Discus

(Symphysodon Aequifasciata)

The discus is one of the more popular cichlids now and in recent years, many colour varients have become avalible to hobbyists. As mentioned before, there are many colour varients but four basic forms are naturally found in the wild - a brown form, a blue form, a green form and a red form. The form pictured is a manmade form and is known as a red snakeskin discus. They are disc shaped - hence the name. They should be kept in planted aquariums with plenty of swimming space. The water must not contain nitrite of too much nitrate as these valuable fish are easily hit by various diseases. They show lots of parental care and the young will feed off a special sort of mucus present on their parents body's during their first days of life.

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  Max Size: 18cm Temperature: 24-29ºc Ease of Keeping: Difficult Temperament: Peaceful Compatibility: Moderate Plant Friendly: Yes