The most popular concerns about discus fish are those related to their health since they are know for being very sensitive to environmental conditions. It is essential for discus health that you recreate the living conditions they are used to in the wild: soft, slightly acidic clean water. Of course breeders do everything in their power to protect discus health given the fact that they also require special temperature and pH. Therefore if you plan on buying discus fish, you should start preparing their tank a month in advance to make sure you ensure discus health.

There are many problems associated with discus health, but I will mainly refer to the environmental ones, which seem to be the most common. For instance, the iodine deficiency may appear due to pollutants in water or improper feeding. Then, another problem related to discus health is the lack of vitamins in the food, which on the long term may create low immune system and deficient wound healing for instance. Vitamin C is essential for discus health; hence make sure you store food properly or you risk losing this vitamin though oxidation. Absence of this vitamin leads to bleeding, fin ulcerations and many other problems.

Many of the discus health problems appear because of breeder’s ignorance or failure to provide the proper living conditions. Once you take up breeding fish, there is a responsibility involved like with any other animal; should you find yourself overwhelmed, you can always turn to special discus health services provided by vet units. Information and tips you may find in books on discus health or on sites such as www.discus-fish-secrets.com are highly reliable and make a very good start when in comes to taking care of discus health. The authors of such books are usually experienced breeders from whom you’ve got lots to learn.

Discus health should not be an issue for someone careful enough to follow some ground rules. For instance, the water cycle should be functional all the time and no waste or uneaten food should be left in it. Discus health is threatened in case of over-heating. Don’t go over 31 degrees Celsius, as this will also lower the oxygen level in the tank and cause your fish to suffer from oxygen starvation. Monitor your discus health on a regular basis and check the living conditions daily or even several times a day if possible so that nothing goes wrong.

Wild caught discus fish first appeared in the 1920s and, even now, despite the large number bred in aquariums they are still very much in demand. Though difficult to care for, wild caught discus fish are a rarity that come to inhabit collectors’ special show tanks. In their natural environment, wild caught discus fish prefer the calm parts of rivers, lakes and deep pools where they spend their time in shaded area clean from pollutants. This is why it is essential to recreate the same conditions in captivity too. Wild caught discus fish are the real kings of the Amazon area and make great valuable treasure in aquariums.

Before buying wild caught discus fish of your own, it is good to document yourself as much as possible about the great challenges their breeding involves. There are quite a large number of books written on how to look after wild caught discus fish; you can even enjoy some very impressive photos meant to illustrate the variety in the natural habitat with all their strips and colors perfectly matched in the clear water. Issues such as water filtration and the acclimation of the wild caught discus fish are essential for a successful experiment, particularly since it may cost you a little fortune.

Moreover, in case you are really interested in enriching your colony with some wild caught discus fish it is a good idea to get all the necessary information required to the specimens’ origin, transportation and health condition. Before actually buying wild caught discus fish make sure they are in good shape and have been treated well along the long journey. You may even rely on some professional advice to check the health status, particularly since wild caught discus fish come pretty expensive and you need to know what you pay the money for.

Mention should be made that wild caught discus fish are very photo sensitive. Actually, they are caught with the help of powerful light sources that blind and confuse them. Therefore, when you try to create a proper environment for the wild caught discus fish you will have to keep in mind that their native waters are shady and a little dark. Therefore, the use of powerful lamps around the discus tank is totally unadvisable. Strictly respect such measures if you truly want to make a good home for the wild caught discus fish. Enjoy them!

Just as dogs make great companions, discus fish make a great show. Breeding discus as a hobby has become so popular that aquariums all over the world have become the home of this king of the exotic species. For some breeders, discus as a hobby means an immense satisfaction particularly when one manages to get some baby discus too. It is truly rewarding to see that what started with discus as a hobby has turned into a life time experience and a true friendship. What is so special about discus as a hobby? Apart from the great beauty of these fish, discus are unique in their social and loving behavior.

Those who breed discus as a hobby will be more than surprised to notice that the discus show signs of connection to the environment outside the tank. For instance breeding discus as a hobby implies spending lots of time around the tank, cleaning, feeding or simply watching the discus. They are said to recognize the owner in time and they can get as close to you as to eat out of your hand. When breeding discus as a hobby, some owners have noticed that the discus will watch you move around the room or even react to TV noise.

