A Reference Guide for Symphysodon Aequifasciatus (Discus)


This is general information on Discus, a member of the family Cichlidae. Although certainly not a complete reference guide, it will give those interested some background information on this exotic fish...

Symphysodon aequifasciatus (Discus)
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes
)Order: Perciformes (perch-like fish)
Family: Cichlidae
Scientific Name: Symphysodon aequifasciatus

Other Scientific Name(s): Symphysodon aequifasciata, Symphysodon discus aequifasciata, Symphysodon aequifasciatus aequifasciatus, Symphysodon discus tarzoo, Symphysodon aequifasciata axelrodi, Symphysodon aequifasciata haraldi

Common Name: Discus

Range: South America: Brazil, Peru. Found on Amazon and Solimoes rivers of Brazil, from the lower Rio Putumayo-Ica and from Benjamin Constant to Belém. Has been introduced to the Rio Nanay in Peru.


"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"
Diet: Carnivorous. Frozen foods preferred, but will accept flake foods. Particularly like red bloodworms, but feeding "live" food is not recommended. Red worms, etc, should only be fed to discus once every other day. Beware of parasites or bacteria in the discus tank from live foods!

Temperament: Timid of strangers. Easily frightened, unless placed in a high traffic area. Can be very friendly to aquarist, oft-times eating out of the hand. If given a place to hide, they will tend to do so.

Sexing: Discus are hard to sex unless breeding. Normally, the male will be larger, and will present with longer fin extensions and a wider forehead.

Breeding: Buy either proven pairs or a group of young fish and allow them to pair themselves. The eggs are laid on a breeding cone. A clay flowerpot turned upside down works well. The fry must be kept with the parents after hatch, as they "feed" off the body slime of the parents. Special care must be taken to insure that fry do not injure the parents when getting larger. Watch for marks on the body of the pair, and if it begins to occur, the fry are ready to be moved to a community tank on their own. If left w/ the pair, serious injury can result.

Special Care: If kept specifically for breeding, a bare-bottomed tank is highly recommended.

Other Comments: To keep Discus well, water conditions are absolutely crucial. A PH of 6.3 to 6.9 is the optimal level for keeping discus.Water Temperature: Discus like it warm. They come from the Amazon basin, so water temps for these fish should be 80-84 degrees F, although some aquarists set the temperature as high as 90 degrees F.

================================================================

Alden Smith is a published author, and has been marketing on the internet for 7 years. His website, King Discus, is an active gathering place for discus breeders and lovers of discus fish.His wife Betsy is the administrator of All The Best Recipes a site rich in online recipes and cookbooks.


MORE RESOURCES:

Better Business Bureau

FDA looking into complaints about deadly dog bone
KMOX.com
We are saddened to learn of the illnesses and deaths of any of our customers' pets. “Dynamic Pet Products has been producing bones for pets since 2001, ...
Dog owners: Frick's Dynamic Pet Products ham bones hurt, killed petsBizjournals.com
BBB warns: Locally made dog bones can cause death, serious illnessSt. Louis Globe-Democrat
FDA looking into complaints about Mo. dog treatKOAM-TV

all 13 news articles »


My pet camera: Fujifilm releases special camera for dog and cat lovers
Los Angeles Times
Pet lovers know what I'm talking about when I say it's really difficult to take a picture of your pets and accurately capture just how darnn cute they are. ...



Seattle Post Intelligencer (blog)

Help available for owners struggling to afford food for pets
Tampa Tribune
Gonzalez is just one of many people who because of their financial situation are now being forced to put their pride aside to make sure their pets don't go ...
Casper's Kitchen helps feed hungry petsMyFox Tampa Bay
Pet of the Week: TessieWSET
PET OHANA Some birds make better pets than othersHonolulu Star-Bulletin
San Antonio Express -Go Blue Ridge (blog) -Seattle Post Intelligencer (blog)
all 9 news articles »


USA Today

Pet food advice: 'Chow Hound' is a guide for loving owners
USA Today
In his new book Chow Hound (Health Communications, Inc., $14.95), veterinarian Ernie Ward looks at the processed foods we give our pets. ...



BBC News

In pictures: Blue Peter pets
BBC News
Pets have always been a big part of the show. In 1969, Barney the Parrot (right) was part of the team, alongside Jason the cat and dogs Petra and Patch. ...
Mabel retires from Blue PeterDream Dogs (blog)
Blue Peter dog Mabel retires from showBBC News

all 14 news articles »


USA Today

No hungry dogs: New pantry to help people afford pets
USA Today
The Associated Press reports dozens of pet owners lined up over the weekend at the Cincinnati Food Pantry to receive a two weeks' supply of pet food, ...
Grants for Teachers Who Have or Would Like to Have Small Pets in Their ClassroomsI-Newswire.com (press release)
Pantry helps pet ownersMansfield News Journal

all 21 news articles »


HSUS News

Eldon veterinarians open pet food pantry
KRCG
Doctors Kathy Bisges and Joann Kunz at Lake Pet Hospital are on a mission to help pets in Eldon and the surrounding communities. "We pretty much maxed out ...
Meet Our 2010 KIND Kid of the Year!HSUS News

all 4 news articles »


KOMO News

Manufacturer expands pet food recall
The Associated Press
Nature's Variety has expanded its recall of chicken-flavored pet food because of concerns over salmonella. The Lincoln, Neb.-based company said Monday that ...
Some Nature's Variety pet foods recalledUPI.com
Nature's Variety Expands Nationwide Voluntary Recall to Include All Raw Frozen ...PR Newswire (press release)
Nature's Variety Recall ExpandedAbout - News & Issues (blog)
Seattle Post Intelligencer (blog) -Consumer Affairs
all 301 news articles »


MyFoxOrlando.com

Miniature Goats Becoming Popular Pets
MyFoxOrlando.com
Miniature goats are becoming popular pets across the United States. USA Today reports that miniature goats are becoming more popular as residents attempt to ...

and more »


Pet Owners Face Danger From Above
FOXNews (blog)
Most pet owners take steps to protect their animals. In Santa Rosa, California, Odessa Gunn worried a car or coyote might one day claim the lives of her ...

and more »

Google News




PetsFriends.com - the best dating site for singles who are pet lovers!

home | site map
© 2006