discus fish tank

Discus prefer large, tall tanks and I would recommend a minimum of 55 gallons (200 L). As for the configuration, it completely depends on the purpose. If it is for breeding, it is better that the tank is with a bare bottom, that is, without gravel. However, if you want a display tank, it’s best to emulate the discus’s natural habitat by providing hiding places, open swimming areas, driftwood, a fully planted aquascape, and some floating plants to diffuse light. A heavily planted tank may also need a CO2 injection for the plants to do well; In a future post, we will show you how you can make a CO2 unit yourself from household items.

Discus fish thrive in water conditions similar to those in their natural habitat, however many discus fish are bred in captivity and are tolerant of a greater variety of water conditions. While not ideal, most discus fish can tolerate water with a pH of 5.0 to 7.5, water hardness of 0 to 8 dH, and temperatures of 77 to 86°F (25 to 30°C). C). Peat moss can be a great way to naturally lower the pH of your aquarium, which I personally use in my planted freshwater angelfish tank. You can buy some at any garden center quite cheaply, if they don’t have any you can buy some online, after that put some in a mesh bag (cutting pantyhose works too) and put it in the compartment where it is the filter pad. rests so that water can flow through it. If you prefer not to treat with peat, Black Water Extract contains natural humic and tannic acids that simulate Amazon River Basin water conditions created by soil, peat, and decaying vegetation. It improves the chemistry of the water, encourages spawning, helps the hatching process, and dyes the water a light brownish yellow color like the Amazon River, which looks pretty cool.

Discus fish are delicate and quite intolerant of poor water quality, so regular partial water changes and maintaining adequate filtration at all times is essential in discus fish care. I do 30% water changes once a week, but have a fully planted tank, some would say more or less. Once established a fully planted tank will help with this as ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are among the nutrients used by plants, they help the beneficial bacteria keep levels in check and if anything happens to beneficial bacteria, there is a buffer present to minimize the problem. .