in its home so rarely is not at all the discus-fish. These imposing colorful-perches live in Rio Madeira the Amazon-stream and many of its tributaries like the Rio Negro and it. However, they lead a quite hidden way of life at steep or overhanging shores, between free-rinsed tree-roots, water-plants and alluvial wood. With a concern, they immediately retreat into its hiding places. They are for this reason to be discovered only heavily and to catch, furthermore the transportation of the sensitive perches is very problematic.
In the aquarium, the discus-fish show a very quiet, virtually majestic nature. However, they are worth the breeding as tricky charges, above all, what involves. For beginners, they are little suitable.
Shape Discus-fish have a quite typical shape. its body is compressed at the side of strongly disk-shaped, so that the name "Discus" (= griech. "Disk", for these fish quite apt is chosen. they become 12-20 cm big. Nine dark brown ones move on brownish reason until blue-black cross-bandages over the whole body. The first cross-bond proceeds exactly through the eye, that last at the tail flukes*-base. In longitudinal direction of the body proceeds, according to type and subtype deceased, blue or becomes green undulating strips, that are enough also over back and anus-fins. The stomach-fins are extended and moved out pointed.
Forms The aquarianist knows four different discus-fish, who are considered to be one of two types. From the Art of Symphysodon aequifasciata (with even strips), three subtypes are known. Whether however, on that occasion is about real subtypes or only about pub-forms, is there-put.
Rarely, the splendid Greens party discus (Symphysodon aequifasciata aequifasciata) and the blue discus (S) are introduced until now. aequifasciata haraldi, that doesn't take second place its cousin in the look.
More frequently and already in many aquariums, the usual or brown discus (S) is given a home. aequifasciata axelrodi. its breeding is no more as difficult as early, the after-breeding animals prove as sensitively as the little rascals to be no more.
Also more rarely, the real discus or Pompadourfish (Symphysodon discus) are introduced. This type got living to Germany as first discus-fish in 1921. After several failed import-attempts, several animals could be introduced again living only 1932.
Attitude Discus-fish are ambitiously with reference to the water-quality and the feed. they ask for soft, easily sour water with temperatures of 25-29 °C. Peat-filtration proves to be favorable because the water is leavened and a part of the hardness is bound. For the breeding, soft water is imperative. It is important that a part of the water is changed regularly. Not too light light, that is muffled the best through a swimming-plant-blanket, promises them the most. The feeding must be very diversified, there is otherwise the danger that the animals enter into hunger-strike.
Reproduction Discus-fish have an unique brood-care-behavior. At first, the animals like other open-breeders (colorful-perches) spawn at a previously cleaned place from. The parents then chew the young-fish from the egg-covers and spit it at one water-plant-leaf, where they stick with help of a Klebfadens. Consumes credits the boys its yolk-reserve and begins, freely herumzuschwimmen, gathers it at the body-sides of a parents-animal and picks a covering, that serves them as further food, from the skin there. This covering is a solid phlegm, that is produced by the parents-animals only during the Jungenaufzucht in certain skin-glands. Both parents take turns with this very uncommon feeding. After some days, the boys are finally independent. After three months, the at first still long-stretched young-fish reached the typical discus-shape.
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