Discus by their colours is the most costly and beautiful of all fishes. Discus is also a master loving fish, usually when I give food to my discus I give hands to discus’s bodies. In this blog I will say you how to maintain a discus community aquarium.
1. DISCUS IN A COMMUNITY AQUARIUM
The primary thing for keeping discus is to keep discus in a community aquarium. There are minimum of 6 discus in a tank, so that the community form by them, and all discus can move all together. If you keep a community tank for discus aquarium that is the best thing for all, if your discus form community then half of your job is done.
2. BIG TANK
For a very well set up discus tank, you must see that the size of tank is of minimum 4 ft. Discus can grow very fast, so obviously, they need more and more space to move around in the aquarium. If discus can move freely in your tank, then you can easily say that that discus can grow very fast as it is also very healthy fish, which is out of any diseases…
3. FIXED TEMP AND PH LEVEL
Discus is a very sensitive fish. discus needs a fixed temp and ph level…for the first day of my discus keeping I keep 30 deg centigrade temp and ph level 7. I am very successful for that…many people say that discus can also live 28 deg temp.. However, I will go for 30 deg temperature. You should buy a thermostat and fixed at 30 deg temperature. Many people also keep a digital meter to see the temperature of the aquarium.
4. TOXIC LEVEL
For discus or any aquarium, the NH3 and nitrite must be zero.
Steps taken to remove toxic level
1. You change 40 % water change in every week, also provides some medicines needed for discus. I give “rid all” (red) after changing the water.
2. You can but a siphon to remove the wastes from fishes…because the wastes can cause high the toxic level…there are too many things to reduce toxic level.. iltering in a proper way is also helps you to remove it…
5. FILTRATION
For discus aquarium, the most important thing is filtration. the best is obviously the external filter…those who don’t use it(as I also) use biological filter or undergravel filter but not the power filter because discus can’t survive in high power filtering system. You can see that the juvenile discus is near the filter because due to the power the filter drags the discus towards it. Hence, the discus cannot swim freely and may die due to this. I have an experience about that…
6. FOOD
Feeding discus also an important part to be a successful discus keeper…from my experience, I say that discus loves to eat frozen warm like “tetra bits”. My discuses are always eager to take this food. Discus can eat 3 times max but not more than that. Be sure that when you give food to discus the extra food that must not go to the bottom because it causes toxic level high. it is an experience of lifetime that discus feed from your hand but it happens if you keep your discus very well. When you go to your aquarium all discus come near you…my discus also do that.
7. HIDING PLACE
You should know that discus loves to hide, so that you should provide driftwoods and plants in your aquarium. But most importantly keep your discus in a calm and cool atmosphere…specially for the juveniles and the newer discus when attacked by other discus go to the hiding place and hide. if you don’ provide hiding place discus can die…
8. COMPATIBLE FISH WITH DISCUS
The discus you can keep neon and cardinal tetra, angel, clown loach, pleco, cory, black ghost knife, Asiatic, elephant nose etc... However, never keep gold fish and others.
9. PLANTS
Too many plants but selective plants can give in a discus tank. They are anubias sp, echinodorous sp, java moss, anacharis sp …be sure that the plants you give in a disus tank is well matched for the discus or not…because most of the plants don’t survive the high temp needed for discus(30 deg temp).
10. SIZE FACTOR OF DISCUS
For discus aquarium, you should see that there is same size of discus; this has some advantages… when you keep all same size discus then the discus can’t fight with each other and hence all discus can live well, so that they can grow rapidly. where as if you keep different size of discus then the juveniles are attacked by bigger one and many a times they die due to this, if not die the are stunned discus, because lack of food they stop their growth. So keep all same size discus.