There are some guidelines for feeding discus fish that you will want to follow to assure that you are not causing problems as a consequence of your feeding techniques.
Task number one - Keep that tank clean! Clean the tank? That's right, it IS part of the feeding operation, just like washing the dishes after you eat.
Not all fish eat equal. In the case of discus, they are grazers. They don't grab the food as it enters the tank. They eat methodically, and not always from the top of the aquarium. They are not aggressive eaters like many fish who are quick to grab the food as soon as it enters the tank. They will eat food that has fallen to the bottom of the tank.
It is the food that makes it to the bottom of the tank that is the issue here. If that food gets overlooked by your fish, it may start to spawn bacteria and other undesirable tank contaminants.
Your feeding procedure should include cleaning the floor once in a while. It does not have to be done with every feeding, but using a siphon hose that acts as a vacuum as you change the water works very well. This would be part of your water replacement task. Just make sure you siphon about 15% of your water, and, as you do, move your siphon tube around the tank bottom sucking up the little bits.
Discus fish enjoy a variety of food. You can change up your routine, using frozen and live food from time to time, but the main staple will be dried food.
You can get flakes or pellets suitable for feeding discus fish from your local fish store. Discus fish have another requirement that is not always necessary with tropical aquariums. They need to be fed several times each day. Drop in the dried food flakes several times per day.
Pellets, when used, should be administered with caution. Make sure you soak the pellets in water before putting them into your tank. Fish who quickly eat unsoaked pellets may get a bellyache. The pellet food swells in the fish's stomach causing bloating.
An splendid source of protein is frozen brine shrimp. Keep the frozen brine shrimp, bought from your fish store, in your freezer. At feeding time, break off a small piece and drop it into your tank.
Part of a wild discus fish diet includes live worms, either white or black worms. These are also available commercially. And they can be kept in your fridge, but not frozen. Another word of caution here, buy only small quantities of live food. Remember, your discus are prima donnas. You want their live food to be alive and not contaminated.
Beef heart is also used in discus diets by some hobbyists. Some discus owners use a combination of beef heart and other ingredients to create their own fish food concoction. Beef heart is high in protein, and it is an alternative to more expensive fish food. If this interests you, you can find recipes on fish forums that have been successful, however, proceed with caution when not using commercially prepared and tested fish food.
Eating habits are not difficult to discern. On-the-job training and observation work well when trying to ascertain fish eating preferences. Learn from your fish. Frequent visits to online forums and blogs about freshwater fish and aquariums are extremely helpful and informative.
Head off possible problems by using care when feeding your discus fish. Make sure you do your homework, and find out which techniques work for discus fish. More about feeding discus fish here.
Wayne Rasku is the owner of www.livediscusfish.com, where the goal is to provide excellent information and resources for those interested in keeping discus fish.
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