To keep discus fish happy and healthy one the first things you need to learn is that they are native to the Amazon's warm, calm and clear waters and any change in their environment can have a big effect on their behavior.

Choosing healthy discus fish from the shop is a big help when breeding, however the secret lies in knowing and learning about discus's behavior and habits, they should be kept in groups of four or six to ensure their happiness and increasing their chances of finding a suitable mate.

Discus fish will generally only choose a mating partner after you have introduced other unrelated fish into your tank. You want the fish tank to have an air powered filter and locations where the discus can spawn for best results.

For the eggs to develop in to healthy fish soft water with no chlorine should be used and you want to maintain the water temperature at 84-86 degrees F.

Providing a varied diet to the breeding pair for proper nutrition and feeding of the fry is essential for breeding. Discus will usually start the spawning process when they are three to four months their adult size.

The female will lay between 80-400 eggs on a clean smooth vertical side of the tank and then will allow the male to fertilizes the eggs. Once the discus have mated they will remain together for the remaining of their lives.

It normally takes 50-60 hours for the eggs to hatch followed by 36-48 hours till the fry are able to swim freely. Spawning can be triggered by lots of feeding, rising temperatures or major changes in the water.

Once the fry are born, they should be kept with their parents and given specific food like the baby brine shrimps. In order to achieve a decent growth rate, lots of water changes should be made. Within 3-6 weeks after birth so the fry grow quickly though the parents are worn out and it's the ideal time to move the fry away from the parents.

Once you have learned the process of breeding discus fish successfully, you would surely love to be a proud owner of these rare species.