Seachem Discus Buffer

© Maurizio Santoloc

We all know how hard to keep Discus fish tank. Discus fish must be one of the most sensitive fresh water fish to keep in a fish tank. They are so sensitive about everything, food, water conditions, temperature, tank-mates etc. Most of these things we can control like food, tank-mates, temperature etc But keeping the right water condition is very complicated. Specially if you are new to Discus fish keeping.

There are several variables like PH value, calcium and magnesium values etc. It's not easy to control all these manually. You can get rid of chlorine in water by keeping it for 48 hours before adding to tank but not other things. That's where Seachem Discus Buffer (Here) comes to play. This can replicate the ideal Discus environment by lowering pH & lowering General Hardness. Also it softens water by precipitating calcium and magnesium. This can help you to keep your Discus fish safe. You don't want to change water and night and then in morning look at Discus graveyard feeling like a mass murderer.

But remember Discus Buffer is for lowering pH and GH but if you want to get rid of chlorine, chloramine, or ammonia then you need to use Seachem Neutral Regulator (Here) along with it. The Neutral Regulator conditions the water, rids it of chloramine & ammonia and also helps Discus Buffer to keep to pH value at 7 or low.

Dicus Fish pecking order

So I think older Discus fish has decided, it's time for new guys to learn how run the place. Specially the smaller one from my 2 old Discus fish, the Snakeskin blue guy picking new comers.  But the big power blue Discus guy is not interested in any of others. no pecking or even bother to look at. All he thinks about it food. I think he need to be de-worm  soon. His tummy looks bit bloated.

Discus fish always maintain a pecking order. The big fish to the smallest fish. This is why there should be at least 3 pairs of Discus fish if you want to have a Discus fish tank. More fish means aggression will spread among fish. So the smallest guy won't get all the beatings. So less stress and have more chances to find food.

New Discus Fish are settling in

Yep it seems new guys haven't had any stress or anything. They are already swimming around and actively searching for food. Still no communication between old fish and new fish. They just prefer to ignore each other at the moment. I have started feeding them 5-8 times a day and will do 2 water changes per day. I'm sure they will grow up at no time at all.

If anyone out there want to start keeping Discus fish and you are going to start with baby Discus fish then there are couple things you should keep in mind,

• If you want your Discus fish babies to grow fast and healthy then you must put them in their own tank. Not in a community tank with other fish.
• Water changes are very important. You must do at least one 40% water change per day. For better result 2 water changes per day would be good. This is something special about Discus fish. If you need healthy and colorful Discus fish then You must do water changes everyday.
• Better keep them in a bare bottom tank. Discus do not tolerate dirty water. This can stop their growth as well as they could loose bright colors. It's easy to clean a bare bottom tank unlike a planted tank.
• Baby Discus fish should be fed at least 6-8 times a day.  Just little bit of food only enough for them to finish it within couple of minutes. You can feed them again when they are done with it. Make sure give them fish food which is made Specially for Discus fish. Regular fish food won't help their growth or health.
• You can use minced chicken heart or beef heart along with other food. Also minced tuna. Discus fish love these stuff. They like to have a change in diet and also natural food will keep them healthy. 
• There must be a good air flow. You must use an air pump with those sand stones to give plenty of air bubbles. More  I have noticed than more oxygen in water might help them to grow faster.
• You should spend little time in front of the tank. Specially when you feed. Don't just walk away right after feeding them. Sit near the tank and watch them. Let them to get used to your self. within a month or 2 you will find all fish in front of glass whenever you are near the tank.

 

They might not look great as those beautiful adult discus fish but they will be when they grow up. Don't let them disappoint you because they don't look pretty when they are babies. It takes 2 years for a Discus fish to become an adult. So treat them well and keep them happy , you will be end up with a Beautiful Discus fish aquarium which will catch eyes of anyone who comes to your house.

Discus fish eggs are not doing well

Discus parents are not removing those eggs which are infected by fungus. So it's spreading fast. Too late to put anything like Methylene blue. Also things are getting worse in tank because I can't clean or turn on the power head so water is not clear anymore. Discus pair attacking all other Discus fish so they are kind of in Stress too. 

