Welcome back I hope you’re well if you haven’t caught up on my introduction post I recommend you do before diving into this new article.
Why discus? Since starting this amazing hobby a question I get asked a lot online and even in my local fish shop is….. Why did I stock my tank with discus? I always answered with a simple I love the colours, I now want to go a little more in depth about why I did choose these amazing species and how you can get started yourself.
(My Discus Aquarium)
I must admit the first time I saw discus in a local shop where I used to live I was amazed by their colours and how soothing they were to watch in a big aquarium. The amounts of strains you can get as well is something I love you won’t ever get bored and no matter how long you have kept discus you will learn something new about the species. I came into keeping discus with no experience in fish keeping and got told many times don’t keep discus they’re too difficult for a new hobbyist, I was sick of that and I knew if I didn’t rush and did some research I would be fine in setting up my tank and stocking my dream fish.
When someone tells you that being new to the hobby means you can’t keep fish that take extra care and knowledge I believe to be utter rubbish. I’m someone that when I have my head and heart into something I will research and ask as many questions as needed till I know I’m 100% ready to keep them and that’s just what I did. I waited months before buying the tank and starting a cycle all because I wanted to be ready and prepared to stock with discus, saving the money also was a reason, they’re not cheap. Discus gets a lot of talk about them being difficult and time-consuming to keep, I can relate partly to that but I believe with any species if you don’t research and you start with no idea any species becomes difficult to keep. I can imagine a lot of people just want to get the tank set up and stocked with fish, I get that but patience is key. I would say to anyone who was looking to stock discus just research, research and do more research in the following.
- Tank size (Litres per Discus)
- A supplier that you can buy from that suits your location and wallet (Very Important)
- What to look for in a healthy discus.
- Water changes!! (Very Important)
- Diet needs for your discus
- The temperature for your aquarium
- Tank mates
- How to quarantine (IMPORTANT)
These points are a few main ones to get your head around and you will be on the road to buying your first batch of fish, keeping them safe and healthy. Discus are very expensive fish so you don’t want to buy them and lose them from silly mistakes that could have been prevented. Ask questions on forums, social media platforms they’re so many outlets to get information from there is no excuse. If you know the supplier you will be using a phone call explaining you’re new would be a cracking way to learn and get started. The supplier should give you all the information you need and get you going so you can buy his fish.
If discus is something you want to get into please don’t be scared to get in contact with myself and I will help any way possible to get you going, I’m no expert but have had great success keeping them so far. I would heavily recommend having a good budget for your aquarium and stock before you go out shopping, it really isn’t cheap to get started but the feeling of having an aquarium full of discus in your living room is well worth it. I hate when people say money shouldn’t be an issue when choosing your stocking you should get the fish you love but for everyone spending, big bucks on fish cannot possible. I would personally always recommend a private seller who specialises in discus rather than a local fish shop, I’m not saying all local fish shops are poor with discus but in my experience, you will have more success and better-looking fish if you do.
Hope this quick guide has helped you think a little more about this incredible species and just don’t panic in hearing on the difficulties of care these need, knowledge means healthy discus, simple. I will be doing a real in-depth break down of my tank along with water changes and my quarantine routine to make sure adding new fish is safe for your aquarium.
Thank you for reading I’m now on Instagram as well with daily videos and photos of what’s going on with my tanks. Please hit the follow button, means a lot.
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/thefishroomguy/?hl=en
The Fish Room 