Apart from such social behavior, discus enjoy silence and a close community with other fellows from the same species. If you take discus as a hobby, you may want to take into consideration that they prefer living in close communities that is together with several other members. The dominant discus would be the first to couple, followed by the others if proper conditions are met. Even if you breed discus as a hobby you may still have to separate the couples in a different tank allowing them to raise their fry.

For everyone who takes discus as a hobby, it is important that all the proper living conditions are kept under constant observation. You should not use for instance a too powerful lamp for your discus; as a hobby you’d like to keep them in the spot light, but this warms the water above the accepted level and reduces the oxygen quantity. There is a short step to take between breeding discus as a hobby and breeding them at a professional level, after all, discus require the same attention no matter your devotion. Even if you take discus as a hobby, you still have to pay attention to their needs all the time!

It is not uncommon that exotic fish owners find breeding discus fish a little bit difficult to get baby discus. The hardest part about breeding discus fish is finding the right mates, this issue rises from the fact discus like to choose their partners alone, and not anyone suits their “taste”. Under such circumstances, you’ve got two solutions for breeding discus fish: you can either buy a couple or raise them together in a group and hope they will make couples. The first variant is not the happiest, since a discus fish couple can be as expensive as a few hundred dollars, which is a lot.

Therefore, the most advantageous option you’ve got is to start breeding discus fish by creating a discus group of at least six members and keep the fingers crossed that you get at least one couple. How do you recognize mates? Well, breeding discus fish is not that difficult from now on if you follow some basic rules. First of all, the “new-weds” will delimitate a perimeter in the tank and will start defending it against trespassers. This means it’s time for you to move to the second phase of breeding discus fish.

You should prepare a separate tank for your breeding discus fish and keep it as simple as possible. There’s no need to put anything on the bottom of the fish tank, all they need is a vertical surface where they could lay their eggs. Your breeding discus fish should soon begin to spawn. Don’t worry about the eggs that look whitish, those are infertile for sure, as for the rest, it is possible that the parents may eat some of them and protect the others. The good part about breeding discus fish is that they feed their own siblings for a few weeks.

In about three weeks time, you’ll have to move the fry into a special tank as it is not uncommon that the breeding discus fish be injured by their own babies who eat their scales for instance. Once they’re off the parenthood responsibility, the breeding discus fish will begin a new cycle of reproduction and you may have some more siblings soon afterwards. Feeding and water are essential all throughout the breeding period, so, make sure that you don’t make any mistakes. For further professional information on breeding discus fish you can always turn to the advice available on www.discus-fish-secrets.com.

Before breeding discus, you will definitely need to learn all you can on the habits of these exotic and charming creatures. Before breeding, discus like to choose their partner alone, which may make it a little difficult and even expensive for the owner. Breeding discus should be kept in groups of maximum four individuals as the ideal formation. Keep the water warm enough and feed them properly and breeding discus will be a true joy; it won’t take too long before they will spawn. To understand the principles of breeding discus you’ve got a lot of things to read as there will be quite some changes in your tank.

First of all you should know that breeding discus will choose an almost vertical site for their mating and will clean it before laying eggs. Don’t be surprised if they spawn on the bottom or the side of the tank. After laying the eggs and fertilizing them, the two parents will be guarding the perimeter preventing other fish to come close. Breeding discus also means noticing behavior changes in your so calm and shy fish. They are not going to become aggressive to other tank inhabitants unless the eggs are in danger. Breeding discus sometimes means having some eggs sacrificed. Therefore, the parents eat the eggs they cannot protect.

It is easy to find out when you’ve got a pair of breeding discus; once two of them start defending a perimeter in the aquarium, you need to act quickly. It would be perfect if the owner separated the breeding discus to a different tank set up for the purpose. Don’t put anything on the bottom of the tank of the breeding discus as you’ll have to clean it very easily. They only need a vertical surface to deposit their eggs. To improve the environment of the breeding discus you can add a small bag of peat moss in the power filter, thus recreating the natural water conditions of the discus.

Water and food are the two main principles for successful discus breeding. For assistance and useful information on how to deal with breeding discus you may visit the following web page: www.discus-fish-secrets.com. Practical information is always welcome particularly when you haven’t been breeding discus before; so, enjoy the experience and don’t forget that the appearance of new healthy fry is entirely your responsibility from the beginning to the end. Good luck!