Blue Diamond Discus

The Blue Diamond Discus is a species of Discus popular because of its vibrant iridescent blue color. The brilliant blue from this strain is the result of wild caught specimens selectively bred based on favourable mutations in their color. The result is a solid blue species of Discus. The Blue Diamond discus are unique with thin oval shaped bodies and long decorated fins. The overall color of the Blue Discus will depend on the strain, mood and health of the fish. Dark, patchy, hiding or skittish fish should be avoided as they are the most likely to carry disease, worms or be experiencing a high level of stress.

In the wild the Blue Diamond Discus stretch from the Amazon to the Rio Negro Regions in South America. The Blue Diamond Discus is not a beginner fish. It needs sophisticated care including stable water conditions and low ammonia/nitrates. The Diamond Discus will become noticeably more protective during spawning and thus require a large aquarium where they can have their own space. Blue Discus are peaceful and will form families, especially with direct siblings. Blue Diamond Discus are best purchased in schools of the same size. Adding them to the aquarium at the same time will avoid conflict and allow them to develop their own territories.

Care Level: Moderate

Temperament: Peaceful

Maximum Size: 20cm

Minimum Tank Size: 200 litre

Water Conditions: 25 - 40 degrees Celcius, KH 1-3, pH 6.0-7.5

Diet: Omnivore

Origin: Amazon, South America

Family: Cichlidae

Species: Discus

Aquarium Type: Community

Discus aquariums should closely resemble their natural Amazonian habitat with plenty of plants and branching root. Water parameters should be very consistent with a pH near 6.8 to 7.2, temperature between 82° to 86° Fahrenheit with low to medium water currents. Discus can thrive in a wider range of water parameters as long as the changes are not sudden and the fish has adequate time to adjust to changing parameters. Blue Diamond Discus should not be housed with aggressive or boisterous fish species or in aquariums with intense lighting or strong water currents.

If strong aquarium lighting is used for plant growth, be sure that the density of the plant life is great enough to provide shaded areas for your Discus to retreat to when needed. Strong biological and mechanical filtration along with weekly partial water changes are required to keep water quality high and water parameters consistent.

When keeping Discus with live plants, it is best to keep the aquarium pH between 6.0 to 6.8 and a lower water hardness of 150 PPM or less. Lastly, be sure to maintain excellent water quality at all times as Discus do not leave a lot of room for error when it comes to water quality and consistency. Recommended tank mates include: most Tetra species, loaches, cory catfish, smaller Plecostomus species, Siamese Algae Eaters, Ottocinclus, Rams, peaceful Rasbora species, Rainbow fish, Hatchet fish and Pencilfish.
Nutrition

Discus should be fed a variety of nutritional meaty foods including: white worms, blood worms, Tubifex worms, high protein pellet and flake foods. Juvenile Discus should be fed at least three to five times per day, while adult specimens should be fed two to three times per day. Their overall diet should be higher in proteins and fats then the average tropical fish species.

As with most other fish species, they should be fed an amount of food that they will consume within 10 minutes, with leftover foods removed from the system by either a quality mechanical filter or manually if strong filtration is not present.