Let us import your discus for you. We are the sole agents in South Africa for Lucky Tropical who export 60% of the world's A grade discus. Malaysia is now considered to be the discus capital of the world. Of the 240 discus received to date, only 3 fish have arrived DOA. Also, all spotted variety of discus are innoculated against the so called discus plague. In fact our supplier suggests that there is no longer a need to quarantine fish that have received this innoculation. In fact, as can be seen from our photo gallery, our last shipment of discus started swimming in the boxes as soon as they were released from their individual bags to acclimatise them. We retailed 2.5" red melons for R265.00. Compare this to another local importer's price. On top of this, anyone paying upfront for his fish will receive a 25% discount and anyone ordering box lots (30 five centimetre fish, 22 8-9cm fish, 14 12-13cm fish), a price of cost + can be negotiated.

We do not import B grade fish and the quality of fish that we import has already been proven.

Click to enlarge

Anyone wishing to grow their discus to large sizes should avoid importing 2" discus as these are normally stunted fish which are not commercially viable to grow out. All our fish are non- hormoned fish. We do however allow fish fed with Astaxanthin (a natural red algae) to be supplied. In fact all our own raised discus are fed astaxanthin. Our oxheart mixtures contain TetraBits, Tetra Cholrophyl, astaxanthin, daphnia and garlic.

If you want to bring in that special discus, we strongly advise you to speak to the people with the know how and experience and the knowledge to guide you through the traumas of purchasing an expensive fish as all our regular customers will tell you.

A super Eruption surrounded by white butterflies. In the backgound is a Red Melon - click to enlarge

Discus in show tank now ready for sale

General Articles:

• Are discus really that difficult to keep?
• Discus varieties available overseas
• New arrivals

Articles by FFW customers:

• Breeding discus by Tony Koen

Breeding Discus

by Tony Koen

I have been keeping an aquarium for just on three months now having never kept one before and without any prior knowledge of tropical fish keeping. I was immediately fascinated by discus with their vast colourations and sheer beauty, but was told by pet shop owners to steer away from them as they were for advanced aquarists with advanced knowledge of water conditions, the nitrogen cycle, PH, KH, GH and all the other fancy terms aquarists like to throw around. I would just like to say from the onset this is not true and just following basic guidelines one can keep and spawn discus with relatively no experience as advocated by some aquarists.

Seeing it as a challenge as well wanting to own and breed discus, I started doing some research on discus and reading books like Dick Au's "Back to nature Guide to Discus" and visiting web sites like "simplydiscus.com". I must stress that one researches and reads a little about the intended fish to be kept or aquaristics in general as too many people just buy fish because they look pretty and turn out to be fin nippers, bullies, territorial fish, piscivores (fish eaters) or they're just kept in the wrong water conditions or stress to death because they're a schooling fish and are being kept on their own. While we're on this subject, don't be scared to ask questions about fish, I promise you, swallow your pride and you'll enjoy the hobby more and have a fatter wallet and not a tank of dead fish or have all your prize guppies disappear because you have a cute and cuddly "oscar" sold to you by some store owner out to make a quick buck that has become a 40cm monster and has turned it's tank mates into dinner. Find a reputable pet store with knowledgeable staff and try and speak to the owner, manager or someone with knowledge about fish keeping. Don't speak to the pimply faced teenager that works on the weekend and who will sell you a piranha for your community tank just to make a sale. Things to look out for in a good pet store are fish placed in quarantine tanks before being sold. Décor placed in the holding tanks so that the fish can hide while they get used to their new surroundings. This just makes there stay in the store more comfortable before being sold.

I bought five discus because discus are schooling fish and put them in my community tank, yes they can be kept in a community tank without any problems providing they have peaceful and non territorial tank mates. The fish will probably stress and darken in colour and go into hiding behind a plant or rock. This is nothing to be too concerned about as a little live food should get them feeding and a little more relaxed. Turn the lights of the aquarium down to help them settle and try not to point and wave your hands too much in front of the tank as this will stress the fish out. Discus are generally not very aggressive feeders so I feed a combination of floating and fast sinking food so that the discus will have time to eat properly and get their share of the sinking food while the other more aggressive fish are distracted by the floating food. After about two or three weeks they should settle down nicely and start feeding properly. Discus like temperatures between 28 and 31 degrees Celsius so make sure their tank mates like similar temperatures. The pH is not that important in the community scenario providing it's not too acid or alkaline and a neutral pH of seven will keep them very happy. pH will become more important when trying to breed them as they like acidic water of around 6 to 6.5. The fish will thrive in the tank providing that weekly water changes of 50 percent or more is done and the three N's( Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates) are kept in check.

