DISCUS
Discus as the king of freshwater fish attract many people to maintain. In addition to shapes, colors, and patterns of interest, the prices become expensive one to maintain traction.
o get a good discus surely must get a good seed. Therefore hobies especially a beginner should be smart in selecting fish.
Following tips for choosing a good discus, among others;
1. The bright color, tunicate or not removing the excessive mucus. Skin color or a shiny black indicates conditions that are not healthy discus. The black vertical bar that is very blatant / explicit discus marks in the heavy stress conditions. The number of this line varies according to the variants of fish. Usually amounted to between 7-18 bar.
This bar does not function to determine a sick discus, but the discus as a result of upset conditions, or environmental conditions that are not suitable for the discus. Many types of stress that indicates discus-bar with its clear.
2. Scale on the fish that does not exfoliate and clean, not slimy and white spotted too many. Fin fish should look clean and complete. Fin is torn, damaged, moldy denotes not healthy fish. Fin disability that is not balanced and will create a rounded shape and beautiful discus seen.
3. Eye color is clear, not white spotted or tunicate. Eyeball that does not come out too light, such as radial tires. So-called pop-eye because of the eye condition that ugly water, and fish with intestinal bacteria. The size of the fish is too big on the small fish indicates hampered growth. Besides the black eye can be caused by internal diseases, and too long exposed to contamination of drugs in the long-term
4. Discus fish body form of the ideal, not visible from the lean thickness forehead discus. Discus physical disability that is not usually visible from the front where the left and right looks the same. Mouth or other body part does not have anything more to the left or right.
5. How the rhythmic breathing regularly, where the two gill opening and closing the same. Close gill cover gill arches, not short and do not gape open. Must also be a very quick breath, which can be caused by a lack of oxygen occurs when the long term will damage the function of gill
6. Discus healthy, generally is not afraid of people who view it. Discus are usually good and healthy will soon come up with a fast, thought will be given food. Besides a healthy discus is generally not alone, but with his friends.
7. Generally, a healthy discus, swimming style of quiet, choked-not stagnant. Discus like to scrape the body parts to equipment or surrounding objects, generally fell ill parasites. This may be because the itchiness is caused due to tick bites or fungus / bacteria on the skin and gill. Discus are generally healthy with a calm swim, under the front of the fin so that the stomach was revealed at the time visible doughtily swimming (pectoral fin).
8. Do not be gullible to the color. Red burn on the color of the eyes and striking, especially in the discus small & young people (between 2-3 inches), not a guarantee to get a good discus. At this time there are some people who use hormones to force the discharge colors of fish, which aims to facilitate sales and increase the attractiveness of the fish. This color will not survive long (more than 2 weeks - 1 month).
9. Pattern fish usually occur 2 inches to start up and staged. Be careful when buying discus pattern that has been out since the size of a small, likely because of the hormone to remove the pattern is to look beautiful. Is a reasonable pattern of out-half or less only on the size of 2 inches, but sometimes the quality of the discus to a low result does not leave his complexion is perfect until a full body. Try buy discus child sized up to 2 inches.
In addition to the above tips, then the most important adaptation is done slowly after arriving at home and do the quarantine at any fish purchased.

Feeding And Lightning Tips For Diskus Fish

Discus Fish are often classified as difficult to care for. They can be creatures of habit and don't tolerate change well. However, they can be kept by almost anybody with some knowledge and effort.Feeding Discus Fish can be a challenge. They have no unique nutritional needs and can be raised on most high-protein fish food. However, their cautious nature and reluctance to adapt to new foods and surroundings creates problems.They have been known to go for weeks without eating before trying and accepting a new type of food.Starving for a month or so will cause them to relent and accept a new food. This starvation period could slow or stunt the growth of the young fish.As a precaution ALWAYS ask what type of food they are accustomed to and have been eating. This information would go a long way toward helping the fish to adapt more quickly to their new home.You can always introduce new food at a later time by slowly mixing the new food with for familiar food and thereby weaning them from the old while helping them to grow accustomed to the new diet.While diet may be a problem to overcome lighting doesn't seem to be a problem. Although there is a popular opinion that bright lights may bother them. However, others are of the opinion that Discus Fish are indifferent to lighting.If you observe that your Discus Fish are hiding most of the time lighting may not be the problem it could be something else. Perhaps they simply need more time to feel at ease in their new surroundings.It is wise not to introduce new foods and new surroundings at the same time. Slow is always the best approach.Remember Discus Fish are shy and sensitive to disturbance and lack of protection. They will add beautiful color to your aquarium and are worth the nurturing.

