How to Start Breeding Discus Fish

Discus fish breeding can get quite addicting. This is a statement many breeders have said. It’s easy to understand why. This extremely attractive fish which can provide any aquarium a stunning display of colors and patterns not only almost immediately brightens up a room, but also can be a good investment as discus fish is very much in demand and can fetch a high price. Soon enough, you will be able to cover all your expenses for your own discus fish collection. Now wouldn’t that be nice?

Some of you may just be starting out, so you naturally would have many questions. And you may already know that it can be quite difficult to be one hundred percent sure that you will be successful in discus fish breeding. So what is the best way to go about it? 

First off, you need to make sure that you have a pair, a male and a female discus fish, that is the most obvious part. To go about it, there are three viable options for you, but to be honest, some of these options may not be the best way to do so.

Here are your options:

First, is to buy young discus fish, bout six to eight of them. As a fry, it is hard to determine the sex of the discus fish. So this is mostly a hit and miss affair.  3 inches would be the best size to buy them. But, the odds are that in those six to eight young discus fish, you will be able to get at least a pair or two. The best thing about this option is that at this age, the discus fish doesn’t command a high price yet. It will take some time though before you will be able to discover if you have hit the jackpot. 

Your next option, and the most expensive one is going to an importer and getting an adult pair already, at this stage they may already be about 6 inches long. This is the surest way that you will be able to get a pair of discus fish of the opposite sex. The problem here is that if you don’t know how to look at a discus fish to determine the sex, you may get duped. So only go to a trusted dealer. 

An adult discus fish is much more expensive because you’re paying for the convenience. You don’t have to wait anymore for them to grow up and you already get a head start at breeding the discus fish. So only go to a trusted dealer to ensure that you will indeed end up with a pair.

Your third option would be to learn how to determine the sex of a discus fish and going to a pet or fish shop. There you can choose for yourself adult discus fish and pair them yourself. This can be very difficult though, if you’re not a keen observer and you’re not properly trained, you might make a mistake.

Each of these options have their ups and downs, but for beginners the best option is the first. 
