How long can discus fish live? A detailed explanation of their lifespan
Discus fish is the collective name for the yellow-brown discus, the discus, and Heckel's discus under the genus Symphysodon. Their body colors are rich and varied, including red discus with red as the main tone, brown discus with brown as the main tone, and blue discus with blue as the main tone. They have long enjoyed the reputation of “king of tropical fish”. Now let us take a look at how long discus fish can live!
How long can discus fish live?
The lifespan of discus fish can only be given as an approximate number of years. Few people raise discus until they die of old age. Generally it is 5 years, and with better care, 7 years. The growth lifespan of wild discus is about 5 to 6 years. When they are around 3 to 4 years old, they can be said to be in the glorious period of their lives, and at the same time they are at their most ornamental value. At this time their body size is about 25 to 30 cm, and the colors over their whole body are brilliant and eye-catching, making people gasp in admiration. By contrast, artificially improved discus varieties have a growth lifespan of only 2 to 3 years, and the aging process is very rapid.
Feed for raising discus fish
1. Hamburger: This is a homemade discus fish feed. Homemade hamburger differs from household to household, and each has its own recipe. Its ingredients mainly consist of beef heart, shrimp meat, fish meat, squid, chicken, etc., plus an appropriate amount of vegetables such as spinach, carrots, tomatoes, and some yeast tablets, spirulina powder, multivitamins, etc. After being stirred and chopped, it is placed in the refrigerator to freeze so that it can be taken out at any time to feed the fish.
2. Bloodworms: Discus fish like this kind of bait the most, but live bait carries the risk of causing disease. It is best to freeze it in a freezer before feeding, which is safer. However, note that bloodworms must not be frozen for too long. If the time is too long, the bloodworms will turn black due to oxidation, and sometimes they will also rot. Therefore, it is best to choose some high-quality bloodworms and freeze them. If feeding some live bloodworms, they must undergo sterilization treatment before use.
3. Thin earthworms: Thin earthworms are worms that grow in sludge. Discus like to eat this bait, but the nutritional value of this bait is very low, and it has a direct effect on the coloration of discus fish. It is recommended to use it in small amounts.
4. Color enhancers: Color enhancers have become a fixed part of discus feed. There is no need to criticize this unfair practice, because even wild discus in the Amazon River basin can find natural color enhancers. There are all kinds of color enhancers on the market. They have already been prepared into feed pellets or are used as pure raw materials, and can be mixed into feeds such as hamburger for feeding. This kind of color enhancer can be extracted from nature, such as spirulina, astaxanthin, etc.
How to raise discus fish?
1. Fry: For discus fish fry (0 to 5 cm), food intake is very important. They need to be fed once every 2 to 3 hours, and the feeding amount is based on the principle that they finish eating within 3 minutes. When feeding, do not give too much at first. If it is not enough, you can add some more. Do not feed them until they are completely full. The bait includes frozen brine shrimp or microworms. At this stage the fry are fed many times, so water quality must be handled well. The water can be changed 2 times a day, with each water change above 50%, and the water temperature controlled at 28 to 30°C.
2. Juveniles: The main food of juvenile discus fish (4 to 12 cm) is artificial hamburger, supplemented by brine shrimp and bloodworms. The number of feedings per day can be reduced to 3. Because the colors on the bodies of juvenile fish gradually expand, they need to be given a relatively large space. For water changes, changing 1/2 or 1/3 each day is sufficient.
4. Adults: The colors on the bodies of discus fish will only formally show when they reach the adult stage at more than 12 cm. At this time discus fish begin to pair up, their body colors become more brilliant, the outline of the black markings on the upper and lower fins deepens, and there is a phenomenon of occupying territory. Adults are fed 2 times a day, mainly with artificial hamburger. For water changes, changing 1/3 each day is sufficient.
5. Breeding fish: Since they are called “breeding fish”, it means these fish have begun to reproduce. One thing that must be kept firmly in mind is that parent fish caring for fry consumes a great deal of energy, so a small amount of bloodworms or hamburger should be fed to replenish energy and reduce pollution.