DISCUS

Discus are freshwater perciform fish, peculiar cichlids native to the Amazon River basin. There are two recognized species, both within the genus Symphysodon: the red discus or common discus (Symphysodon discus) and the blue discus (Symphysodon aequifasciatus). The two species are very similar and may interbreed, producing a number of hybrid strains. Details regarding the precise number of subspecies have not been finalised. Discus are most closely related to the genus Heros.
The first special characteristic of the discus is its flattened body shape. It is compressed from the sides to a dish or discus shape. Although patternation varies, most are showily coloured in shades of green, red, and blue. The height and length of the grown fish are both about 20 - 25 cm (8 - 10 in).
The second special characteristic of the discus is its care for the larvae. Like all cichlids, the parents care for the young but the discus has a unique way of doing so: the parents produce a secretion through their skin, off which the larvae live during their first few days. The young can be seen grazing off their parents.The discus are shy and peaceful aquarium inhabitants. They are sensitive to stress and disturbance or lack of protection. The best cohabitants may be angelfish (although many aquarists claim that keeping them together with angelfish will introduce parasites and/or diseases in them) and small characides like tetras. The Uaru is another preferred tank-mate of the discus. However, small fish may be intimidated by the big discus fish or even eaten. Small chacarins like neon tetras are often found in the gut of wild discus, so they might not be the ideal cohabitants, but the ideal food.Also suction mouth ancistras (plecos) prove less than ideal for discus since they often attach themselves on the sides of discus and eat their mucus membranes.Generally, discus are considered to be difficult to care for and breed. Some breeders and owners use tap water while others claim that it is necessary to prepare the water in a very thorough way, for example by reverse osmosis. There are a lot of different breeds available with a wide range of colorations.
The popularity of the discus has given it its nickname among aquarists: the King.

Symphysodon discusThe Red Discus prefer very soft, acidic water with a 4.2 - 6.2 pH, a water hardness of 0.0 - 1.0 dGH, and a temperature range of 26 - 30°C (79 - 86°F). Their native diet consists of a combination of worms, insects, crustaceans, and plants. They originate from the Negro River where it drains into the Amazon River and from the Trombetas and Abacaxis Rivers.
Symphysodon aequifasciatusThe Blue Discus prefer soft, acidic water with a 6.0 -8.0 pH, a water hardness of 0.0 -12.0 dGH, and a temperature range of 26 - 30°C (79 - 86°F). Their native diet consists of a combination of insects and invertebrates. Besides their popularity among aquarists, the fish are sometimes grown for food in subsistence fisheries. The fish is natively found among rock crevices and roots. They are a schooling fish except during the breeding season when the become territorial. The Blue Discus originates from the Solimões River to the Tocantins River basin.

Feeding
Feeding discus is sometimes a challenge. They have no unique nutritional requirements; they can be raised on just about any high-protein fish food. However, discus are often extremely cautious about new foods; it is not unusual for them to go for weeks without food before accepting a new type of food. (Therefore, when purchasing discus it is a good idea to ask what they are being fed.) After starving for a month discus will almost always accept a new food, but this may stunt the growth of younger fish.

It is not advisable to use the starving method for weening discus off of one food for another. Instead, mix the new food with the discus’ preferred food. Over time, the discus will begin to accept the new food, and the old can be removed.

