To all Discus Collectors..We have just released a strictly limited stock of 12cm Wild Brown Discus (Symphysodon aequifasciata axelrodi 1960) which have been caught from the waters of the Rio Negro/Rio Madeira Rivers in Brazil South America.  They are on sale at a special price of $250 each.

The predominant colour on their body is brown with some longitudinal blue striations on the face and cheeks.  The dorsal and anal fins are enclosed with a black band and adorned with some blue lines. They also have nine vertical bars. The eyes are gold to red.

About Wild Discus

Wild Discus, such as these exotic Brown Discus are indigenous to the tea-coloured streams and tributaries of the Rio Negro /Rio Madeira.

In the wild, Discus live among submerged tree roots and branches  close to shore. The Discus uses these underwater features for cover against prey. Nature has evolved the wild discus with black horizontal stripes which act as camouflage and aid the fish to blend in with its environment. 

Conditioning Wild Discus

When it comes to wild Discus, one needs to take into consideration the characteristics of the natural environment they are coming from to obtain better results with their adjustment to the tank.  Discus come from very soft, acidic and, sometimes, black water.  For example, if one were to acquire Heckels (symphysodon discus), besides the general water conditions and temperature, these discus will require more acidic water (5.5 pH). 

If you were to acquire brown, green or blue discus (symphysodon aequifasciata) then a 6 to 6.5 pH would be fine.  Other elements such as light and quality of water play an important role in the wellbeing of wild Discus.

Light

Light is a very important factor in conditioning wilds because Discus come from tea color dark waters and almost no light.  In our opinion, the light should be somewhat indirect.  Avoid putting high intensity light (white "day light" fluorescents) because this will result in imposing stress on the fish and impairing their adaptation to their new environment.   High intensity light causes the wild discus to show a skittish and frighten behavior and they will stay in the corner of a tank trying to hide from the light.

The Wild Discus Aquascape

To mimic the natural habitat that these beautiful fish live in, you can add some large pieces of driftwood  and plants such as the Amazon Swords, Java Ferns, Anubias and Tiger Lotus. Attach some mosse such as Java Moss or Christmas Moss to the driftwood to enhance your display. 

In terms of substrate, you can either use aquarium gravel, river sand (as pictured above) or AQUA SOIL.

About UP-Aqua AQUA SOIL®

The advantages of AQUA SOIL® such as the  (sold at our store) is that aquarium plants thrive when grown in this soil. All the necessary nutrients such as Iron and Phosphorus which are vital to healthy plant growth have been pre-combined with the soil.

AQUA SOIL clears aquarium water and provides good water conditions for the healthy growth of aquatic plants. Its colloid particles capture dirt floating in the water and without any chemical treatment it decreases the hardness of the water and lowers the pH level to a degree at which most aquatic plants can grow confortably. AQUA SOIL is composed of granules of the size and density ideal for fast development of healthy plants root systems.

Feeding

Until your Discus adapts to their new tank, we recommend to feed them frozen Beeheart mixture and Bloodworms. After a few weeks you can introduce other food such as frozen Brine Shrimp and dry Discus food.

Water Temperature

It is recommended to keep a water temperature of between 30 and 32°C for at least a week, until your Discus adapts to its new environment. After this time, the temperature can be adjusted to 28 to 30°C.