DISCUS FISH Breeding - Take it To The Next Level

Discus fish in my opinion are one of the most beautiful fresh water fish you'll keep. You will hear that clown loaches or cichlids are more fascinating however it’s not the point. With their beauty comes a price Discus can cost in upwards of three hundred dollars a fish. I do not recommend anyone spending over 100 bucks a fish. With all being said where I’m from here in Michigan you will pay approximately seventy five dollars for an adult and a little less for just a juvenile which can be approximately 35 dollars or so.

How would it sound if you merely had to purchase a few fish and that’s it? With these tips you will have a very good chance to achieve just that.

Discus Fish Breeding - Setting Up

By now you recognize caring for discus is great however it's only the very first part of the hobby. To save money on these pricey fish I want you to take it to a higher level. Discus fish breeding is the amusing and exciting method

to save money on your discus. Keep at heart this isn't as simple as it sounds but it seriously is not as complicated as it sounds either. Due to the lofty cost of the fish. Discus fish breeding has become very popular among hobbyist during these recent times. In some cases the discus will even breed without any distinctive attention providing you with a lovely surprise in a handful of weeks.

Discus Fish Breeding - It’s Time To Start

With discus fish breeding there are a few ways to get set up. Here are a couple of options to start you out correctly. First the easiest choice. To consider the simple methods speak with your dealer and allow them to know you wish to buy a mating couple. This would be the fastest and the most expensive system to start the discus fish breeding process.  Certain mating pairs can cost between one hundred and 300 dollars.

The next choice is to buy a collection of a minimum of six juvenile fish. When utilizing this practice it is not one hundred percent guaranteed however it typically will succeed in the majority of cases.

Discus Fish Breeding - The Mom The Dad

With some time, in your main tank you'll start to note who mating pair will be. What I mean by this is you will observe two fish pair off and they will start defending their territory against all of the other tank mates. Watch this behavior for a few days if it keeps up they will be mom and dad.

Now it is time to move them both into the breeding tank. A tank which is independent from your main tank is considered a breeding tank. When breeding discus fish it is suggested to have at least a 20 gallon tank for the two fish.

Discus Fish Breeding - Breeding Tank Tips

Use this easy tip before you move the breeding pair into the "Discus fish breeding tank" to maintain them less stressed. Fill the breeding tank with water from the main tank therefore the ph factors will remain stable. You would

like to keep the base clear, no rocks no gravel. The reason for this is to allow it to be easier to maintain the water clean by removing any leftover food and waste. The only decor you need inside the tank is really a vertical spawning surface.

Discus Fish lay their eggs like angel fish do. They prefer to spawn their eggs on the vertical surface. There are many varieties of vertical surfaces you can use. In my case I use an upside down ceramic pot or some sort of plant like a Java fern. If your fish seem to be stressed or are trying to hide, it is a good technique to put in a plant or two giving them shelter making them feel unstressed. Filtration is another important factor. I like to use a small power filter as well as a sponge filter. I take advantage of the power filter with a bag of peat moss, this technique keeps the ph level in check.

SMALL IMPORTANT BREEDING TANK SECRET

Keep in mind the Discus fish breeding tank is usually a lot smaller than your original tank. You have to watch this tank for ammonia spikes and water temp. fluctuations. Cleaning the waste from this tank everyday is a must do chore for breeding. This is essential with the Discus fish breeding process. Discus like clean water and will not breed without it.

About The Author Steve Jones is an expert fish keeper and owns an aquarium shop in upper Michigan. Discover more advanced tips on how to buy discus fish HTTP://WWW.AQUARIUMDISCUSFISH.INFO  Article Directory: Article Dashboard

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Feeding Tips for DISCUS FISH

Discus fish have a reputation of being difficult to look after. They can be creatures of habit and don't tolerate change well. However anybody can keep or breed them as long as they are equipped with the right knowledge.

Live brine shrimps (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Feeding Discus Fish can be quite 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 can create problems.

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

After about a month they will begin to accept new foods you need to bear in mind the starvation period could slow or stunt the growth of young discus.

It's a good idea to ask the breeder/owner what type of food they are use too and what exactly have they been feeding them. This will help the discus settle in a lot more quickly in there new home.

You can introduce new food at a later time it's a good idea to slowly mix in the new food with the old food and over a period of time increase dosage of the new food until they grow accustomed to the new diet.

If you are breading and have babies you should start feeding the babies while they are on the parents. This is important in means of helping the parents and getting the babies used to the foods you will give in the future.

My recommendations: Start feeding them with live bbs (baby brine shrimp) on 3rd day of free-swimming. During 10th day, start giving some dry food little by little.

