Discus Fish: How to Keep This Exotic Fish Alive

Most people say that Discus Fish are one of the most difficult species of fish to keep. Although this is true for most people who have no experience in keeping this kind of fish, you will see that keeping this fish is rather easy if you get the basics right. After you understand the basics of keeping this kind of fish, you will see that it’s quite easy to keep Discus Fish in your fish tank.

First of all, you have to see to the water quality. In most cases, poor water quality is often the reason why people have difficulty in keeping Discus Fish. When it comes to water quality, try to think where the fish originated. Discus Fish originated in the waters of Brazil, which is soft and acidic. So, you have to replicate the water quality in Brazil in your fish tank if you are going to keep a Discus Fish or any other fish found in Brazil.

You also have to keep in mind that larger volumes of water is easier to keep stable than smaller volumes. This is why you have to consider the size of the tank where you intend on keeping your Discus Fish. You have to try getting the largest aquarium that you possibly can in order for you to easily maintain the water quality.

You may already know about the nitrogen cycle. You need to consider the fact that this is very important whenever you intend on keeping any kind of fish in a fish tank or aquarium. If you don’t know anything about the nitrogen cycle, then you may want to cancel your plans on keeping a Discus Fish.

You have to remember that Discus Fish will not tolerate ammonia or nitrite in any amount. They will only be able to tolerate the bare minimum nitrite. You also need to make sure that the detritus is removed on a daily basis along with any uneaten food as this will produce ammonia in the water, which will potentially make the Discus Fish ill or possibly kill it.

The PH level of the water is also very important. Because Discus Fish thrives on a more acidic type of water, you have to keep the water PH level between 5.5 and 6.8. Discus fish will not tolerate water with a higher PH level. The hardness of the water should be between 2 and 8 and the conductivity should be around 10ms. This may be a problem if you live in a place where hard water is abundant as you will need to bring down the hardness of the water as well as the PH.

A reverse osmosis filter will be able to strip everything from the water and this will also lower the PH level as well as the hardness. 

Feeding Discus Fish is not that difficult to do. If you have an adult Discus Fish, you will need to feed it 2 to 3 times a day. But, you should never over feed them as the excess food will pollute the water and it will tend to produce ammonia. The feed should be of high quality and it should be high in protein.

As for changing the water, you should do so every week. A 50 percent change of the water will do. By doing these few simple things, you will be able to enjoy keeping a Discus Fish for many years.
