Fish of the Month!

The Discus (Symphysodon aequifasciatus) is what most would describe as the crown jewel of the freshwater aquarium hobby. Found in river basins, lakes and rivers in South America this regal aquarium fish is a demanding but highly rewarding species of cichlid. Found in areas often flooded with clean water from whitewater rivers the discus as a species has evolved to live in highly clean water with very little to no free flowing debris.

While discus by their very nature are highly susceptible to diseases and parasites, there are ultraviolet sterilizers that help keep discus alive and thriving. UV Sterilizers are incredibly important for discus husbandry. These ultraviolet lights come in two different varieties. The first being an in tank model such as the Deep Blue UV Sterilizer 9and 18 watts. These filters are propped up inside the aquarium and water is pushed through a chamber containing a UV bulb that eradicates nuisance parasites and spores that can lead to future problems in the aquarium. The second variety is the inline model. UV filters such as the Aqua Ultraviolet Advantage UV Sterilizers attach inline to the return of a canister or wet-dry/sump setup forcing all water filtered to flow through the UV Chamber.

Discus like extras warm 86 degree water and insist on regular partial water changes. Keep your discus with no competing tank mates that might disturb their regular feedings. Happy discus always make for an outstanding aquatic display.