It is wise to buy at least six juveniles as this almost guarantees a breeding pair. I, contrary to my own advice bought five fish and after a while I noticed two discus pairing off and almost separating themselves from the other fish. This of course does not guarantee they are male and female. One should have a breeding tank of about 100 litre at a temperature of 31 degrees Celsius and a p.H of between 6 and 6.5 with some drift wood, a plant for them to hide behind (keep the plants in their pots so that they can easily be removed when trying to remove the babies) while they acclimatise and de-stress as well as a breeding receptacle which can be a hardy flat leafed plant, a piece of pvc tubing fastened to something solid to keep it upright or an upturned plant pot well scrubbed. Make sure the pot is terracotta and has no harmful chemicals or asbestos. A small light of about 30 watts is more than enough as discus don't like very bright light. One can mature a sponge filter in the community tank while getting the breeding tank ready. This will speed up the maturation of the beneficial bacteria. One must only use a sponge filter driven by an air pump in the discus tank which also provides added aeration and that is the only filter utilised when the fry hatch as other filters like box filters and hang on filters may suck in the fry and kill them. This is plenty filtration as you are only keeping two fish and not creating too mush bio-waste. One must have another sponge filter maturing for use in the small fry tank after the fry get big enough to be on their own. The filtration must be very gentle and not cause too much turbulence as this will stress the fish and possibly blow the sperm away from the eggs during fertilisation.

For the water changes one needs a separate container which will hold at least half the tanks volume in water with a heater set to the same temperature as the tank water and an air stone to aerate the water and remove the chlorine from the water. It is here and getting the tank water to a p.H of 6.5 that an electronic p.H metre is imperative. They retail for about three hundred rand which is the price of 75 dip tests and infinitely more accurate. I think pet stores don't like keeping them because they quickly pay for themselves and stores prefer people buying more dip tests which are more expensive in the long run. Jo'burg water comes out at a p.H of about 8.2 and to drop the p.H one needs a few ten millilitre syringes without the needles because the metal will corrode and good old pool acid or hydrochloric acid which retails at around 22 rand for five litres and will last a lifetime opposed to all the p.H "downs" sold at pet stores for about 70 rand for a piddly little container. Add about three millilitres of acid to the water in the container, stir the water around and test the water with the meter. One should try and get the water to about 5.5 and if it is higher add a little more acid till one gets the water to 5.5. Leave the water overnight and test the p.H again the next day. Depending on how much buffering there is in the water the p.H will increase slightly or dramatically and you will need to add more acid one drop at a time to drop p.H again to 6.5. Leave the water for a few more hours to see if there is any residual buffering in the water which will make the p.H jump. If not, the water is safe to add to the tank and if the p.H rises add a tiny amount of acid, not even a drop to lower the p.H. Do a fifty percent water change and the usual cleaning of the gravel and tank and add the matured water to top up the tank. If you have taken out more water than you've put in, DO NOT use water from the tap as this will cause the p.H to jump, rather use a new batch of matured water. With time you'll know how much water to take out and replace as well as how much acid to add to the fresh water to get it to the desired p.H. It is also wise to buy some bicarbonate of soda to lift the p.H if you accidentally put to much acid. Add a tiny bit at a time, just a few granules and test the water till the desired p.H is attained.

I change the water twice a week as I'm only keeping two fish which does not place a lot of strain on the bio filter and the frequency of the water changes with keep the three N's in check and give the discus time to relax. All the discus books will tell you to change fifty percent of the water every day which will only stress you and the discus out and change could the water parameters. Big daily changes are only necessary when the young discus are being fed on things like beef heart and egg yolk which pollutes the water quickly.