Discus fish do not like new foods and surroundings at the same time, remember discus to not like sudden change slowly is the best way.

Keeping &Breeding Discus Fish Guide Article Directory: EzineArticles

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DISCUS FISH Keeping Tips - Simple Things You Must Know When Caring For Discus

Many new aquarists who try their hand at discus fish keeping have tried and failed. Some keep at it, hoping they will get the hang of it. While one group may live longer than the last, they just do not seem able to get past a certain critical point. And with these fishes being expensive as they are, it becomes disheartening after a while. If this is you, do not despair. With a little foreknowledge you can succeed with keeping them alive and thriving.

Discus fish (Symphysodon aequifasciatus)  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

To get you going, here are simple things you need to know about discus fish keeping.

Set The Temperature

While they are very peaceful and make ideal community fish, their tank-mates may not appreciate it. They require fairly high temperatures to be comfortable. Their ideal temperature is most times too high for other tropical fish. They require it to be between 80 and 84 degrees Fahrenheit. Most other fishes prefer it to be between 72 and 78.

So you can see the discrepancy there. It might not seem big to you, but if you were cold blooded and your normal range was the lower one, then when you are subjected to the higher ranges, you will feel like you are having a fever. You would not be very comfortable. The discus at lower temperatures will feel like they are experiencing cold chills.

Perform Water Changes Regularly

These guys need pristine water conditions at all times. You will need to change it on a regular basis and never miss one, ever!

Schoolmates

These are schooling fish and so they will not be happy in groups smaller than six.

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The Water Parameters For DISCUS FISH

The Amazon River is full of rooting vegetation which is a direct cause of the acid nature of the water.

Before you choose your Discus you must have the water parameters correct or matching closely to the place of where you are to buy your discus Fish.

Unless you are lucky enough to live in a place where the natural tap water is Acid and Soft, you will need the use of a Reverse Osmosis filter and a HMA filter.

The RO filter will remove 99.9% of everything in the water, making the Ph around 6.2 depending on where you live. The HMA filter will remove the heavy metals and the Chlorine, which are extremely harmful to discus. The HMA will not alter the Ph which is ideal, because we can use that to blend with the RO water to make the correct Ph.

Now if you are breeding you will need the Ph to be between 6.2 and 6.5. If you are just keeping discus say in a show tank you will need the Ph between 6.7 and 7.0. With the hardness between 3 and 5GH.

I like to use 'Indian Almond Leaves' in all my discus tanks as I find it gives a natural additive to the water similar to liquids you can buy which claim to add chemicals to the water that will give you that Amazon river consistency. The top breeders in the far east use these leaves. I always favour the natural approach every time!

Temperature should be 29 degrees centigrade.

Do your water changes regularly, the often the better, and you will not go far wrong!

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Keeping DISCUS FISH - Hard or Soft Water?

It has been debated a lot about whether to keep discus fish in hard water or soft water. People have had success with both methods so it's not an easy answer but I will share with you, how I do things and what has worked for me.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here's the first rule I use when buying and importing discus fish:

Match the water conditions of your supplier.

If you follow this rule you will be at a great advantage as the discus will already be accustomed to the water you provide. This will cause a lot less stress than moving discus used to hard water into soft water. Now your water doesn't have to match exactly but if it is about right things should be OK. Don't go getting stressed if your hardness is out a couple of degrees.

Once fish are settled here's how I like to keep mine.

Young Discus

Young discus fish should not be kept in very soft water as there aren't the right minerals present for good growth. They should be raised in slightly hard water with a natural ph. In this water they should grow quickly and healthy. For my young discus I use tap water filtered through activated carbon and then left in storage barrels for at least 24 hours. This will make sure all the chorine is out of the water.

Adult Discus

Adult discus, once 5in should be kept in soft water but still not at breeding conditions as they may still be growing but don't need the minerals like young discus fish. By lowering the softness and ph of the water you will trigger breeding activity between the adults and should get a few breeding. For my adult discus I again use tap water filter through carbon and left to stand but I also add aquarium peat. This softens the water a little and is fine because of the tap water I have. You may have to use RO water mixed with filtered tap water.

Also if using peat to soften water, make sure it is of the aquarium variety. Other garden peat can contain chemicals that can harm discus fish so just be careful.

On a final note, there is no right or wrong hardness to keep discus these days because they are tank bred through generations and have acclimatized to harder water. Just follow these guidelines and you should be fine.

Rob owns Discus Fish Secrets website helping beginners and advanced fish keepers with discus problems including keeping and breeding them. Please visit the site for more information on discus and keeping and breeding discus fish Article Directory: EzineArticles

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