Discus is one of the most elegant, ornamental fish you can have in your home aquarium. It has a unique disc-like laterally compressed body, decorated with various shades of colors, and colorful patterns.

There are few basics you should know before you try discus fish breeding. Chances of you failing are much higher if you don't know and don't follow these basic steps properly.

By learning the basics of discus fish breeding, and by applying them properly during the process, chances of you succeeding are much higher. In the following paragraphs of this article, I will highlight some of the basics you need to know in order to succeed.

First of all, lets see how you can get your hands on a good pair of discus fish suitable for breeding. There are two ways to achieve this.

1. From different locations, buy several young discus fish. Why I told you to buy form different locations is to increase the genetic diversity. Put them all in one tank, feed them well and let them grow while observing their behavior. At some point, you will see pairs forming and defending their territories. The pairs will attack any other fish trying to get too close to their locations. Remove those pairs form the common tank and put them in different breeding tanks.

2. If you are willing to spend some money, try to find a person, or an aquarium selling 'proven pairs' of discus fish, and buy a pair or two from them. Be warned, these proven pairs will be expensive and, make sure you do a proper background check before buy the them.

Next, you need to prepare a suitable fish tank for the breeding pair. Height of the tank should be around 2 ft and the tank should be able to hold 20+ gallons of water. You can make one according to the above specs or can buy a suitable tank from a shop. Keep the bottom of the tank bare. This will help when removing debris.

You need to provide a vertical surface for the discus to lay eggs. A small potted plant would be ideal. Place one inside the breeding tank. Both sponge, and power filters can be installed for better results.

Water quality is one of the most important factors which needs your continuous attention. Discus fish need warm, soft, and acidic water. Water pH level should be kept at 6.5 and the temperature should be kept at 85 F. Please sure you maintain above levels throughout and the water you add to the tank while replacing water, should also contain the same pH and the same temperature.

You should change 5% to 10% of the water in the breeding tank with fresh water, 3-4 times a week. A complete water change can be done once a week. Both will help the breeding process greatly.

Frozen blood worms are a good choice for feeding. Please remember to get rid of any left-overs after you feed them. This will help in preventing parasite infections and maintaining water quality.

Your breeding pair will be laying eggs three to four times per month. This will continue for at least three months time.

If you are looking for more info on discus fish related issues, make sure you read these excellent article on Discus Fish Breeding & Care and Discus Fish Diseases.