Beef heart is often fed to discus in order to promote good colouration and quick growth. Pork heart has also been used to achieve a similar effect. However, concern over the long-term consequences of feeding discus a diet high in mammalian protein has prompted some hobbyists to switch their discus to a diet of krill, a shrimp-like crustacean. Discus delight in small live prey, which is the best option for them in the long term. Black worms, bloodworms, brine shrimp and mosquito larvae are all eagerly eaten by discus. Care must be taken when feeding discus live food though, for bacteria and parasites can be present. For this reason it is advisable to buy live food from aquarium retailers. Live tubifex worms should not be fed to discus AT ALL because it is practically impossible to remove all of the bacteria from them. It is safe however to feed discus freeze dried tubifex cubes as the bacteria and/or parasites have been removed in the process. If live food is unavailable, the best artificial food for discus is a high quality granulate food. Flakes are also a good option but granules retain vitamins, minerals and other trace elements better than flakes.

How To Determine The Sex Of Discus Fish

By Alden Smith

One of the biggest question asked of the discus breeder is "how do I determine the sex of my fish?" There are very few easy identifiable identifiers in this process. Here, we will discuss the methods used by some of the top breeders.In juvenile fish, determining sex is almost impossible. It is only when they begin to pair off that an opportunity arises to help in the determination of sex. Juvenile fish, both male and female, have a rounded dorsal fin, and it is not until they begin to mature that a difference can be detected. As it is never wise to excessively handle the fish, close observation is in order to aid the breeder.In Allnut Enterprises' King Discus Hatchery, for example, it is an easy process to determine who is who, as we have observed these fish for a while, and can determine the sex of the pairs we own. This would be true in any hatchery. But to the uninitiated or casual observer, this would not be easy to do.Some of the identifiers: The male will have thicker lips to aid him in his fight to protect the female, and will be more aggressive. He will be larger than the female, his forehead is thicker, and we have observed that if the discus are a bit shy, the male will have a tendency to stay between the female and the observer.The dorsal fin of the male will be pointed, and the female's dorsal fin will be rounded. Note that in juvenile discus, this is not apparent.
The breeding tube of the female, between the anus and anal fin, is broader and rounder than the male, and will have a blunt tip. The male, in turn, has a smaller, sharper breeding tube. Be aware that this is only evident during spawning, and should be closely observed.It has been said that the male discus fish will tend to have a less intense color and more pattern while the female tends to be more colorful but with lesser pattern. I disagree, because too many variables are in place here, such as the health of the discus, the water parameters, and feeding pattern.
In an interesting article by Jeff Richard, he discusses an article from Diskus Brief, a German publication, which reports a very successful way of determine sex of a discus by using simple geometry. Jeff reports, and I quote: “Picture a discus facing to your left ... you would be looking at its side. Find the Dorsal (Top) and Anal (bottom) fins and look where the fins slope down toward the Caudal (tail) fin ... make sure you're looking at the fins after they have curved back toward the tail. The Dorsal and Anal Fins become (almost) straight after the fins curve down (or up) toward the Caudal Fin ... extend an imaginary line along this straight section of the 2 fins back toward the tail which just touches the Dorsal & Anal Fins past the Caudal Fin. These two imaginary lines should intersect behind the fish. The key to sexing the fish is where the lines cross the Caudal fin. If they pass through the Caudal Fin, the fish is most likely a FEMALE. If they miss or just touch the Caudal Fin, then most likely it is a MALE.” Thanks, Jeff!Sexing Discus is difficult at best. The easiest way to do so is to raise a group of at least six to eight discus, and allow them to pair off when ready. It is a beautiful sight to see this happen, and makes the hobby well worthwhile.

Purchasing Your Diskus

Once you have decided on the tank and equipment, you are ready to select your diskus. They are available in wide range of colors and body patterns. Other than wild discus from the Amazon, all domestically bred strains have similar rering requirements, so select your diskus on the basis of your preference for appearance and your budget.

Many fish farmer and importers use creative names for their diskus for marketing reasons. Diskus strains are essentially classified by colors and patterns, but most fish farmer use color enhancing foods, so you should not place too much value on high color intensity on imported diskus. After a couple months, the colors on imported discus will fade a little. You can keep discus with different colors and patterns together, as long as they are all of similar age and size.
If you put discus of different sizes together, the bigger one will likely dominate the the smaller ones, preventing them from getting enough food to grow.