This is general information on Discus, a member of the family Cichlidae. Although certainly not a complete reference guide, it will give those interested some background information on this exotic fish...
Symphysodon aequifasciatus (Discus)
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes
) Order: Perciformes (perch-like fish)
Family: Cichlidae
Scientific Name: Symphysodon aequifasciatus
Other Scientific Name(s): Symphysodon aequifasciata, Symphysodon discus aequifasciata, Symphysodon aequifasciatus aequifasciatus, Symphysodon discus tarzoo, Symphysodon aequifasciata axelrodi, Symphysodon aequifasciata haraldi
Common Name: Discus
Range: South America: Brazil, Peru. Found on Amazon and Solimoes rivers of Brazil, from the lower Rio Putumayo-Ica and from Benjamin Constant to Bel?m. Has been introduced to the Rio Nanay in Peru.
Diet: Carnivorous. Frozen foods preferred, but will accept flake foods. Particularly like red bloodworms, but feeding "live" food is not recommended. Red worms, etc, should only be fed to discus once every other day. Beware of parasites or bacteria in the discus tank from live foods!
Temperament: Timid of strangers. Easily frightened, unless placed in a high traffic area. Can be very friendly to aquarist, oft-times eating out of the hand. If given a place to hide, they will tend to do so.
Sexing: Discus are hard to sex unless breeding. Normally, the male will be larger, and will present with longer fin extensions and a wider forehead.
Breeding: Buy either proven pairs or a group of young fish and allow them to pair themselves. The eggs are laid on a breeding cone. A clay flowerpot turned upside down works well. The fry must be kept with the parents after hatch, as they "feed" off the body slime of the parents. Special care must be taken to insure that fry do not injure the parents when getting larger. Watch for marks on the body of the pair, and if it begins to occur, the fry are ready to be moved to a community tank on their own. If left w/ the pair, serious injury can result.
Special Care: If kept specifically for breeding, a bare-bottomed tank is highly recommended.
Other Comments: To keep Discus well, water conditions are absolutely crucial. A PH of 6.3 to 6.9 is the optimal level for keeping discus. Water Temperature: Discus like it warm. They come from the Amazon basin, so water temps for these fish should be 80-84 degrees F, although some aquarists set the temperature as high as 90 degrees F.
================================================================
Alden Smith is a published author, and has been marketing on the internet for 7 years. His website, king discus, is an active gathering place for discus breeders and lovers of discus fish. His wife Betsy is the administrator of king discus a site rich in online recipes and cookbooks.
cleaning service near Bannockburn ..My two therapy dogs, Nikki and Benny, bring joy to... Read More
Just like humans, dogs are subject to diseases and illnesses.... Read More
As a business, I've not been in the holistic pet... Read More
If there is an art to getting horses to load... Read More
The answer is "no" if you are the type who... Read More
Chocolate. Who can resist it?Your dogs health depends on it!... Read More
Domesticated rabbits are one of the most popular pets, apart... Read More
Your dog seems to be driving you up the wall... Read More
Puppy training can and should begin the day you bring... Read More
Which kind is your pet? The pooch who is the... Read More
Still remember that very moment when you first laid your... Read More
Dogs are creatures of habit; and once they develop a... Read More
Dogs are a fantastic edition to any family but like... Read More
Unfortunately, accidents can - and DO happen, so it's always... Read More
Why paint your cat? After all cats are beautiful creatures... Read More
I was talking to a friend of mine today and... Read More
When Lucky was starting to show signs of aging, we... Read More
Guide for training a dogSo you can use a guide... Read More
Many dogs today suffer from itchy skin caused by a... Read More
The other day, I was invited to see my friend's... Read More
Congratulations. You've decided to buy a bird, and you even... Read More
1. Accidents and medical emergencies in the home happen frequently.... Read More
A poorly trained dog is a nuisance and can even... Read More
Are you concerned when your dog or cat eats grass,... Read More
The benefits of feeding live food to fish in a... Read More
pet-friendly home cleaners Mundelein ..The real apistogramma's come from southern America, they all have... Read More
The other day I was doing a research online for... Read More
They may seem to be bold explorers - sniffing at... Read More
"Magoo was a big, playful Labrador retriever who often got... Read More
Vitamins Can Increase Your Dog's Life Span!There is evidence to... Read More
The city I live in just increased its fees for... Read More
Most parrot people are aware of some of the basic... Read More
Part 2: Protecting your petIf you own a cat, then... Read More
Do you have a puppy that jumps on you, company... Read More
The pet food industry, a billion-dollar, unregulated operation, feeds on... Read More
According to the American Humane Society, just 15% of dogs... Read More
Mabeke is a young gorilla who was born in captivity... Read More
Adopting a dog is a lot of fun, but it... Read More
Dogs have been known as man's best friend for decades.... Read More
All dogs bark, it's their way to communicate a message.... Read More
Behavior can be a huge iisue with our pets. If... Read More
Dog obedience training begins with the owner. There are several... Read More
Mention the word "video" and different people would come up... Read More
Pets are family members and should be treated as such.... Read More
You might think the most important bit of dog health... Read More
In compiling some information on achieving a proper fit to... Read More
Proper training of your dog should begin when he is... Read More
Toys are fun both for our dogs and us. Lucky... Read More
Pet DoorsAre you considering installing a pet door for your... Read More
Did you know that more than one million north americans... Read More
Pet |