Whenever we intend keeping discus fish, the main problems we face arise in breeding and those of poor water conditions. Discus fish care is not all about the fish alone; it is about maintaining the proper water level.
In discus fish care, testing of the water before adding it to the aquarium or tank is important because discus is easily prone to stress. You need to test your water every week, ensuring that you change the water, as the tap water you may use is full of chemicals and alright for humans, but is certainly not the best for your fish. The public water contains chloramines or chlorine that are damaging to the fish. The presence of these chemicals can be tested with the help of a tester that is available at the aquarium shops.
Discus fish care requires proper conditioning of your tank water. With the help of water conditioning step the water hardness can be adjusted as hard water is not correct for the fish. You would need to keep the pH level between 5.5 and 7, with the ideal being 6. In case the pH level goes more than 7, the fish tend to get stressed.
A part of discus fish care is also the maintenance of proper water temperature. The ideal temperature is between 83 and 86 degrees F, where the water should be changed weekly. Small level of water changes should be done every second day as it increases their appetite and helps them in mating. The discus tends to spawn soon after a water change!
As the discus fish come from the calm waters of the river Amazon, they prosper with proper discus fish care and when the above conditions are replicated in the aquarium at home. In general, discus fish care is not a tough task as long as you give them fresh clean water and food. So, go ahead and learn all you should about the proper water chemistry levels and make up your own aquarium.
