not be less than three feet and must be stable with. Like we mentioned before, discus fish are relatively hard to take care of and they need some pretty strict conditions in order to stay healthy and happy. Discus fish flourish in water with conditions similar to their natural habitat, however many discus fish are raised in captivity and tolerant of a higher range of water conditions. Other foods should be insect fish based, such as frozen brine shrimp, blood worm, mysis shrimp, black mosquito larvae, chopped earth worm, prawns, chopped cockle etc.
Adult discus 14cm and larger can be kept in pairs stendker discus can grow to 21cm in diameter and live up to 15 years. Discus fish facts about discus caring for discus discusguy. Discus fish secrets bestselling ebook ebook explorer. Discus are considered to require a higher level of care than other aquarium fish. Discus fish breeding happens away from the school and take care of their young ones for about 2 weeks. It may be a year of superlative care down the drain, should we add risk factors intentionally early on. Red snakeskin discus these two pictures illustrate the difference between colour forms.
This special pet fish talk interview features robert in new jersey talking with tom and nevin about his discus fish. Since 1965, the stendker family have been breeding their popular discus in the munster region of germany. If for economical or practical reasons you would prefer to feed them another food, such as flakes, it is possible to change their diet. And obviously, anyone who manages to establish a hatchery of this size, and to be.
Jul 14, 2015 discus fish are a somewhat sensitive breed to keep in the home aquarium so, if you plan to breed them, there are a few preparations you may need to make. Discus are quite difficult to care for and breed, and you may not achieve a high survival rate for the young on your first attempt. Caring for discus fish on freshwater aquariums for those who believe that freshwater aquarium cant match marine in regards to brightly colored fish, i want to introduce you to the discus fish. The ultimate guide to discus fish care internet archive. They need a larger space in terms of the size of the fish tank as well as stable supply of clean water. Some barbs communicate by nipping at each other, so avoid mixing these fish with timid, slow moving or longfinned fish such as neon tetras, angelfish, guppies or bettas. Discus fish of both wild and domestic origin are in great demand by freshwater aquarium enthusiasts and command high prices worldwide. Aquarium industries freshwater fish compatibility chart au ensure a healthy tank and healthy fish, by checking our guide to fish compatibility.
The hobbyist guide for discus fish care and maintenance excerpt from chapter 1 choosing a suitable aquarium chapter 1a dos and donts aquarium location dos 1. Tank size size matters quite a bit when it comes to keeping fish in an aquarium. Caring for discus fish on freshwater aquariums aquarium tricks. Coloration of the discus fish symphysopdon aequifasciatus and experimental tank.
If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the faq by clicking the link above. Setting up a discus fish aquarium and proper care need not be a costly investment. Green discus this beautiful stripy green fish is particularly prized if it exhibits red spots. Web page pdf file next shipment not scheduled because it is not currently possible to import fish because of the coronavirus crisis.
It is not however a replacement for a veterinary professional. Discus breeding is a very crucial stage in the care of discus fish. It needs sophisticated care including stable water conditions and low ammonianitrates. Discus fish secrets is the ultimate guide to discus fish care, breeding and keeping them healthy. The majority of male cichlids grow to be between 712 inches long, while females typically grow to 47 inches long. Discus can be housed with many any other fish as long as they require the same water conditions. This may seem like common sense but some people dont even know what water the discus fish prefer. Life is short build your dream tank today and unleash your imagination. Discus have been labelled as fussy fish and not recommended for amateurs because. This a wild discus from the orinoco river basin in venezuela and columbia in the northwestern part of south america. Discus is a schooling fish so it prefers to stay in groups of 6 species at least and it hardly stands being alone.
Place your discus aquarium in a place out of direct sunlight and away from open windows, ac and heating vents and other drafty places. How to care for discus fish like an expert aquarium and. Mbuna marcus aquariums, cichlids and more 2,435,787 views 5. Barbs are always on the go and should be kept with fish of similar size and activity levels. This barcode number lets you verify that youre getting exactly the right version or edition of a book. We know that discus is a round or disc shaped fish. Discus fish secrets pdf discus fish care secrets book download.
Follow these tips, or rules if you will, and your discus fish will be just fine. Alternatively, keeping a group of at least 6 juvenile blue discus will. Most serious hobbyists do not mix their discus with too many other species. However, this is not so much of a problem with many parts of victoria and tasmania where the water from the tap is naturally soft. They are beautiful and colorful but must be cared for painstakingly and with all diligence to ensure that they do well and thrive.
Therefore it is highly recommended that you keep discus in groups of 6 or more. Commonly referred to simply as discus, they may also be identified by their colour variety as well. Therefore, it is advisable that you should not use too much wattage of light. The official stendker website also contains pdf files covering everything you need to look after your fish, click here to visit their page. Discus need their own tanks to reproduce and require constant demanding care to ensure smooth delivery of the fry. Discus belong to the cichlid genus and originate from the amazon region of south america. Your discus will thrive if you follow some basics for discus fish care. Discus fish, two species of the genus symphysodon of fishes in the family cichlidae order perciformes, characterized by a compressed, diskshaped body.
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