To ensure successful discus breeding, keep 8 adult fish inside a tank and allow them to form pairs according to their choice. They originate from south america, in areas with a solid rock base such as limestone within a fresh water lake. Discus fish are large cichlids from the amazon river, its tributaries and flood plains, in south america. A pair which is ready to breed will need to be placed into a breeding tank. It is up to you to provide them with the best care and proper water quality so that they can breed for you as well. There are many color variations available thanks to selective breeding, and interestingly it can take up to 6 years for them to reach their best colors.
Apr 14, 2016 this is not true, in most circumstances. Discus fish have been collected for the aquarium trade from the wild in water. A group of juvenile discus bought together and with a bit of luck will form pairings. Therefore if you follow that rule you can only keep 10 full size discus in a 100 gallon tank. Recent research suggests are five species of discus, though there is some debate around this in the aquarium hobby, there are two species that are commonly available. You may have heard many people tell the story of how they failed. Wild caught discus can be challenging to keep, due to their specialized water chemistry and dietary needs.
I know most say dont try to breed fish for a profit but i have a lot of free time and the start up money. Discus breeding secrets by marc weiss cichlid room companion. Secrets to keeping discus fish healthy, breeding instructions. For care and maintenance purposes, the information presented here can also be used for wild caught p. Discus are colorful, graceful and charismatic tank inhabitants. Some even say it is the most important factor in keeping your discus healthy and happy. Discus a guide on breeding and caring for these magnificent. In juvi discus it is usually used to establish dominance. Cichlids a comprehensive guide on cichlids, breeding. Discus breeding for beginners has a ton of beautiful pictures of various discus species and overall i would give this book 4 out of 5 stars. How many discus discus how many can i keep discusguy. Captive bred discus are somewhat hardier than previously.
Colour and varieties in addition to the wild forms which are available, line breeding has resulted in some spectacular colour forms. We proudly offer over 100 strains of hybrid discus fish for sale. Discus will thrive in the right water so it is essential to get it right. Because of their distinct colours and aggressive nature they appeal to a wide range of aquarists. Discus fish secrets, discus fish care and breeding youtube. Discus fish are so temperamental so why in the world wouldyou be interested in discus breeding. In this book author tells us everything,about right water for discus,about purchasing and selecting good stock,about feeding discus,about disease, about breeding and hatching artificiallyhe teach us the techniques to raise and breed discus. Care and keeping in a tank to keep discus youll need a tank of at least 200 liters capacity 52,83 gallons, but if you are going to keep more than one fish, the tank capacity should be much more. The fluttering of the fins usually means one of two things in healthy discus. Breeding of discus fish is quite difficult in terms of taking care of them and it may be difficult to succeed in having a high survival rate when you first start out. Care, breeding, tank mate guide 2019 advertisements symphysodon aequifasciatus and symphysodon discus are the scientific name of the fish species discus.
Some hobbyists believe this is the best way to care for discus even though it is not as aesthetically pleasing. As a guide, they suggest keeping 810cm size discus at a rate of 10 to 12 per 180l. Well if you have mastered discus fish care then it is timethat you look at discus breeding. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Temperature should be kept between 82 and 86 f, although wild heckel discus prefer water near 90 f. Any good sponge filter is needed for breeding tanks, because the baby discus fry will be so small, that they would be taken into other filters and killed. When two fish are seen to pair off, the other discus are removed from the aquarium, and you have a mating pair to work with. The discus book tropical fish keeping special edition. One feature not found in most other aquarium species is the young fishs instinct to. At the same time it can also be one of the most frustrating. Recommendations aquarium size diskuszucht stendker. Our free guide can help keep your tank clean and your fish healthy.
Using the air stone allowed for the natural increase in ph to occur before adding the water to my discus tanks, keeping water parameters more stable overall. For example, if your discus breeding room has three lights, i would just switch on the two. A great deal of confusion exists over popular names of the different discus colour. You never know what may happen and you do not want to get stuck. Discus aquarium fish do better in deep tanks and the more water the tank holds the more stable the water conditions tend to be. Ornamental fish, population structure, breeding strategy. Jul 14, 2015 a breeding tank for discus fish should be about 25 or 30 gallons in capacity and, ideally, it should be tall rather than wide. Nov 09, 2014 the secrets to keeping discus fish healthy, and the best breeding advice, it will show you exactly how to care for your discus fish, what they need and what will keep them healthy and happy. Through selective breeding, numerous color varieties are available and more continue to be developed. It is a misconception that looking after discus is difficult because of their need for good water conditions. Wild caught discus can be challenging to keep, due to their specialized water chemistry and dietary needs, however, most discus sold today are captive bred and are much easier to keep. May 31, 20 planted tank legends iaplc grand prize winner dave chow 360 view workshop duration. Since the fish is tall the tank should be quite long and high as well.
