Although Discus are one of the most highly prized freshwater aquarium fish to own, breeding Discus fish can be very difficult. This difficulty in breeding is the cause of the high prices you see when purchasing your Discus. While breeding them can be challenging, it is not impossible and with a few tips and some determination, you can be successful. The three factors that will determine your success are water quality and temperature, diet, and separation.
Water is the first factor you need to consider when breeding Discus fish. The water in your breeding tank needs to be high quality that is clean, soft, and acidic. The water in your Discus tank needs to be changed at least once every week. Regular water changes will make your fish more colorful, playful, and healthy for breeding. You need to maintain a level of 4dH for soft water and a pH of 6.5 for the proper acidity. The temperature is also an important factor and can be used to trigger the response in your Discus to breed. To do this, remove approximately 25% of the water in the tank and then replace it with water that is just a couple of degrees cooler but of the same quality. This change in temperature imitates their natural habitat and encourages the Discus to breed.
You can also use diet to increase your chances of success when breeding Discus fish. The best diet to feed your female Discus is one high in live black worms or Tubiflex. However, many Discus breeders don’t like to use live feed because it often carries diseases. An alternative is to buy frozen food like bloodworms, adult brine, shrimp, chopped up crabsticks, or prawn. Feed a diet rich in these foods to the female one week before you would like them to breed.
If you have selected a pair of Discus to breed and they aren’t interested, remove the male from the tank for several days. During this time of separation, feed the female their diet as previously discussed and then reintroduce the male into the tank. Often, separation will increase interest in the pair and they will begin their ritual of courtship and successfully breed during the next several days.
As you can see, breeding Discus fish can be somewhat complicated but by following these tips of proper water, diet, and separation, you can be successful. You will soon have a plenty of Discus for your personal pleasure or as a means to supplementing your income by becoming a Discus breeder.
