Choosing the correct Discus
If you are to be happy with your Discus, hopefully, for a long time, then it is important to choose the fish ‘that takes your eye', but just choosing a fish with nice colours is not everything. There are more important issues to address than merely a pretty Discus.
Unless you buy a wild Discus that comes from the rivers of The Amazon in Brazil, you will be getting home bred Discus perhaps from a hobbyist or farm bred Discus that are produced on a massive scale mostly in places like Thailand, Singapore or Malaysia. Regardless of where you make the purchase, in a shop, garden centre or someone's converted garage/shed, you must bare a few things in mind before you part with your hard earned cash. The Discus first of all show good movement, be inquisitive and look happy. Try slowly putting your hand above the water line to see if they think food is coming, if they look up and rise to the surface this is a positive sign, it means they are probably healthy and looking for food. Ask the owner what the water parameters are, ideally it should soft and slightly acid (The water parameters will be addressed in a following article).
Always look for a round belly and not sunken. Make sure they are not dark with fins drawn inwards and hiding in the corners, as this could be a sign of illness. Look for good roundness of body and I always like Discus with bright red eyes. Make sure the eyes are not cloudy. A word on ‘Stress Bars', that is the black vertical lines that are on most Discus. These will be most distinguished on wild Discus, it help camouflage themselves among the roots and Mangroves in their natural habitat. These are purely natural, and can become vivid when threatened or frightened.
So you have your ideal Discus that you have paid for, and you want to get it into your tank as soon as possible. The correct way is to float the back on the surface of its new home no longer than 5 minutes MAX. Do not net the fish; tip the bag so the Discus gently swims out into your aquarium. This will prevent Ph burn.
Article by Bristol Discus