Well, I must of gotten lucky with my pair because after only two weeks of following the above regime the female started cleaning a leaf in the tank and pushing other leaves of the plant out the way. If one is lucky to be there when this happens this is where one will truly tell if one has a breeding pair. While the female is preparing the site her egg tube which is a short, rounded protrusion situated near the anus of the fish will start coming out. When the female starts laying the eggs, start watching the other fish as it is now that you'll know whether it's a male or not. A tiny protrusion much smaller and thinner than the female's egg tube will start coming out. The female will press her tube against the leaf and deposit a few eggs at a time and the male should follow her fertilising the eggs. Watch carefully to see if the "male" does not lay eggs as it has been known for two females to pair up and fool the aquarist. If it just goes over the eggs pressing him self against the already layed eggs, it's definitely a male. It just remains to see if the male is mature and fertile when the eggs hatch. Males tend to mature much later than the females so two discus of the same age may not successfully spawn. If the eggs do not hatch after 42- 60 hours the male is either immature or infertile and should be used again for a few more spawnings. If there is still no hatching of eggs the male must be removed and replaced with another male. The male can be tried again in a few months time and if there is still no fertilisation the male is totally useless as a breeding male and can be used for show purposes. The causes of infertility could be a genetic trait or the discus being treated with hormones as youngsters to enhance their colours again emphasising the need for a reliable and reputable pet store.

There is also a possibility that the male and sometimes the female may eat the eggs, which is quiet common in very immature fish and one should not be too disheartened if the fish eat the eggs for the first few spawnings. If the male or sometimes the female continue eating the eggs he or she must not be used for future spawning as you don't want that particular characteristic being passed on to future generations or one can hand rear the eggs and fry which is a far more time consuming process which I have only read about. My pair has already eaten their first two spawnings which is quiet heart breaking but one has to be patient with these things. My pair only succeeded on their third attempt.

After successfully spawning the parents will take turns in blowing and fanning the eggs with their pectoral fins to prevent fungus from forming on the eggs. Unfertilised or fungused eggs which turn white will be eaten by the parent and should not be seen as the fish eating the eggs. They are just removing the spoiled eggs to prevent fungus from contaminating the other eggs. One can still carry on feeding the parents and do water changes. Just be more careful and try not to disturb the parents too much. It is also important at this stage to mention the carbonate hardness of the water, which if too high will calcify the eggs and the fry won't hatch because of the hardened shells. Fortunately Jo'burg water is generally soft enough for discus breeding.

After 40-60 hours depending on the water temperature the eggs should hatch and the parents will assist the babies out of the shells and clean the fish in their mouths and spit them out. I first thought that the parents were eating the fry. The parents will continue fanning the fry after they have hatched and keep them together in a clump. Feed the parents as normal. After three days the fish will become free swimming and attach themselves to the parents' flanks and eat the body mucous off the parents. They will take turns in looking after the babies and go and rest in a corner to "catch their breath".

After about three weeks one can remove the babies from the parents' tank and put them in their own 50 litre tank. When first placing the babies in their own tank one must use the same water from the parents' tank so that the babies aren't placed under unnecessary stress with different water parameters. From there onwards regular water changes can be carried out with matured water. One should feed the fry on newly hatched brine shrimp and after a week one can start weaning them off the brine shrimp and onto flaked food that is finely crushed between the fingers. Mix this food with the brine shrimp so that they start eating and getting used to the flakes while still eating the shrimp. Feeding should be at least four to five times a day. Thirty percent water changes should be done daily. This may sound like a lot but in a 50 litre tank it's about 14 litres of water a day which is five minutes of effort. Make sure that you vacuum all uneaten food and excrement with each water change so as not to place too much strain on the biological filter.

As described above discus aren't that difficult to keep, although the above article may sound difficult in theory it really isn't a lot of work in reality and just a little effort on your behalf will allow you to enjoy this wonderful fish.

Idiots guide to keeping discus

We are often asked the question, "Are discus hard to keep alive?" According to most pet shops here in S.A., the answer is YES. Unfortunately this answer stems from the fact that most petshop owners here in SA are bird breeders and are totally clueless about fishkeeping. The fact also that discus are "expensive" relative to other fish makes them reluctant to stock the fish in their shops. Other comments also passed are " Discus should only be kept by advanced aquarists." This has led to many a fishkeeper avoiding keeping this "King of the aquarium fish"

There are more than 50 varieties of discus available. Here in SA we've seen about 10. This is due to the fact that the wholesalers are not prepared to import the more expensive varieties as they themselves are not sure whether or not they are able to keep them alive until they sell them.

