Frequently
  Asked Questions |
"What should I feed my discus?" |
Recommended Foods For Discus
A word of caution: some people have reported problems with
certain flake foods
swelling in the stomach of the Discus and causing digestive problems, so
feed flake sparingly and feed no more than your fish will consume in a
couple of minutes, then keep an eye on them.
These are foods known to be fed with success by various discus
keepers. Discus should be fed a varied diet and not just one of any
type of food. Food that may be a source of parasites should generally
be avoided, except in circumstances where it is the only food the Discus
will eat, and then, attempts should be made to wean the Discus off those
foods. This can be done in the following ways:
Flake Foods
Many Discus will eat flake food, or can be taught to eat flake food.
Because of the nutritional requirements of Discus, I recommend vitamin
enriched flake foods such as Tetra 5-Star. Many flake foods are
enriched with Vitamin C, but a more comprehensive flake food will have
several vitamins, almost like a multivitamin for humans. Flake food
should probably not be the only food you feed, but it has its place in
the Discus diet.
Pellet Foods
Pellet foods are similar in composition to flake food, but are in the
form of small pellets rather than flat flakes. Again, look for a
vitamin enriched food where possible. I've had very good luck with
Tetra Bits, however, they do not have as many vitamins as some other
pellet foods, like FryFeedKyowa.
Frozen Foods
Many Discus love frozen foods like frozen Brine Shrimp or Beef Heart.
Lots of Discus keepers make their own Beef Heart mixtures (see
Recipes page), but frozen Beef Heart is also
available. One brand I've seen is "Fish Gum Drops". Beef Heart can
be somewhat high in fat compared to other foods, and it can also cloud
the water if overfed, so if you do feed Beef Heart, feed sparingly and
remove any uneaten food quickly.
Others
Some stuff about other types of food may go in here. Perhaps a good
thing to mention would be Miracle Food, Diskusin, Ever Nature Discus
Food, Hikari Discus Red, and other "specialty" foods.
Questionable Foods For Discus
Blood
WormsBloodworms, while not as bad as tubifex worms, are often thought
to harbor parasites. Use caution when feeding bloodworms.
Foods Not Recommended For Discus
Tubifex worms
These worms are often grown in unsanitary conditions and are
known to be a source of parasites. Tubifex worms are the food
most likely to give your Discus a case of internal parasites.