Discus

Symphysodon aequifasciatus

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 79–90°F (26–32°C)
pH: 6.0–7.0
Adult size: 7.9 in (20 cm)
Minimum tank: 65 gal (245 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Common
Origin: Peru, Colombia, Brazil
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

Keep discus in a group of six or more, since lone fish get bullied and stressed. They are peaceful and hold the middle of a tall tank, needing around 245 liters or more for a small group. They want hot water, roughly 26 to 32 C, with a soft, acidic pH, and they are demanding about water quality, which is why they rate as difficult. Feed quality flake, pellet, and frozen foods, often more than once a day.

In the wild

Discus come from slow backwaters and flooded forest areas in the Amazon across Peru, Colombia, and Brazil, where the water is warm, soft, acidic, and often stained with tannins. They shelter among submerged roots and branches out of the main current. At home they want a tall, warm tank with driftwood, gentle flow, and very clean water. Stability and heat are the whole game here.

Good to know

Discus are cichlids in the family Cichlidae, with a round, laterally flat body that gives them their name. They reach about 20 cm and are among the warmest-kept aquarium fish. Like other cichlids they are devoted parents, and famously the fry feed on a mucus the parents secrete on their flanks in the first days of life.

Did you know

Newly hatched discus fry graze on a slime their parents produce on their bodies for the first days of life. Both parents take turns letting the babies feed off them, which is unusual even among the caring cichlids.