Discus as a Hobby

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!

Discus Fish Secrets - Revealed!

"Who Else Wants The Healthiest Discus Fish, Full Of Bright Colors And Amazing Confidence...GUARANTEED"

"Now YOU Can Keep Discus Fish The Easy Way Using This Exact Blueprint To Having Happy, Healthy & Problem Free Discus That Spawn As Soon As You Place The Cone In The Water"

The Ultimate Guide To Discus Fish Care, Breeding and Keeping Them Healthy

Click Here For More Info...
(and find out how to get 3 FREE gifts today!)

Keeping Discus fish happy and healthy

Keeping Discus fish happy and healthy is really not hard to achieve. It doesn't matter whether you're a beginner or a long-time hobbyist, you have to keep on discovering ways on how you can improve your fish's over all condition. The Discus fish is very social and they live in large groups in their native habitat and they have this advanced social behavior that make them one of the few real schooling cichlids. With that said, it is not advisable to keep just one Discus because it will not reach its full potential if we're talking about character. Yes fish have characters too!

With the advances we have nowadays and with new technology available to improve water quality, it's getting easier in keeping Discus fish no wonder they are very popular among hobbyists and breeders. Discus fish are happier in deep tanks and the more water the tank holds, the more stable the water condition is. Don't put the tank in noisy and busy areas because they tend to shy away. Avoid direct sunlight because this will cause algae growth and excess heat. What about the substrate? Use finer gravel so you can still decorate it with ornaments and silk plants. If you are using the tank for breeding purposes, it's better to leave the bottom bare because it's easier to clean. Since they come from the warm, soft, acidic waters of the Amazon River, it is important to mimic this kind of environment in your home aquarium.

For maintenance and breeding, the water's pH level should be consistent at 6.5 and temperature has to be around 86 degrees Fahrenheit. You have to change the water at least once a week but for breeding purposes, a minimal water change everyday will not hurt. Frequent water changes tend to have an effect in improving Discus fish's appetite and mating activity. In keeping the Discus fish healthy, the first thing that comes to mind is food. There's a wide variety of food out there and this includes flakes, brine shrimp, bloodworm, granular and freeze dried food. Discus fish should be fed with a variety of vitamin and protein rich diet.

Discus Fish Secrets - A Few Things You Should Know About Discus Fish

You can improve the look of your living area just by dressing up your aquarium with different types of fish. The discus is gorgeous, especially when compared to other types of fish. It is important to educate yourself as much as possible when it comes to taking care of the discus fish properly.

Back in the 1920's, the discus became a fish that people began to purchase a bit more often, and since then, they have become even more popular. There are three different types of the South American Cichlid, which is what the discus is.

One is called the common discus. The second is called the heckel discus. The third, the symphysodon tarzoo, which is a newer type of cichlid.

The discus has many typical physical features. They typically have anal fins which are the length of the tail, and a body shaped like a disc. Adults can grow to be ten inches tall. Their body can be covered in many different colors or patterns. There are some amazingly gorgeous discus that are a product of selective breeding.

The discus comes from the Amazon River. You can locate them in different places. Where the river becomes calm is one area. The water should be tepid or warm and very clean, as well as acidic. There are specific instructions when it comes to taking care of the discus fish.

They never travel in large schools of fish, and prefer to stick together in smaller groupings. Once they spend some significant time in your aquarium, they will begin to recognize you. Most fish don't do much for their babies, but this type of fish does.

Once you feel that you are fully educated on how to care for the discus fish, go out and purchase one for yourself. This is the fish that you are sure to love.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_K._Turner

Discus Fish Care - It's in the Water!

Discus fish are a beautiful species of fish which many people love to keep in aquariums because of their aesthetic quality. However, although these fish are quite beautiful they can also be somewhat difficult to take care of because they need very specific living conditions and diets. A lot of discus fish enthusiasts will tell you that beginners should not attempt to look after these species of fish because they are so temperamental, but as long as you do the necessary research and you know what the fish need to thrive and grow happily and healthily, there is no reason why you too cannot become a discus fish enthusiast; take a look at this helpful article to find out more about how you can keep these wonderful fish successfully.

Believe it or not, the secret to keeping discus fish happy and healthy is in the water! Most aquarium fish will need specific water conditions and discus are no different to any other water creature and in order to keep and also to breed your fish well if you desire, you must know all about the water conditions that they require when it comes to staying healthy and active. The first thing that you need to think about when it comes to the water conditions is the temperature. Discus fish require certain temperatures in order to survive and for the best conditions for your fish you should keep the temperature between the range of 28 and 31 degrees Celsius. Any higher or any lower and your fish are not going to survive for long, you should invest in a water thermometer so that you can keep a very close eye on the temperatures so that they do not exceed or drop below the required heats.

