The Discus is a large freshwater cichlid, native to the Amazon River in South America. They were first discovered/described by Dr. J. J. Heckel, an Austrian zoologist, in 1840.
His name is today used to describe the "original" Discus variant. They are increasingly difficult to come by, since most Discus Fish available today has been bred in captivity, but occasionally you'll find some imported Heckel Discus in the pet shops.
Originally the Discus had three colour variations: Green, Brown and Blue. However, with the Discus becoming more popular among fish keepers, and a lot of money going into research and development of different strains of Discus Aquarium Fish, the list of colour and pattern variants is nearly endless.
The Discus Fish is by nature a social, yet shy being. In their native habitat they live in large groups with advanced social behavoirs. This is important to keep in mind when considering setting up a Discus Fish Tank. Never buy one or two Discus Fish - they need a group of at least 4 - to develop their character to its best through social interaction.
Keeping Discus Fish has traditionally been considered to be difficult. The Discus Fish can be finicky, susceptible to disease and easily stressed if they are not kept under optimal conditions. It is getting easier, though, to keep Discus Fish. This is due to most of them being bred in captivity, and new technology being made available to help maintain optimal water conditions.
Due to the increase in popularity, and a following rise in demand, Discus Fish are now widely available even in smaller aquatic shops, so you don't have to go to specialist stores anymore.
The Discus has been referred to as "The King Of The Aquarium", and though keeping and breeding them is certainly still a challenge for the inexperienced, the later can be very rewarding indeed.
Most Discus Fish Keepers will at some stage want to breed them. There's no doubt that doing so is a great experience - and with a bit of luck - it will even pay for the hobby.
Find more advice, tips and valuable resources on how to keep Discus Fish at Squidoo.com
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