Good biological filtration is a must, as is the right diet and water changes. Keeping Discus with companion fish and anything that decreases the water volume (wood etc) means extra bio load on the filter, so consider this when deciding the type of aquarium you want to keep. From 10cm what you see is what you get, but the pattern of the fish can change as it reaches maturity. ![]() remember Discus are cichlids !ĭomestically bred Discus are hybrids / mutations, and do not live in the wild - when buying small (8cm or less) the fish may not always grow into the adult description. There is no doubt that having too few Discus will lead to behaviourally problems (aggression / attempting to breed) as they grow and mature . So we recommend an aquarium of 180 litres as an absolute minimum size, and in this you can house a group of 10 juvenile Discus.ġ0 adult Discus (14cm +) without companion fish and minimal plants / bog wood etc will require a minimum of 350 litres. Now clearly this looks fantastic but is not suitable for your 180 litre aquarium at home! In Europe, the German Veterinary Association for Animal Protection recommends a maximum of 45 x 8cm Discus per 180 litres, or 12 x 15cm per 180 litres. The fact of the matter is that Discus, especially smaller ones do better and feel more secure in big groups. When you visit a specialist Discus outlet such as ours, you may well see very heavily stocked aquariums, these are actually linked to very large sumps but may still look "overstocked". I cannot stress enough how horrible this "condition" is to witness, likewise how easy it is to avoid. If all is well after this period then you are lucky - if the fish, one, or both go dark and shed mucus - they have "the plague" and now you know with out compromising all your fish. Now, set up a third tank, take one of your existing fish, and one of the new stock and pop them in this tank for a period of ten days. ![]() Also ensure you wash your hands and arms in an alcohol based product and dry thoroughly when servicing each aquarium. Initially keep your existing fish, and new fish in separate aquariums, preferably separate rooms and ensure no equipment, hoses, nets etc are shared between the two tanks. If you must mix Discus from different sources then at the very least you must go through what is known as the "sacrificial lamb" process. People do and will continue to ignore this advice, some will get away with it, others lose all their fish. Therefore it is in your interest and more importantly the Discus's that before adding Discus to your aquarium you make a decision to keep Wild Discus, Asian bred Discus or Stendker Discus. The so called "Discus Plague" is 100% avoidable - don't mix Discus from different sources.įish from different hatcheries or different sources may harbour different strains of bacteria and it really is good advice not to keep them together, or "mix" them. Wednesday morning you are devastated when you switch the tank lights on. It's so easy to get "caught" - you have a happy healthy tank of Discus, you are out at a garden centre on the weekend, you see a Discus you like and buy it. ![]() The Stendker hatchery guarantee their fish are free of tapeworm and the so called Discus plague.Ĭlick here for Discus Care Articles on Stendker website.ĭiscus from different sources - what you need to know Stendker Discus are kept in TAP WATER, "yes"! TAP WATER this makes their care so much easier and means that almost without exception where ever you live in the UK you can keep these fish with a little understanding of their species specific care. This website is dedicated to Stendker Discus, we have imported their Discus since mid 1990's and the Stendker family have been breeding them since 1965. If you are new to this hobby then please enter it with an open mind. It is a very common misconception that Discus are difficult to keep, and whilst this remains the case for wild caught fish, the Stendker Discus have a worldwide reputation for being robust and easy to keep. They are available from 5cm to 21cm and currently there are 27 varieties or "strains" to choose from. Stendker Discus can grow to 21cm in diameter and live up to 15 years. Adult Discus 14cm and larger can be kept in "pairs" Discus are very social with members of their own species and are best kept in groups of at least ten fish, especially when juvenile. ![]() Mark says "Keeping Discus is simple, avoid known issues"ĭiscus belong to the Cichlid genus and originate from the Amazon region of South America. The subjects are covered in greater depth by clicking the relevant tab in the menu. This page is a list of reference points to keeping Stendker Discus.
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