Discus

[ajs2294]

Random low quality Discus can be very cheap as low as 15 dollars for small juvis for a good strain of juvis your looking at 60+ good adults 125+.

 

[JoshuaA]

What are the main signs to look for in Discus for terms of "quality" and is it possible to accurately determine their age? This thread has sparked some interest. I read a guide a few weeks back however with all advice I don't want to take it word for word without finding out elsewhere.

Is it best to get them at a grown up stage or when they're pretty young?

 

[rdp50734]

Age wise is personal choice. shapes your looking for round not oval, eye size in domestic strains ie not wilds if the eye is quite large it can be a sign of stunting. Also if the forehead looks pinched is a bad sign. If the discus is dark or black it could be illness. dark bands vertically are a sign of stress.

 

[ajs2294]

I really depends in your Intentions. If you want to be completely sure your getting a high quality fish that gets full sized or want to attempt breeding then buy Adults. If you want a challenge and are ready to cope with finicky fish and do a ton of maintenance go for juveniles but you may not save much in the end. You can't 100% tell age as all these fish grow at very different rates. Also signs you want to avoid are a pinched look with overly large eyes, poor color and white feces. You can look into shape but this can change from juveniles to adult. You will not under normal circumstances be able to tell the adult colors for a juveniles fish as the colors change drastically in the late growing stages between 12-18 months.

 

[OldMan47]

I have never seen a decent discus in a store around here for under about $40 but I have definitely seen them for a lot more in the same shop. At a fish auction the price depends a lot on whether there are any discus fanciers present.

 

[JoshuaA]

Would it be reliable to assume the fish is healthy if the store has had it for around 3 months?

What is the average life span people on this forum have got out of discus?

 

[ajs2294]

Would it be reliable to assume the fish is healthy if the store has had it for around 3 months?

What is the average life span people on this forum have got out of discus?

Personally I wouldn't buy from a store that's had the same discus in for 3 months. Fish stores very often do the minimum feeding and waterchanges they can get away with even as low as 20% WC a week and once daily feedings that could stunt stunt fish. If you want discus its best to go with a breeder in my opinion.
The average life span is about 10 years.

 

[snowflake311]

Would it be reliable to assume the fish is healthy if the store has had it for around 3 months?

What is the average life span people on this forum have got out of discus?

Personally I wouldn't buy from a store that's had the same discus in for 3 months. Fish stores very often do the minimum feeding and waterchanges they can get away with even as low as 20% WC a week and once daily feedings that could stunt stunt fish. If you want discus its best to go with a breeder in my opinion.
The average life span is about 10 years.

This is true. The average LFS will not feed young discus as much as they might need and will not keep up on WC as well. BUT thats not to say the fish are not healthy. go with your gut we cant see the fish so we cant say if they are bad or not. You are not looking for breeders or show qulity so these Pet store fish might be fine if they are healthy and happy.

 

[JoshuaA]

Would it be reliable to assume the fish is healthy if the store has had it for around 3 months?

What is the average life span people on this forum have got out of discus?

Personally I wouldn't buy from a store that's had the same discus in for 3 months. Fish stores very often do the minimum feeding and waterchanges they can get away with even as low as 20% WC a week and once daily feedings that could stunt stunt fish. If you want discus its best to go with a breeder in my opinion.
The average life span is about 10 years.

This is true. The average LFS will not feed young discus as much as they might need and will not keep up on WC as well. BUT thats not to say the fish are not healthy. go with your gut we cant see the fish so we cant say if they are bad or not. You are not looking for breeders or show qulity so these Pet store fish might be fine if they are healthy and happy.

The store I hold in very high standards, in one instance was I little upset about the state of ONE tank and I am yet to see any dead fish in the months I have been going there. The one instance was an over stocked neon tank with a handful of the neons losing colour. However I had previously bought 5 neons a month or two ago from there and they have been nothing but full of life and colour!

The discus, the owner of the store had spoke to me for about 30 minutes about them a week ago, for him to take that much time out to talk to a customer is not that rare. He was more concerned about talking me out of the idea if I wasn't fully committed than the standard throw you into the deep end buy buy buy tactic you usually see form LFS. He went through the selection process from the breeders/auctions he buys the fish from and then how he cares for them. Each time I look at them, they "look" healthy however since I'm not an expert in discus nor many fish at all for that matter it does seem hard to determine them because no matter what store you ask if you ask are they in good health the obvious answer "Yes" would be given.