How long do Altum Angels live for?

Where do altum angelfish live?

Altum Angelfish native habitat, distribution, behavior & aquarium compatibility. The Altum Angel (Pterophyllum altum) originates from the Northern Amazonian regions of Colombia where it is found in the Orinoco and Essequibo river basins.

Can altum angels live with discus?

Altum Angels require high temperatures but can be kept happily with Discus, as they possess similar water parameter requirements. Be wary of the Altum Angels eating Discus spawns, however.

What is an altum angelfish?

The resulting hybrids are called “Orinoco Altum” and may or may not have the notch found on the true species, or may have it to a lesser degree. The Altum is considered the most peaceful of all angelfish species. It is a bit timid, however, and can be frightened by shadows and fast movements.

What fish can I put in a discus tank?

If, however, you are not keeping small fish and are happy to give Angels a go, then choose tank-bred specimens over wild fish as this lessens the potential for importing parasites. Clown loaches, Chromobotia macracantha, are attractive fish and thrive in Discus-friendly water conditions.

What fish can I put with my discus fish?

The tank mates you can put and the tank mates you have to avoid from your Discus fish. Let us start from the first one. Talking about the tank mates you can put, Cardinal Tetras fish are possibly the most proper option you have for Discus fish tank mates. The first and the most acceptable reason is because they are categorized as tropical fish.

What are the best fish to keep with discus?

Therefore, adding Sterbai Ancistrus and Corydoras Catfish as your Discus tank mates will ease your job in cleaning the tank water. These types of fish actually have similar characteristic like the previous types and are allowed to be added as your Discus tank mates.

How do I Keep my discus alive in an aquarium?

This will help keep the aquarium water cleaner and your discus will be much happier for it. If you add coryadoras to you discus aquarium, try to keep the water temperature around 82 – 83 degrees. Corys don’t like the higher temperatures. Sterbai Ancistrus are also suitable tank mates for your discus.

Do discus need live plants in an aquarium?

No, discus do not need live plants to thrive in an aquarium. Many people are keeping and breeding discus in a bare bottom tank without plants. However, adding plants can benefit the fish by removing toxins from the water. People still often think you can’t add plants to a discus aquarium because the temperature requirements do not match.

What is the best water for discus fish?

Most Discus are comfortable in water with pH ranging from 5.0-7.0, total hardness from 1-4°dKH, and temperature from 82-84°F. Discus are very sensitive to ammonia, nitrite, and changes in water temperature and quality. Thus, it is important to keep their aquarium water exceptionally clean, and temperature constant.

What is the water temperature of a discus?

The discus in their native habitat in South America live in slow-moving, soft, acid waters with a temperature of 79°F to 84°F degrees. Often discus are captured in shaded creeks in which the water temperature is lower.

Should I worry about water parameters on my discus?

f you do a Google search for Discus water parameters you will see a lot of conflicting information. Many Discus owners become obsessed with water parameters to a point where they take the fun out of the hobby. We as Discus owners ARE NOT chemists! So- don’t worry too much about the water parameters.

What is the ideal water parameters for healthy discus?

Here are the ideal water parameters for keeping healthy discus. PH- between 5.5 and 7. Your best bet would be PH of 6. PH up to 7.8 is fine as long as it does not fluctuate. Anything above 7.8 is not good as it will stress out the discus. NEVER add any chemicals to raise or lower your PH!

What temperature is too high for a discus fish?

Very high water temperature can be a big problem in your aquarium tank and stress the fish. Normally, you should maintain the water temperature at around 28 degrees Celsius (82-86 degrees Fahrenheit). Your discus fish might show signs of stress after transferring from the store to your aquarium tank.

Why do discus keepers obsess over water parameters?

I never understood why discus keepers obsess over water parameters especially ph. Discus keepers think they need to become chemists in order to keep healthy discus which is not the case at all. Take it from me, I have been raising discus for over 30 years and have seen and tried it all!

How to care for a discus fish?

Remove the wastewater and add fresh water. Change 40 percent of the water in your tank after every 5 days to be sure that your Discus is safe. You have to be careful when deciding on the number of discus fish to keep in your aquarium tank and the plants you need for the fish.

How to maintain a discus tank?

Water conditions are one of the most important things we need to pay attention to when it comes to successfully maintaining a healthy Discus tank. Nothing is more important for discus’ health than warm, clean water and regular water changes. I recommend water changes of 30-50% per day for growing juveniles.

Do discus fish like acidic water?

Discus fish comes from soft acidic waters of the amazon river basin. As with many other south American Cichlids, discus fish loves acidic water with lower pH. The optimal pH level for discus fish is 6.5 – 6.8, however, discus fish can tolerate higher levels with no problem and the stability is way more important.

Why discus are the hardest fish to raise?

First of all, it is because discus needs to live in an exact water requirement. This is what makes discus one of the hardest fish to raise. The tank keepers are not suggested to compromise with the temperature, as it might bring bad effect to the fish. Malawi River where the discus lives has different temperature for different area of the river.

How long do discus need to be quarantined?

New fish should always be quarantined before you add them to your main aquarium, and this is particularly important for the sensitive discus fish. Observe the new fish in the quarantine tank for at least 2 weeks, and ideally 4 weeks, before moving them to the main tank.

How to keep discus fish alive in an aquarium?

Put one Discus bag at a time (with the Discus fish inside) in the tank floating at the top of the water. Hold the bag from its opening, and insert it to the water surface and fill the same amount of the bag’s water by your aquarium water. Leave the bag floating on the aquarium water while opened from the top.

How often should I change the water in my discus tank?

Changing the tank water properly can be a bit time-consuming, but it’s time well-spent if you value the health of your discus fish. Don’t change more than 30% of the total volume of the tank water at a time—a greater change can be too much of a shock for sensitive discus fish. Use live or frozen proteins for 50%-plus of the discus’ diet.

Will a shock kill a discus fish?

Such a shock may kill any fish including discus. Even if the shock itself does not kill the discus, it may cause diseases such as Columnaris, ICK, etc. through weakening the Immune system. Discus eggs hatch in soft and acidic water, which means the pH level has to be under 7.0. Best pH range for breeding discus fish is between 6.5 – 6.8.

What is the difference between discus and angelfish?

I’m a firm believer that if angel fish do well in your local water supply then Discus fish will do just as well. The only difference is that angels tolerate a lower temp of 78-80 and Discus like it warmer, which the angel will do well at too.

How big of a tank does a discus fish need?

The rule of thumb is 10 gallons of water for 1 full grown discus fish. However, you can get away with 8 gallons of water per discus fish. As far as tank size, discus do require more room than the average fish. Can You Keep a Single Discus? Discus are schooling fish. They feel safe in groups of six or more.

Why do discus grow so big?

The reason for this is that discus like other fish, secrete a hormone into the water that inhibits their growth. This allows the fish to stay appropriately sized for the volume of water it is contained in. It is for this reason that wild specimens and those subjected to abundant water changes grow to such large sizes.

Are discus fish aggressive?

Discus fish are cichlids. They are very territorial and can be aggressive towards smaller fish. Therefore, it is highly recommended to keep discus with fish that are similar in size to them to prevent bullying. How Much Does a Discus Fish Cost?

What do you not put in a discus tank?

Sunken ships, no-fishing signs and plastic mermaids do not belong in a discus tank as caring for fish means something else than senseless decorating. Try and keep décor to a minimum, it will serve the tank both functionally and aesthetically.