As the name, the discus fish has a disc shape, which can have liveries of different iridescent colors. It is a fish native to the vast area of the Amazon River basin in South America, which has become a sight to be admired in aquariums worldwide.
The discus fish belongs to the family of Cichlids ( Cichlidae ). With its flat and circular shape, it represents an exception within its category. The scales come in different iridescent colors, often in yellow, blue, and red neon variations. Under his long forehead, we find a flattened mouth with often protruding lips. The back and belly are adorned with fins of a color that often contrasts with that of the rest of the body. The caudal fin is smaller and thinner than the others.
Wild-caught discus fish feel perfectly at home in water with characteristics similar to that of the Amazon River, its native environment.
The water hardness is very low (total hardness GH 0-3, carbonate hardness KH 0-3, with a very low pH value, 4-6), and the conductivity is also minimal (100-400 μs).
Brown Discus
Brown Discus (Symphysodon aequifasciatus Axelrodi): One of the most typical types, the Brown Discus, while tougher than most other Discus, is normally dull in color, generally with faded stripes and also irregular color on its fins
Heckel Discus
Heckel Discus: The original Discus, named for its discoverer Johan Heckel. The Heckel Discus are found in the Rio Negro. These vivacious discus fish are typically more demanding to keep in an aquarium due to being used to black water with an acidity of about pH 4.0. The Heckel Discus has amber-colored eyes and a heavier vertical central stripe very rarely found in the wild with red-eye coloration.
Appearing with a dark stripe down the middle of its side, the fish comes in both red and blue varieties. The Heckel Discus, also known as the Pompadour Fish, was the 1st discus discovered. The red-colored type, ‘Red Discus or Red Heckel’, is known as one among one of the beauties of naturally occurring discus. Heckel Discus simply identified from other discus species by 3 bold vertical bars; one running from the eye, one through the caudal fin, and the most prominent one running down the center of the body.
Green Discus
Green Discus (Symphysodon Aequifasciatus): The Green Discus looks in several colors, starting from bright, vivid green to a lighter, more yellowish color. Their sides are dotted with bright red spots and also dark stripes. Wild Discus caught in the Rio Tefe is green in color they can be found in the wild with an almost solid-colored green on the posterior half of the body.
Red-Spotted Green Discus
