Several Tips to Take Care of Your Discus Fish

Discus fish are considered to be one of the most beautiful types of fishes that you can keep as pets in your aquarium. However, you will find that keeping them can present you with a challenge. You have to remember that discus fish are very sensitive when it comes to the water quality they live in as well as the food you feed them.

So, here are several tips that you need to remember in order to keep your discus fish happy and healthy.

For starters, you may want to keep the fish tank clean. You have to keep in mind that discus fish are quite sensitive to disease and water conditions. And, they really won’t tolerate sudden and large water quality changes. Small fish tanks will likely fluctuate when it comes to the water pH level as well as the temperature. This is why larger fish tanks are recommended for discus fish. The smallest size for at least 6 discus fish would be a 40 gallon tank.

When you get a new discus fish, you have to quarantine them before you place them on your main tank. This is to prevent them from introducing bacteria, parasites, as well as other types of diseases that can be transferred to other fishes inside the main tank.

If the quarantined fish do not show any signs of illness after two or three weeks in the quarantine tank, you can introduce them to the main tank.

Also, you should keep in mind that discus fish thrives in tropical waters. So, keep the water temperature in your tank between 84 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use a water heater in your tank to keep the water temperature stable and you should also invest in a water thermometer in order for you to constantly monitor the temperature.

The environment in the aquarium should mimic the natural habitat of the discus fish. You should put in logs, rocks, plants and other spots where the discus fish can hide in or shelter in. You have to provide a lot of places in your tank where your discus fish can hide.

The diet of discus fish is also important. Discus fish love to dine on worms. You should feed them bloodworms, brine shrimp, and daphnia. However, these foods may carry parasites and bacteria that can infect your discuss fish. So, be careful when feeding worms to your discus fish.

You should also keep in mind that discus fish are very reactive with their environment. So, place the aquarium containing discus fish in an area in your home that doesn’t receive a lot of traffic. High traffic can produce high levels of stress.

The acidity and hardness of the water should also be kept at an optimum level. For discus fish, the optimum water acidity would be a pH level of 6.

Remember these tips and you can be sure that you will be able to take good care of your discus fish. These tips will serve as your guide in owning or keeping discus fish in your aquarium. Always remember that discus fish are social animals. So, try to keep at least 6 discus fish in your aquarium in order to keep them happy. 
