Introduction

The Discus is one of the most beautiful ornamental fish available in the freshwater aquarium hobby. Discus originated in the Amazon, in small tributaries and streams branching off the main body of the river. Naturally, they are used to slow flowing and crystal clean water, along with an abundance of food and shelter, mangrove roots, aquatic plants and driftwood making up a large part of their habitat.
Most Discus available in aquarium stores are domesticated and tank bred fish, exhibiting a large variety of colours and patterns. These fish like their wild cousins are also very sensitive to water conditions and the way in which they are kept. In this blog, I aim to bring out the challenges in keeping Discus ( from my personal experience) as well as solutions to common problems that are faced by Discus keepers. I hope to help beginners who want to learn to keep this fish to learn how to do it properly as well as how to breed them ( for more experienced keepers).
One thing I must say is that Discus can be very expensive fish simply because a lot of effort goes into raising and caring for them. I do not recommend this fish for absolute beginners to the aquarium hobby because they require a lot of dedication and experience with keeping other fish ( as well as money). But if you feel like you are ready to learn how to keep these fish keep reading :)