If you have ever seen a Discus fish, you know they are extremely beautiful, making them a very popular choice for aquariums. Discus fish come in many various sizes, colors, and shapes. Originally, the Discus fish can be found in the Amazon basin located in South America. Due to the climate of the water and other living conditions, it is very difficult to keep aquarium conditions close to that of the Discus' natural habitat; therefore they require a lot of maintenance and work.

This particular type of fish requires a lot of work and is known for being high maintenance, mainly due to the fact that it is difficult to create and maintain aquarium conditions similar to their living habitat in South America. Make sure before you buy a Discus fish that it is healthy. You can tell a healthy Discus fish by watching its movements. It should rush around looking for food, be generally active, and it should have a uniformly round shape without any wounds or deformities.

If you buy a Discus, before you place him into a new tank, you must first prepare the tank appropriately. Ideally, Discus fish tanks should not house any other species of fish. Furthermore, you need to have large substrate filters with the capability of running 1000 to 1200 liters of water per hour. Also regarding the ware, it must stay warm! Discus fish need water between 28 and 30 degrees centigrade.

Before buying a Discus fish you should inquire what it is being fed and try to stick with the same type of food. Discus fish are relatively shy by nature, and placing them in new surroundings can cause them feed less if they are being fed unfamiliar food. After they begin to get used to their new surroundings, introducing new varieties of food is actually a good idea. This is actually a necessity for adult fish.

Adult Discus fish are carnivorous and require a good quality flake or pellet type of fish food. It is also good to occasionally feed it frozen or live food, such as brine shrimp, blood worms, or special Discus food with beef heart. Discus fish that are still growing should be fed on average of 4 to 5 times per day, whereas adult fish should only be fed twice per day.

Before buying a Discus fish, many people want to know their lifespan. They have been known to live as long as 15 years if well cared for. They usually cost between $25-$30 for smaller fish and about $150 for larger ones. Rare varieties of Discus fish can be as high as $400.

Looking to find the best deal on fish tanks? Take at look at www.MyFishTanksforSale.com to compare and purchase fish tanks and aquariums.

categories: fish, pets, animals, recreation

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Written by Mark Discus using tags: animals, Fish, Pets, recreation