He felt that the future is bleak for discus in their native amazon waters and unless something is done to safeguard them and that captive breeding programs to preserve the species will need to be set up. To recap, having enough water on standby to complete a 100% water change should be your goal. Discus are considered to require a higher level of care than other aquarium fish. But for planted tank i suggest you to keep adult discus. Todays discus connoisseur may feast their eyes on a spectacular array of colors and patterns that have never been more. When keeping discus fish, you should choose one of the following four options. The first,i want send greeting to jack wattley for his magnificent,excellent book for all beginers. Breeding discus can be one of the most rewarding aspects of the hobby. We have healthy discus breeding pairs in all categories available. Because discus fish symphysodon prefer to choose their own mates, aquarists who hope to breed discus usually buy several specimens 510 at a young age. Discus breeding strategy one a cleantankdiscus health is an important part to discus breeding. Breeding discus if this is your first visit, be sure to check out the faq by clicking the link above.
Enjoying cichlids 2nd edition the ultimate guide for successfully keeping and breeding cichlids. Once you purchase a breeding pair, we will give you free suggestions on breeding and caring for your precious discus, upon request. Use an aqueon aquarium heater to maintain proper water temperature. Breeding one pair of discus is considered a challenge, but how do you do it on a large scale this is my experiences of breeding the king of the aquarium, for profit and on a large scale. As we all know adult discus can adapt more than juveniles. The quality of water in a discus aquarium is very important. The biggest piece of advice i can offer anyone is patience. Aug 05, 2019 discus appreciate normal aquarium lighting but i generally keep my breeders in a somewhat slightly darker room. A well conditioned pair will breed over and over again, until they. So you will need at least a 230 litter 60 gallon tank with a minimum of 60. Alternatively, discus can be housed in a bare bottomed tank. In other type of tanks you can easily keep and successfully raise 2. Because sponge filters have very fine spores on them, the fry just cant be sucked into the sponge. Techniques are constantly evolving for raising these exotic fish, but this guide is the most up to date available.
Red snakeskin discus these two pictures illustrate the difference between colour forms. Bare bottom aquariums are much easier to care, helping you to have healthier discus fish. That said, they are not for beginners for a variety of reasons. As a guide, we suggest keeping 810cm size discus at a rate of 10 to 12 per 180l. Subscribe to the cichlid room companion get access to the largest cichlidae information resource in the world. Discus are quite difficult to care for and breed, and you may not achieve a high survival rate for the young on your first attempt. To induce breeding, it is suggested to raise the temperature from 82f to 86f, only as a last resort, when dealing with a stubborn pair of discus.
For a breeding tank a 48cm x 30cm x 30cm tank may be used which is perfect for this purpose. These discus fish are bonded and cycled together to maintain a consistent breeding relationship and are guaranteed to be male and female. Celebrating 25 years natural aquariums, healthy diets and fish care alastair agutter 3. It was one of the first books that i read on discus and it is still one of my favorites. The three stimulants for breeding discus fish are water ph, temperature and water hardness. Symphysodon aequifasciata haraldi wild blue discus. To keep your tank clean, install a sponge filter or two in the tank. Questions about breeding wild discus archive simplydiscus. Pdf the ornamental discus fish symphysodon aequifasciatus pellegrin, 1904, is a popular. Breeding discus is considered hard but not impossible, so refrain from trying something that is threatening to the fish. Many give up and blame the fish, saying they cant be bred and very hard to breed. There is nothing more beautiful and unique than the way discus care for their young. Like rohanybarney already said in adults it is a way to show off to other discus during breeding rituals.
The rule of thumb for how many discus you can keep together doesnt necessarily apply to everyone but is 1 discus for every 10 gallons of water. Discus a guide on breeding and caring for these magnificent fish. Discus are a shoaling fish and best kept in groups. If you want to breed discus, get yourself a ph and conductivity meter because you will be taking readings all the time in the beginning.
Alternatively some shops may also sell a proven breeding pair, however they are often more expensive. Thus, the winter or rainy months are considered a stimulus for discus breeding, as they thrive in a more alkaline environment with softer water and cooler temperatures. Water hardnesssoftness and ph becomes much more important when breeding discus, but not when just keeping them. Having no substrate allows the tank to be easily cleaned from faeces and rotting debris. Discus are becoming more prevalent in the hobby, and so with each generation, they become stronger and more capable of adapting to conditions. Therefore, you can be confident in any breeding pair you choose. Keeping discus in a planted aquarium is not like keeping discus in other types of tank. The most wellknown is probably lake malawi, one of the largest. When setting up your breeding tank it is a good idea to leave the bottom bare this will make it much easier for you to clean the tank. Many hobbyists discus breeders in the uk have tried to breed discus and had very little or no luck with their venture. All breeding pairs for sale below, have spawned successfully and have produce wigglers. Pdf reproductive and population parameters of discus fish.
The semi dark environment can help inexperienced parents to gain confidence. If your ph is over 7 or below 6 it may begin to cause discus stress. Over decades and generations of selective breeding, breeders of the discus industry pioneered new strains continuously expanding the hobbys boundaries. This is why the price of discus is higher that your typical aquarium fish. A diseasefree and healthy discus in right water parameters, grows faster than what you might expect. They are beautiful but can be a challenge to keep and breed with the later being very rewarding and will even pay for the hobby. Most people that keep discus will at some stage want to breed them as it is a great experience. While captive bred discus can be kept in dechlorinated tap water, reverse osmosis or deionized water. Celebrating the beauty of discus, with advice on what to look for in selecting show quality discus. A bare bottom and large enough tank is a good choice to start discus keeping.
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