You need to remember that discus fish are temperamental creatures that need special care. They are very sensitive when it comes to water quality as well as food quality. Water chemistry is one of the most important factors that you need to understand when you plan on raising discus fish. With proper water chemistry, you can be sure that you will be able to keep your discus fish healthy as well as happy.
As a discus fish owner, you need to understand that you should test the water prior to every water change. This is to ensure that the water chemistry is correct for your discus fish to thrive or live in.
You need to remember that sudden change in water chemistry can eventually lead to high stress levels for discus fish. And, if your discus fish is constantly experiencing stress, they will be more likely to get diseases and even die.
Tap water is full of chemicals which can be very harmful to discus fish. It may be helpful for your healthy but the chemicals can be very damaging to your discus fish. This is why it is important that you monitor the water’s chemistry every time you change the water in your discus fish aquarium.
In most parts of the country, chlorine and chloramines are added to water supplies. And, as you can imagine, chlorine is a chemical that is not good for discus fish. Today, there are available test kits that you can use to test the water if these chemicals are present in the water and also how much of it is present in the water.
Water conditioning is the process of removing these chemicals from the water. This part is essential in order for you to properly care for your discus fish.
You also have to keep in mind that the hardness and acidity of water is also important. You need to be able to mimic the waters of the Amazon River in order for you to properly care for your discus fish. This means that the water should have an acidity level of pH 6 and it should also be soft water.
These are the things that you need to remember when you are planning to keep discus fish as pets. Always keep in mind that water chemistry is always important when you consider taking care of these types of fishes. They are very sensitive to water chemistry and you have to be able to make sure that you provide them with the proper water chemistry in order for them to live comfortably in your aquarium.
By keeping these tips in mind and by applying them, you will be able to enjoy taking care of discus fish for a very long time. In fact, if you do it correctly, you can even get your discus fish to start breeding.
