Albino Tiger Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus).Huma Huma Trigger (Rhinecanthus aculeatus).Shovelnose Guitarfish (Rhinobatos productus).Golden Weather Loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus).Spotted Coral Croucher (Caracanthus maculatus).Through selective breeding, today's aquarium hobbyists can choose from a wide variety of brightly colored and varied patterned Discus now available within the hobby. The 1980s and 1990s saw an explosion in new Discus mutations with the development of the Ghost, Snake Skin, Pigeon Blood, Blue Diamond, Snow White and Albino Discus variations. They selectively bred specimens for their blue striations that eventually produced Turquoise and Cobalt Discus, while other breeders intensified the natural red striations that later produced Red Turquoise Discus and Red Turquoise Discus. Discus were not successfully spawned until the late fifties with Jack Wattley in America and Eduard Schmidt-Focke in Germany doing the pioneering work.ĭuring the 1970s breeders began to concentrate on producing more colorful Discus with a broader range of colors and patterns. We now know this is not possible with Discus because fry consume the mucus excreted from the sides of the parents. Early hobbyists removed the eggs, attempted to hatch them in a separate tank and grow the fry on. Recommended tank mates include: most Tetra species, loaches, cory catfish, smaller Plecostomus species, Siamese Algae Eaters, Ottocinclus, Rams, peaceful Rasbora species, Rainbow fish, Hatchet fish and Pencilfish.īeing closely related to the freshwater Amazonian Angelfish, it was assumed that Discus breeding requirements would be the same. Lastly, be sure to maintain excellent water quality at all times as Discus do not leave a lot of room for error when it comes to water quality and consistency. When keeping Discus with live plants, it is best to keep the aquarium pH between 6.0 to 6.8 and a lower water hardness of 150 PPM or less. Strong biological and mechanical filtration along with weekly partial water changes are required to keep water quality high and water parameters consistent. If strong aquarium lighting is used for plant growth, be sure that the density of the plant life is great enough to provide shaded areas for the Red Turquoise Discus to retreat to when needed.
Red Turquoise Discus should not be housed with aggressive or boisterous fish species or in aquariums with intense lighting or strong water currents.
Discus can thrive in a wider range of water parameters as long as the changes are not sudden and the fish has adequate time to adjust to changing parameters. Water parameters should be very consistent with a pH near 6.8 to 7.2, temperature between 82° to 86° Fahrenheit with low to medium water currents. Red Turquoise Discus aquariums should closely resemble their natural Amazonian habitat with plenty of plants and branching root. It is also very important to maintain very consistent water parameters that have very little pH, temperature and dissolved mineral fluctuations. When keeping Red Turquoise Discus in the home aquarium, it is extremely important to replicate their natural surroundings and water parameters as closely as possible. The water also maintains very stable and consistent water parameters year round, including water temperatures that range between 80 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit both during the day and night. The water is very low in mineral content, which makes it "soft" water with a low pH ranging from 4.0 to 7.0. In the wild, Red Turquoise Discus are found living in the upper tributaries of the Rio Negro and Rio Madiera along with the surrounding lakes and flood plains. Discus are very popular among intermediate to advanced fish keepers, and are widely considered to be one of the most rewarding and challenging to keep of the freshwater tropical community fish species available within the hobby. Over the years breeders have not only raised enough tank-bred specimens to largely fulfill the demand from the aquarium hobby, but have developed completely new color strains and patterns as well. Due to their popularity and the high price tag that they command, Discus are very popular with fish breeders. Ever since their introduction into the hobby to this day, Discus are considered one of the most colorful, demanding, rewarding and expensive of all tropical freshwater aquarium fish species. Red Turquoise Discus originate from the Amazon River Systems of South America, where they were first imported into the aquarium hobby in the early 1930s.
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