Trophy Discus : The art of selecting, grooming, and showing discus

I received this book called Trophy Discus as a birthday present from a friend of mine who know I'm crazy about Discus Fish. I was not very impressed by cover but after reading the book I have to admit I'm really Happy my friend picked this book over other Discus fish books.

Trophy Discus is not a usual Discus fish book you get general information about Discus fish. This is a book for someone who have kept Discus fish for a while. This book is all about show Discus. It has all info about how to select quality Discus and how to keep them. I learned a lot about how to select a good quality Discus fish and what are the things to look for. Trophy Discus is written by 3 very experienced Discus fish keepers. I can recommend this book to anyone who keep Discus fish and want to learn about how to find, select, keep high quality Discus fish.

Also Trophy Discus book has excellent advice and details about breeding Discus fish. It covers areas like how to artificial raise fry, genetics, judging standards and the genetic background for the common Discus varieties, which you don't get from a average Discus fish book. Trophy Discus is excellent addition to your Discus book collection.

 

Shy Discus fish ?

If you are new to Discus fish keeping or have bought Discus fish few days ago then you might have noticed they are kinda shy and skittish. If you try to clean the tank or even move near tank they would freak out and dart around the tank. If you have a planted tank then your Discus fish are stay hiding among plants most of the time ? I know this is really a frustrating situation because you buy these expensive fish to show them self not to stay hiding. How to make Discus fish feel safe and make them to come in front of glass ?

• Discus are social fish. You have keep them in groups to feel them safe and happy. If Discus fish you in tank more they tend to hide. Try to keep at least 5-6 fish specially if you are buying young Discus fish.
• Time, Time ! They need time to get used to new tank environment as well as room and new owner. They will be shy for a while till they get used to all of those.
• Have a school of active and peaceful fish like Cardinal Tetra. Discus fish will feel safe and home with them. Also seeing Cardinal Tetra swimming around will make them feel safe and take them out of their hide outs.
• If you have a planted tank then they tend of stay hiding. Its their nature. But after a while they will release its safe to swim around without worrying about safely.
• Larger than tank will make them feel better and safe.So they would swim in open.

Just Keep your Discus fish in a 5-6 group and after a while they will be swimming in open. They are weak and slow comparing to other fish. So its natural they try to hide when they feel scared.

 

Pigeon Blood Discus Peppering problem

Since several days my Discus tank's lights are not working. While I was trying to feature out whats wrong, I noticed my Pigeon Blood Discus which had no peppering at all now have little bit of it.I think the reason for this Pigeon Blood Discus peppering is they spend more time in dark now.

Usually my Discus fish get 7 hour dark, 9 hour natural light and 8 hour Aquarium light. Now they have 12 hour darker time per day instead of 7 hours like before. I think this might be the reason for peppering. Pigeon Blood Discus are sensitive to darker backgrounds and gravel. Darker their surrounding more pepper they get because Discus fish try to blend with their environment.

Discus Food - Ocean Free SuperBITS

Ocean Free SuperBITS is a Discus pellet feed for which's a slow sinking granular feed for mid-level and bottom dwelling fishes. Label says special immune substance added will intensify natural color, enhance body shape, and will not pollute water. If fish don't eat it then it would pollute water whatever they say.

I use Ocean Free SuperBITS as their main meal these days feeding them between 4-6 times a day ( My Discus fish are still not 2 years old so they are still young). Discus like this pellet food very much. Discus are very picky about food. I have some other pellet food they keep refusing for 6 months now. But this is one food they started eating from the first day I did feed them Ocean Free SuperBITS. I found this in Local pet shops but I haven't seen this in many too Online shops like Petco or Amazon. Maybe its too new or many Ocean Free SuperBITS is not popular enough. But I think its a good food. Discus fish like it. I can see it has enhanced Discus fish colors.

Are your Discus fish Happy ?

Discus fish are pretty sensitive. They can become unhappy pretty easily since they are always demand high standards. Also they have ways of showing that they are not Happy. This is why its hard to keep Discus fish and why they need lot more attention than any other fish. How do you know if you are Discus fish are happy  ? There are plenty of ways to know this.