Firstly, discus come from areas where the water is soft and acidic. Due to the acidity of the water, not many parasites or bacteria are able to survive in this water and it is rumoured that discus therefore have lower tolerance to parasitic and bacterial infections. Discus also come from areas where water temperatures range from 28 to 30 degress C, therefore we should keep the aquarium at higher temperatures than we would normally keep our normal aquariums at.

To ensure the survival of these prized fish, the following rules should be followed:-

1. Always make sure that we only put discus into an aquarium where the filters are properly mature. Discus do NOT take too kindly to setups where ammonia and nitrite levels are up.

2. Ensure that the pH of the water is stable. Only follow pH recommendations if one is intending to breed these fish. If you only intend to keep these fish, then stabilty of pH is vital in maintaing these fish alive.

3. Discus are schooling fish so it is important to keep them in groups of at least 4 or more fish. BUY LOCALLY BRED DISCUS as they have a better chance of survival. The more the merrier. When in small groups they tend to be nervous and skittish. Keep them with peaceful fish and avoid fish that are extremely active in an aquarium. Also avoid sudden hand movements when in the vicinity of the aquarium.

4. Water temps should be maintained at about 30 C and at least 30% of the water should be changed at least weekly.

5. Unlike other fish discus usually don't die overnight. Once they go black, clamp their fins and stop eating, they are telling you that they are not well and you need to sort the problem out. Note that breeding pairs will darken, so do not confuse the darkening of the fish to that of ill fish. We have also noted that young fish mixed in with adult fish tend to go "black". This seems to indicate submission to the adult fish. If the fish continue eating, it is nothing to worry about.

6. Deworm your fish when necessary to ensure healthy fish. Live or frozen foods should be fed on a regular basis.

For those of you who intend breeding these fish, do not purchase small fish that have intense colour. These fish are most probably hormone fed fish and are most probably sterile. Non hormone raised fish will get to about 4 inches before they get to their true potential colour.

Discus are definitely not the difficult fish they are made out to be. They only need more loving care and attention from you, their owners.

Discus varieties available overseas

As can be seen from the list below, there are 52 strains of discus available from a discus farm in Malaysia. Here in SA we've seen about 10 varieties, only because they are the cheapest available.

This is also due to the fact that the wholesalers will not import the more expensive varieties as they themselves are afraid that they will not be able to keep them alive on arrival. The above varieties do not include the wild caught strains.

The only way we will ever see these varieties in South Africa is if we start to breed these strains ourselves. That way we will be able to make them more affordable locally. The only way we will be able to afford to bring in breeding stock is if the discus enthusiasts are willing to make a small donation towards importing breeding pairs into the country.

Please contact me at (011) 795 3565 if you are willing to contribute in any way. All donations will be repaid with 2" discus once they have been bred at three times the amount contributed.

• Blue Diamond
• Hi-body Blue diamond
• Cobalt
• Ocean Green
• High-Fin Blue Diamond
• Hi-Fin Refection-D
• Alencer
• Marlboro Red
• Melon
• Super Melon White Face
• San Merah
• Mandarin Passion
• Snow White
• Red White (Grade A and B)
• Yellow White
• White Butterfly
• White Swan
• Golden with Stripe in Head
• Pure Golden
• Golden Snakeskin
• Super Fine Line Blue Snakeskin
• Pearl Pigeon
• Snakeskin
• Checkerboard pigeon
• Striped Checkerboard pigeon
• Blue pigeon
• Turquoise
• Green Turquoise
• Red Turquoise
• Leopard
• Spotted Snake
• Red Spotted Green
• Leopard Snakeskin
• Ring Leopard
• Pigeon Leopard
• Pigeon Leopard snakeskin
• High Body Super Leopard
• Eruption
• Super Eruption
• Mystique
• Albino Rabbit Eyes
• Golden Leopard
• Golden Leopard Snakeskin
• Calico-Nebula
• Egg Shaped Cobalt
• Egg Shaped Blue diamond
• Longfin Blue Angel Diamond
• Albino Turquoise
• Albino snakeskin
• Bulldog Brilliant Turquoise/CobaltCobalt
• Pigeonblood
• High Body fineline snakeskin