The homeland of discus fish is small tributaries of the Amazon River (South America), where there are many beautiful and strange fish. Adult fish are 15 – 20 cm in size, have a round body like a plate, very flat, have a small mouth, small gills and live peacefully in groups in the wild.

Discus fish have a smooth body, round and flat disc shape, very diverse colors with many spots and patterns on the body. The head is short, the eyes are quite large and flexible. On the charcoal there are many vertical stripes depending on the species, these stripes have different numbers and thickness.

Discus fish are divided into two main types: wild discus fish and purebred discus fish. There are 4 main strains of wild discus fish:

Heckle Discus (Heckel Discus)

Heckle discus fish are commonly found in Rio Negro, Rio Abacaxis, Rio Madiera, Rio Nhamunda. Brown, some individuals are blue and red, with semi-red or black eyes. Heckel discus are notoriously more difficult to keep than other discus varieties, requiring a low pH and soft, warm water. Domesticated discus fish have almost no blood relationship with Heckel discus fish (but with blue discus fish, brown discus fish and green discus fish).

Brown Discus

Brown discus fish are distributed in Alenquer, Belem, Madiera, Rio Tocantis, Rio Xingu, Santarem. Brown, some individuals are blue, with semi-red eyes. The head thread is usually horizontal; a dark blue border may appear on the dorsal and anal fins.

Blue Discus

Blue discus fish are found mainly in Alenquer, Madiera, Maracana, Nhamunda, Terra Santa, Uatuma. Brown and blue, eyes are semi-red. The blue fins on the head are usually horizontal, the dorsal and anal fins are often fresher and more numerous than brown discus fish. Dark blue edges appear on the dorsal and anal fins.

Green Discus

Green discus fish are often distributed in Tefé, Bauana. This variant has a few green veins on the head, dorsal and anal fins. Most adult individuals have a yellow abdomen and the eyes are clearly visible even in adulthood. Most individuals have some horizontal lines on the shoulders, a dark blue border may appear on the dorsal and anal fins. Additionally, there are a few red spots, the rest is mostly orange.

Besides, there are a few other discus fish that have been bred. The common variety of medicinally bred fish is called Turquoise.

Currently the newest breed is albino fish (Snow white or Albino white).

Food for discus fish in artificial farming environments is usually red worms, threadworms, worms, larvae or minced beef heart and liver. Discus fish are not picky eaters, but are relatively difficult to raise because the fish only live healthy and strong in a very clean water environment, with a pH of 5.5 – 6.5 to slightly acidic, soft water and at temperatures ranging from 28 to 32 ^o C. People rely on these standards to make discus fish tanks suitable for the fish to live healthy and strong.

Discus fish have a special, branched and septated stomach. The discus fish’s intestines are relatively short, the mouth is small, and the molars consist of a row of small, chop-shaped spines

Discus fish takes about 10 – 12 months to reach reproductive age. At this time, the fish are very colorful, the female fish is often more aggressive than the male fish and often bites the male fish to signal that it is ready to reproduce. Sometimes both animals swim close to each other, heads facing up, occasionally jerking their tails towards each other. During sexual development, male fish’s genital spines are shorter and sharper, while female fish’s are flatter, longer and clearer. When viewed from above at spawning time, the female fish appears slightly fatter, due to her abdomen being full of eggs. When laid, the eggs stick to the nest or substrate (tank walls, tiles), the parents take care of the eggs and fry. The eggs hatch after 2 – 3 days, the fry consume all their yolk after 3 – 4 days and continue to cling to the parent fish to eat mucus for about 14 – 18 days. Parent fish that feed their young with mucus will lose more energy and have a longer period of sexual regrowth

The reproductive capacity of discus fish is about 200 – 300 eggs depending on the age and size of the fish. For the first time spawning, discus fish usually only lay about 150 – 200 eggs and the ability to keep offspring is also poor. Discus fish can breed all year round, but in the cold season they spawn less.

Sunshine

Synthetic