Discus Growth Rate

[Joel]

Under suitable circumstances how fast do young discus grow?

[Ardan]

Hi,
In the first 2 to 3 months they can grow 1 inch per month. After that it usually slows a bit to 1/2 to 3/4 inch per month.

Some results vary depending on the fish, the water, size of tank, tankmates, and the food.

hth

[barron]

Hi Ardan

I agree, well said.

Barron :)

[giroux68]

How long before the color is fully developed?

[Carol_Roberts]

Depends onthe strain pigeons color up earlier than red turks. 12 - 18 months for adult coloration

[Willie]

To elaborate on Carol's comment, color development is quite slow in the classic strains, e.g. Red Turqs, Cobalts. You only start to see highlights around 4 months. The blue coloration begins to develop around 6 months, fully coloring the fish around 10 months. The red does not begin to develop until around 12 months.

One reason why Pigeon derivatives have been so popular is that these fish develop color much earlier. Same for fish with the ghost gene, e.g. Blue Diamonds. This makes the fish much more marketable at an early age. Personally, I don't think there's anything more handsome than a high quality Turq.

Willie

[Joel]

Another question, how do I estimate my discus age, if it does not have those big round eyes which have hints of stuntedness... How big should a normal 12 month old discus be?

[Carol_Roberts]

Five to seven inches more or less

[Willie]

Once again, it may be strain dependent.

Joel: You're lucky enough to get the best strains in your country. The posts from Malaysia and Singapore make most of us envious. The downside is that some of the strains are extremely inbred and will not grow as much. The best melons, the ones with absolutely no black, may only grow to 4" after 12 months. The same is true for some of the better leopard strains. Its definitely true for the snow whites. The most spectacular fish today, IMO, are the yellow/gold solid fish with red spots. I bet they don't get too big either.

The more common strains, Marlboros, Pigeons, Blue Diamonds, Turqs, Cobalts, even Snakeskins, can grow to 5" - 7" in 12 months. I have a tank of healthy San Merahs, but they're taking forever to grow.

Willie

[Joel]

Once again, it may be strain dependent.

Joel: You're lucky enough to get the best strains in your country. The posts from Malaysia and Singapore make most of us envious. The downside is that some of the strains are extremely inbred and will not grow as much. The best melons, the ones with absolutely no black, may only grow to 4" after 12 months. The same is true for some of the better leopard strains. Its definitely true for the snow whites. The most spectacular fish today, IMO, are the yellow/gold solid fish with red spots. I bet they don't get too big either.

The more common strains, Marlboros, Pigeons, Blue Diamonds, Turqs, Cobalts, even Snakeskins, can grow to 5" - 7" in 12 months. I have a tank of healthy San Merahs, but they're taking forever to grow.

Willie


True that there are plenty of nice discus in Malaysia but they are quite expensive. I bought a blue discus and a pigeon red one and they are about roughly 6 months old. The discus are healthy though the pigeon has some black on its fins (will it fade or go away?) and I bought them each for about the equavalent of 6 US$ (they are of average quality) while the poorer quality discus are available as cheap as about 2.50 US$. I'm only 15 years old and the quality and quantity of discus I get depends on my pocket money which isnt much... :-[

[henryD]

Joel,

When you taking about prices across different countries you should try to put some point of reference. When you said you paid $6.00. I would say that is a bargain. Considering that most of us pay $20.00 or more for a small discus.

So Can you tell me what dinner for 2 people usually cost? Or how much does renting a house go for? The reason I say this is that I know $6.00 is alot of money.

When I was in China we went for an all out dinner. We got some of the most expensive and exotic foods. There was about 25 of us. It cost us about $75.00 for the whole thing. If I was to do the same hting in the US. I would probably run in about $1200.

[Joel]

I should have elaborated more on it. I'm trying to imply now that discus are getting cheaper in Malaysia. Only a few years ago discus were considered 'exotic' fishes and were quite expensive by our standards but I think oversupply and competition have driven prices down over the years and now whenever I go into fish shops I often see people buying discus. And it was considered fishes that can be afforded by the rich only in the past or at least thats what Im told but now anyone can get them even 15 year olds like me! ;D ;)

About reference points, a meal for 4 can cost about 15 US$ and average rent for a double storey house is 300 US$ but this is near the city, KL where I stay where cost of living is highest.

[Anna Piranha]

Hi Joel,
Thanks for the education on Malaysian cost of living. I know very little about your country and it’s so great to be able to learn from people like yourself. That’s the best part of a board like this. Not only do we learn about fish, but we also learn about each other. I consider it one of the greatest gifts of the modern day that people from all over the world can communicate so easily. When I was 15, it wasn’t possible. So thanks again!

- Anna :wave: