TankBud

Heckel discus

Symphysodon discus

FreshwaterFish

Heckel discus (Symphysodon discus)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
82–88°F
28–31°C
pH
5.0–6.5
Adult size
7.1 in
18 cm
Minimum tank
75 gal
284 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Shoaling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Substrate spawner · Hard
Rarity
Common
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Amazon Basin, Brazil (lower Rio Negro blackwater tributaries)

Overview

The Heckel discus is the most demanding discus, a shoaling cichlid that needs more than most tropicals. It is for experienced keepers and not a beginner fish.

Did you know

The Heckel discus carries a heavy, dark vertical bar down the middle of its body, called the fifth bar. The bar is bolder than on other discus, and it lets hobbyists tell a Heckel apart at a glance.

Caring for the Heckel discus

Give a group of Heckel discus a tall tank of at least 75 gal (284 L). Use a dim setup with driftwood and some botanicals on the bottom, since open glare stresses them.

They need warm water at 82 to 88°F (28 to 31°C), very soft and acidic at a pH of 5.0 to 6.5. That usually means RO water remineralized low, with tannins added from dried leaves or alder cones. Keep the water pristine with frequent large water changes, because they will not tolerate a buildup of waste in soft, acidic water. Feed a varied diet of frozen bloodworms, beef heart mixes and quality pellets, in several smaller meals a day.

Keep a group of six or more, which spreads out the squabbling that comes with their pecking order. They are mostly peaceful and hold in the middle of the water column. Keep tank mates calm and tolerant of the heat, or run them as a species-only group.

Heckel discus are substrate-spawning egg layers that guard their eggs. The fry graze on a mucus the parents produce on their flanks. Wild Heckel are very hard to breed in the aquarium. They have resisted captive breeding far more stubbornly than the common discus lines.

Good to know

The Heckel discus is a cichlid in the family Cichlidae. Most Heckel in the trade are wild-caught rather than tank-bred, which is part of why they are so demanding. The fish you buy often started life in a Rio Negro tributary. A healthy discus can live well over a decade with good care.

In the wild

Heckel discus come from the lower Rio Negro and its blackwater tributaries in the Brazilian Amazon. The water there is very soft and acidic, stained dark with tannins from leaf litter and botanicals.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Heckel discus is a mostly peaceful, shoaling species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Heckel discus need?

A Heckel discus needs at least 75 gal (284 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Heckel discus need?

A Heckel discus is comfortable at 82–88°F (28–31°C) with a pH of 5.0–6.5.

What does a Heckel discus eat?

A Heckel discus eats a varied diet of frozen bloodworms, beef heart mixes and quality pellets. Feed it several smaller meals a day.

How big does a Heckel discus get?

An adult Heckel discus reaches about 7.1 in (18 cm).

Does a Heckel discus need a group?

Yes. A Heckel discus is a shoaling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How does a Heckel discus breed?

Heckel discus are substrate-spawning egg layers that guard their eggs, and the fry graze on a mucus the parents produce on their flanks. Wild Heckel are very hard to breed in the aquarium.

Related species