The next important factor when it comes to the condition of the water for your discus is the pH range. The pH for discus fish should be between 5.5 and 7 but the ideal level of pH for optimum discus fish care is 6. This is because if the level of pH in the water goes above 7 then it can cause your fish undue stress which can lead to health problems and even death. Always ensure that you keep the water at a constant pH level and avoid fluctuation as this can also affect your fish and their health.

The water hardness in your discus fish tank is also very important; although discuses are not overly fussy about the hardness of water it can affect their health if you do not keep the water hardness constant and level. Between 1dH and 8dH is quite soft and the water should be around this area, and you can also add a piece of wood into the tank which will also help to soften the water as well. Remember, if you do put anything like this in the water it should be thoroughly sterilized and should not have any sharp splinters or edges which can harm the thin fins and tails of the discus.

The author has created a quality review site that provides you with answers to the latest information on discus care. So please go to Fishy-Whisperer.com for more information of your favorite fish, and learn all that you can about discus care.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Hickmon

Discus Fish Books - A "Discus Fish Secrets" Review

If you are into tropical fish, you may have already heard about Discus Fish Secrets. It is currently the #1 ebook available for the keeping and breeding of discus fish. For those who love these fish, you probably have found that it's hard to find specific information from an experienced source. This book is a complete step-by-step guide to caring for, raising, and breeding discus fish, and is full of practical advice to help you to raise happy and healthy pets.

Discus Fish Secrets was written by tropical fish enthusiast, Rob Clark. Rob has kept and bred these animals for more than 10 years, and has substantial first hand knowledge of what works and what doesn't.

The book covers topics such as what size tank is best for discus, filtration methods and tricks for getting the cleanest possible water, and what types of fish are best for beginners. The manual also discusses what foods are best, how much they should be fed, and how often.

In case you are interested in breeding, you are covered there too. Rob discusses how to tell when your discus are ready to breed, gives several common mistakes to avoid when breeding, and even how to care and raise fry into strong adults.

In addition to the book, there is some bonus information included. You will learn how to artificially raise fry away from their parents so that the eggs aren't eaten by the adults. You will discover a unique method to setting up a discus hatchery that will save you a ton of electricity. And finally, if you live in hard water areas, Rob has an all natural way to reduce hardness.

If you are new to discus fish, or if you have tried breeding unsuccessfully in the past, Discus Fish Secrets is a great resource to have. It contains practical advice and information from an experienced expert who has organized everything for you in one place. Truly a must have for all aquarium keepers.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Grover

Discus Fish Care - Free Tips How to Keep Your Discus Fish Healthy

Discus fish care could be a boring task, however they are a selection of the most fantastic fish out there to keep and to see. One of the things you want to be certain to focus on is their habits and try to not mess with their natural habits. Discus fish, while quite entertaining and with great personalities will have a tendency to be shy till they get their confidence up.

The standard of water in your discus fish tank is of the greatest significance. They have to have pure, clean water and that needs some effort by you. You will want to do a partial water change one or more times a week if not 2 times a week. This implies that you should replace twenty-five to fifty percent of the water while being careful not to annoy the fish any more than you've got to.

With water being the most important thing that you've got to focus on when working with discus fish care, you will need to take into consideration the oxygen levels in the water and the temperature also. The temperature of the water actually has an impact on the oxygen levels of the water. You will need to make efforts to keep the water in your discus tank between 83 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Permitting your water temperature to rise above that may cut the amount of oxygen in the tank and cause stress or worse to your discus fish.

Another thing to bear in mind with reference to water is the pH level. Since the tap water that you are possibly putting into your tank has chlorine and other chemicals in it, you must add some chemicals to keep the pH level between 5.5 and seven, while the perfect pH being six. Should you get outside of this range, your discus fish can become stressed and develop sicknesses.

Discus fish have a tendency to not perform nicely in too crowded of an environment and will do miles better with lots of room to swim about. If you are going to put a substrate on the base of the tank, use rocks and ensure that they do not have heavy metals in the rocks that are not good for the discus fish.

If you are going to place some ornamentation in there, try and keep it simple with some plants for them to hide behind and perhaps a bit of driftwood as that is close to their environment. Plants in your tank are fine while they are natural, live plants. Avoid the plastic variety although they might have a prettier appearance and appear to be more low upkeep. The live plants will put oxygen into the water and make the discus more at ease in a natural environment.

Something else that you will have to think about with discus fish care is the use of nitrifying bacteria in the filter. These colonies of bacteria are important as they keep down the ammonia and nitrites in the water by eating the fish waste.
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Evelyn_Stone