Discus fish aquaculture is a fairly huge industry in a number of Asian countries.

Their name is derived from their shape – they have a quite rounded body without any large fins protruding, and their body is quite flat giving them the appearance of a discus.

The fish can be patterned in a wide range of colours with the most common being shades of red, blue, green and brown.

They row to an average length of about 2–25cm, and the average height is virtually the same.

Each of the three discus fish species come from a different region of the Amazon. The first, S. aequifasciatus, is found in the Western section of the Amazon where Brazil, Peru and Colombia come together.

The second, S. tarzoo, is concentrated mainly near Manaus in Western Brazil.

And the third, S Discus, is generally located in the area around the lower part of the rivers Negro, Abacaxis and Trombetas in Brazil.

Keeping Discus Fish As Pets

The relative small size and the colourful appearance of the discus fish make them an ideal candidate for inclusion in your aquarium.

So what do you need to know to successfully keep discus fish as pets.

In many ways they are like any other fish and if you are an experienced keeper of aquatic fish then you shouldn’t have any problems.

Discus fish tend to have a reputation as being hard to keep alive, but I think this has more to do with their value rather than their being more difficult to handle. This Amazonian fish tends to have a price range slightly higher than your average fish, so their loss is felt a little harder than it would be with some other breeds.

Breeding Discus Fish

If you are looking to get into the breeding of these fish, make sure you get into it for the right reason – a love of the fish rather than a scheme to make money.

While it is true that you can place a higher price tag on discus fish than other breeds, this hobby is littered with stories of people who were going to make it big breeding discus, only to flush money down the gurgler without seeing any returns.

Be prepared for some hefty upfront costs – quality breeders don’t come cheap, espeically if you are looking to produce good quality fish.

If you are prepared to wear these costs, make sure you learn as much as you can about the breed and what you need to do to make yourself as successful as possible in your new endeavour.

It is always a good idea to start off small and if all goes well, reinvest some money from sales back into expanding your program.