Discus fish will show bright colors - They will be having brighter colors but not darker colors. If they look usually dark it means they are in stress. This can happen after a water change or when you move fish to another tank. Also if tank is low on oxygen this can happen. Also you can see them in dark colors and stressed when they are harassed by other Discus fish or other fish. So basically when they have bright colors and showing off their Beauty like a peacock that means they are happy and If they are become dark and don't swim like usually that means something wrong.

If Discus fish are not Shy  - If your Discus fish are coming near to glass and ask for food that means they are happy with everything. Sometimes they can be shy first few months after you put them into your tank. They start coming near to glass when they get used to the tank. I know some say Discus are skittish fish but not when u stay near them everyday. they get used to you and start come front of glass when they see you near.

If  Discus fish are active - If you see your Discus fish very active and even fight with each other it means they are fine. They might not swim a lot but if they are active they won't stay at far end of the tank. You can see them fighting specially at feeding times. They fight with each other and rush at food means your Discus fish are happy.

If you Discus fish have a good appetite - It's a popular myth that Discus fish don't eat a lot. They have a big appetite and young Discus can be fed upto 6-8 times a day. And Adult Discus fish can be fed 2-4 times a day. If your Discus fish are rush at food and eat then they are happy. If they have no interest in food or don't come near glass even when you feed then you should worry about your Discus food. They might have a illness like white poo problem.

Discus fish need lot more attention that your other fish need. You have to watch them and see if somethings wrong. To keep Discus fish happy you have to careful about food you give them, Water quality, oxigian level of the tank, temperature.

Discus Fish - Complete Pet Owner's Manual is one of the least expensive book available on the subject of Discus fish ! But it packs lots of useful information about Discus fish keeping. This is great reading material for those who want to have Discus fish and who already have Discus fish not lack of experience. It covers all the basic areas you should know but doesn't have too many info which might bored you.

Discus Fish Food

Discus fish like to have varied diet. They are picky about their pellet food but they love have treats here and there. I give them raw chicken, raw tuna, Hard boiled Egg york, Freeze dried Tubefex, Freeze dried shrimps etc and they like all those. I don't like to give them any live food coz those can give them various illnesses and digestive problems. But pellet food must be given to Discus fish to keep them healthy and as a balanced diet. Some of good Discus food in Market are,

Hikari Discus Bio-Gold / Hikari Tropical Discus the best pellet food I have used. Discus love this Hikari  Bio-Gold food. At least mine do. It has special vitamins that make your Discus grow faster and enhances their colors. Made from a perfect blend of proteins, indispensable amino acids, necessary vitamins and select minerals. Rich in stabilized vitamin C, Hikari Tropical Discus promotes resistance to stress and immunity to infectious disease. Additionally, discus have a unique eating technique and are know to be finicky eaters. Hikari Tropical Discus has been manufactured to reduce the mess caused by a discus' normal eating routine and formulated for maximum acceptance. Also Hikari is a well known brand in Aquarium industry so Quality is always unmatched.

Ingredients are Fish Meal, krill meal, soybean protein, wheat flour, starch, seaweed meal, carotenoid fortifier, spirulina, brewers' dried yeast, fish oil, DL-methionine, L-lysine, astaxanthin, cantaxanthin, enzyme, vitamin A oil, vitamin D3, vitamin E, menadione sodium bisulfite complex, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin B12, niacin, calcium pantothenate, biotin, folic acid, choline chloride, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, inositol, manganese sulfate, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfa.

 Life Spectrum Discus Sinking Pellets provide essential elements which are found in nature that are often missing in aquariums. Hormone free, no artificial color enhancers. Easily digested and slow sinking, these pellets will not disintegrate and pollute water as other foods can. 1mm pellets. Experience extreme color enhancement and extra vitality in your fish. Made with easily digestible krill and fish meal protein. These slowly sinking pellets are designed with no dust and will stay in the water for hours without disintegrating to keep pollution levels low. Boosts immune system to repel parasites.

Discus fish like this product too. Its a slow sinking pellet so they like to grab them in middle level. Another good Discus food as their main diet. Better feed them a quality Discus food like 3-4 times day. If Your Discus fish are younger than 2 years then you can feed them up to 8 times a day and they will grow faster. Remember Daily water changes are important too.

