The Basic Do’s and Don’ts in Discus Fish Breeding

Having a fish tank at your home not only increases the aesthetics and the ambience of your home, it also provides you an avenue to relieve stress. Many homeowners which have aquariums in their houses swear to the fact that aquariums provides them with a sense of calmness, but of course, the fish inside the tank does a lot to make this happen. And one of the most sought after tropical freshwater fish today is the discus fish.

A lot of discus fish owners today have seen the great potential in making money of their pets. First off, you have to realize that the discus fish is not just like your ordinary goldfish, they can be quite costly and selling their fry has the possibility of making them money. You too can be able to venture in this, providing you know what you are doing. 

Some would say that breeding discus fish can be very difficult, well, if you make the most common, and sometimes most obvious mistakes, then you may just end up spending more and just plainly waste your time. To help you get started, here are a few do’s and don’ts in discus fish breeding.

The Do’s

Do buy a big tank if your existing aquarium is small. For a pair of discus fish, a 27 gallon tank will suffice, but if you have more pairs, then you should get a bigger one, 75 gallons will do the trick for 3 to 4 pairs of discus fish.

Do give your discus fish an area in the tank for them to spawn. Discus fish lay their eggs in a flat vertical surface area at the bottom of the tank. Some use certain plants while some say that an overturned pot will do.

Do vary the diet of your discus fish. When your fish are breeding, a varied diet is important to boost their reproductive system upping their chances of spawning. Aside from the pellets and granules, you can also feed the breeders bloodworms and brine, fresh or frozen as discus fish are carnivorous fishes.

Do keep their habitat livable. This means maintaining the temperature and the pH level of their water. Discus fish tend to get stressed when the water experiences an abrupt change or if its dirty. 

The Don’ts

Don’t allow your tank water to get dirty and filled with food debris at the bottom. Any debris left can cause bacteria to develop and make your fish ill. This then will hamper the breeding process.

Don’t overfeed your discus fish. Just give them the recommended amount of food. Adult discus fish should only be fed twice a day.

Don’t be in a rush. Be patient. Breeding fishes doesn’t happen overnight, just keep on trying. 

And lastly, don’t forget the obvious; you will need a female and a male discus fish. Try to learn how to spot the gender of your discus fish, this way, if you want to start if with just a pair, you will be able to see if they are indeed of the opposite sex. 