Pigeon Blood Discus

I like red Discus fish types than blue types though I have more blue discus types. Only red discus I have are Pigeon Blood Discus. Even those had bad time with white poo problem. Luckily they had recovered and Now slowly getting there colors. They are not checker board discus while filling with all white strips but still very beautiful.

Pigeon Blood Discus are man made Discus fish. This strain was developed by  Kitti Phanaitthi in 1991 from a mutation in Thailand. I think Pigeon Blood Discus are common than other red strains like Leopard Skin Discus, Red Turquoise Discus or Red Marlboro Discus. Probably bit cheaper too. They might not look very elegant at young age but adult Pigeon Blood Discus are super pretty .

How to keep discus Fish Happy

Not always you can find Happy and healthy looking Discus fish at Pet Shops. That's because Discus fish are not easy to keep happy. They want more attention and special treatments than other fish. This is why Discus Breeders have better looking and healthy Discus than pet shops. These guys are experienced in keeping Discus so they know how to keep them happy. This is why its always better buy Discus fish from an experienced Discus breeder than from pet shops. However if you have Discus fish now and have no idea how to keep them Happy and healthy there are few things you should know.

50% Water change Everyday  - Water is very important when it comes to Discus fish keeping. Discus are very sensitive about water. Never do a 100% water change always keep some amount of old water in tank. Also you need to keep water in a container before adding to tank. At least 24 hours. if you have younger Discus which are less than 2 years old then you need to do 50% water change everyday, if you want them to grow properly. For Adults 50% water change once or twice in a week is enough. This is something you must do if you want to have healthy good looking discus who live long. Also they won't grow unless you do these water changes.

How many Fish you should have - Discus fish do not like to live alone in a tank. If you want your Discus to live long and happy then you need at least group of 5-6 Discus fish. There will be a pecking order and there will be fights here and there specially while feeding. But you don't have to worry they will be ok most of the time. If one of them get bullied and if you try to put him alone in a separate tank he won't like it. So when you buy discus you need to buy 3-4 pairs same time. Also its good if you want to have have a breeding pair.

Discus fish Tank Size - Discus fish love space. So common standard is 10 gallons for each fish. Remember Discus fish are Cichilds. Though they are peaceful than their other Cichild relatives, still they are territorial. So there will be too many fights if they don't have enough space. They get stressed very easily so it won't be good for their healthy as well as their look. Also they prefer taller tanks. Bigger the tank happy your Discus fish will be.

Discus fish Tank mates - Best way is Keep your Discus fish aquarium Discus fish only. Reason is Discus fish can get infected by various illnesses pretty easily unlike other fish. there are some worm types which won't harm other fish but would be deadly for Discus fish. Also they can get bullied easy and unlike other fish Discus fish get stressed easily. So if you really need tank mates for Discus fish you have to be careful.Cardinal Tetra is the best tank mates for Discus. They are bigger than Discus mouth and very peaceful. Also Cardinal Tetra are very beautiful. Also Blue Rams are good. I have them in my tank and they are get along with Discus fish well. But what worries me is what happen if Blue Rams decide to have a fry. I guess they would get aggressive !

Discus Fish food - Discus fish are expensive fish. And if you want good looking healthy Discus fish then you need to buy quality discus food not usual fish food. Remember they are very picky about fish pellets. Once they  get used to one type it will be pretty hard to make them eat different type. They would refuse to eat for a while. So if you want to introduce them a new food better let them get used to it by mixing it with their old favorite food. Also they like snacks. Don't just feed them same food every time. Give them something different here and there. Like tiny raw chicken pieces or tuna. Freeze dried red worm cubes, hard boiled egg york(careful about this. it can make your water messy.) etc.

Discus Fish Feeding - Discus fish are greedy fish. Though they picky about fish pellets they get hungry often and love to eat. Specially while they are growing. If you want them to grow fast you need to feed them at upto 8 times a day for 2 years. But never put too much food. Put little bit and see how long they take to finish then increase as it should. but never put more than they can eat within 10 minutes.

Discus Fish Aquarium Accessories - Keeping Discus fish is an expensive hobby. You need all basic Aquarium Accessories. An Aquarium heater is a must. Discus fish don't like low temperatures also this need to keep then out of various illnesses. Also you need a good air pump with an air stone. More oxygen will help younger discus to grow fast. Also they need a good filter system since they like clean water.

Knowledge - You need to read a lot about Discus fish before buy them. You need to know all about them and their habit before start keeping them. Discus fish are not easy to keep and without all knowledge about them it can be quite a challege. Join Discus fish forums and read others experience, Also ask questions.

If you can do these things and understand then you will able to start this wonderful and challenging hobby. Once you get into Discus fish keeping you will never get fed up with them. Main things to understand are you need to pay them attention and little bit more money than for other fish.

Quarantine your new fish !

Discus fish are vulnerable to some illnesses than other fish. Also some parasites which don't do harm to other fish could pretty badly harm Discus fish. Specially worm problems. Hexamita (hole-in-the-head disease) is one of these illnesses. Most cichild kinds like Oscar, Angle, Blue Rams can have this but not like it gets to Discus fish. This is one of my biggest nightmares when it comes to Discus fish keeping.

Monthly medication would be great for keeping your Discus fish healthy but Most important thing is quarantine new fish. Specially if you buy Discus fish from a PetShop but not from a Discus breeder. These fish can carry all kind of fish diseases, Due to lack of attention also proper cleaning and medication procedures.

Also its always better keep your new fish in a separate tank for few weeks. With some kind of medication. Specially before adding to a Discus fish Aquarium. Fish like Corydora, Angles can carry all kind of parasites in their intestine which wouldn't harm them but quite deadly for Discus fish. Cory cats and Rams known to carry Hexamita. Quarantine fish is really important when it comes to Discus fish keeping.

Its better prevent disasters happen than taking risks. Discus are expensive fish who take long time to grow. So Keeping a Quarantine tank would save your Discus fish, money and also time.

A sick Discus Fish ?

One of my pigeon blood's stay at back of them tank facing to glass. Now this worries me because this is one of main symptoms of white poo problem or which is also known as Hax / Hex or Hexamita, Which is one of most common Disease/Sickness happen to Discus fish.

This guy is not active like others anymore and also not eating like others to so I think my guess is right about Hex ! I guess I need to start treatment for the whole tank. Maybe its not Hexamita but its better do a 7 day light treatment.

Why do Discus fish get aggressive ?

Discus fish are know as a peaceful type aquarium fish. This is only half true. They might be peaceful with other type of fish but among them selves they can get pretty aggressive. If you have a bunch of Discus fish you might notice fighting break out here and there. Interesting thing is sometimes even smaller Discus fish fight with bigger Discus fish without backing away. One good thing is unlike other aggressive Cichlids types these fights are not savage. So most of the time you dont have to interferer. Specially in feeding times you might notice they get aggressive. How to keep aggression to a lower level ?

• Discus fish are Cichlids. So they can get extremely territorial . Too many fish in a smaller tank can build up aggression pretty quickly. Some Discus fish experts say there should be 10 Lt. of water for each fish. Bigger the tank get less will be the aggression.
• You need to keep at least 6 Discus fish together. So their aggression would spread out. Otherwise smaller fish can get stressed by bullied by big Discus fish too often.
• Aggression can be increase when temperature rise up. Because fish get more active and also they get hungry faster.
• Also when a pair try to mate. After they pick a place for eggs then can become aggressive to any fish who comes near.

One important thing to remember is you can keep a single discus isolated because he get bullied by others. Discus are a social fish. They stay in groups isolating a Discus would make him more stress or shy.

Identify the Gender of Discus fish

Identify the Gender of Discus fish is some what nearly impossible task unless you are an experienced Discus breeder or keeper. Its pretty hard for even experienced Discus fish keepers to gender then before they become one year old at least. This make is more difficult because come times they pair with same gender.

Male Discus fish normally have a round body shape, the upper fins have a long tip or pointed, and it's shape has a sharp and pointed direction. Male discus have a bigger tail as well. Also Males are bigger than Female Discus fish.

Females normally have rounded anal and dorsal fins, Pectoral Fins maybe shorter or equal to anal fin. Male discus Pectoral Fin normally longer than anal find when its extended.

See if its anal fins and dorsal fins are pointed at the end. Normally you won't find both the dorsal and anal fin pointed. But either one would be pointed if it's probably a male.

Even with these methods you can't be 100% positive. I think it takes years of experience to identify gender correctly. There are more methods which use to gender Discus fish but I ll post them later.

How to choose Tank mates for Discus Fish

Choosing tank mates to Discus Fish is something you have to do carefully. Adding other fish into your Discus aquarium would end up with disasters. There are few things you have to concerned about before start looking for tank makes for Discus fish.

• Discus are from tropical warm water rivers from South America. So they prefer high water temperatures . This is one reason why Discus shouldn't kept with gold fish and Koi types. You should look for those fish types who are ok with high water temperatures.

• Discus can be bullied by any fish and can get stressed pretty easily. Regular stress would make Discus fish starve and death. So should put those aggressive Cichlids types with them such as Oscar, Jewels, Mabuna etc

• Since Discus are slow moving fish some fish might like to peck them. avoid such type of fish like guppies or barbs.

• Keeping those tank mates as a group like 6-7 would able to keep their attention from Discus to their own kind.

• Don't use huge fish with Discus. You will end up with bunch of stressed out Discus fish.

• Look for peacefully fish like Neon Tetra, Cardinal Tetra, Corydora etc. But Its better keep them as a school of fish like at least 5-6 fish.

Discus are having Hole in the Head disease !

Today Morning I was watching my Discus fish and noticed that they have some kind of tiny pits on their heads. So It seems this infamous Discus disease " Hole in the Head " has arrived to my fish tank too !

This disease is known as many names Hole in the Head, Head and Lateral Line Disease etc. So I'm reading about this in various aquarium web sites and gathering information about it. Also check about cures and medicine. It seems this disease is often confused with another disease called Hexamita ( white poo disease )because both these diseases are often seen simultaneously in the same fish.



This is an interesting summery I found about Hole in the head disease,

Under certain conditions, which have not yet been clearly specified, a massive increase occurs in the number the flagellates which live in the intestines of the fish. They pose serious competition with the fish for minerals, with the result that the fish then suffer from mineral deficiency. As a reaction to the mineral deficiency, the fish breaks down its own skeleton to obtain minerals. Since the largest mass of bone substance is in the region of the head, disintegration is particularly extreme in this area, appearing as holes. At the same time the flagellates move on to the nearest surface of the body. As the holes represent the nearest surface of the body, the flagellates can be found at the bottom of the holes. In the past, only the flagellate was thought to be responsible for this disease. In fact, a combination of mineral deficiency and a massive increase in the numbers of flagellates lead to the formation of holes.
Holes can also be caused by tapeworms, threadworms and fish tuberculosis, as well as incorrect feeding.

Treatments for Hole in the head disease are,

• Increase the mineral content of the water.
• Heat treatment can be combined with orally administered Metronidazole (sold under the brand name Flagyl) once every three days.
• Increase frequent water changes.
• Improving the quality of the fish's water supply, vitamin and minera.

Well I ll write a detailed post about this disease later.

Discus Fish Aquarium Water Changes

I do 40%-50% water change in my Discus Juveniles tank everyday. I was told by many experienced discus breeders that Discus grow faster and bigger with daily water changes. I believe this is true because my discus are bigger than their siblings at petshop.

But you have to be careful about these water changes because Discus fish are highly sensitive to waster condition and would die if anything goes wrong. Also be careful about using Anti chlorine. Better not using it directly in yr fish tank. always better if you can have a separate tank or barrel to keep water 24 hours before put it in your tank.

What I have in My Discus Tank

Now I have 16 Discus fish in my tank. Its a bare bottom glass tank ( 33 x 18x 18 ). Here's what I have,

3 Pigeon Blood Discus pairs ( I'm bit worried about them, They are not growing fast like others )
2 Powder Blue Discus pairs
2 Snake skin Blue Discus pairs
1 Turquoise Blue Discus pair

I bought them when they were like 4 c.m and Now they are more than twice of the size they were.
My camera is broken so far i haven't able to get any photos of them.