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Thread: Life expectancy

  1. #1
    Registered Member
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    Jun 2004
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    Default Life expectancy

    I was reading here on the forum that the wilds would be more susceptible to disease due to aquaria conditions versus pathogens. Whereas domestic discus would be more susceptible to pathogens over aquaria conditions. Question: What kind of disease affects the wilds due to aquaria conditions? Given that aquaria conditions are ideal for both, which discus species would live longer, the wilds or the domestic. My concern here is how do you keep conditions ideal for wilds over time. My experience has been that the wilds I have had do well for awhile, and then they succumb to some kind of sickness.

  2. #2
    Registered Member Discus Origins's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
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    Ocala, FL
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    1,809

    Default Re: Life expectancy

    My personal observations are this:

    Wild discus are not anymore susceptible to disease than domestics, but be careful mixing the two as each has developed innate resistance to different pathogens....mixing would expose them to something their immune system has no experience combating.

    Long term care for wild discus differs with hobbyists, the culprit here is the need for ease of care in a tank so many try to 'adapt' them to their tap water conditions so that its easier to do water changes. I think that's one of the main problems for long term life expectancy - I'm sure there are exceptions but I don't think most hobbyists are keeping wilds close to their natural conditions ie. very soft water, no nitrates/phosphates, heavy tannins acidic environment because that is difficult to do. It takes additional effort such as RO/DI filters and regular water parameter monitoring.

    Compare that to F1 or beyond juveniles from wild parents that have grown up in more tap water like conditions, those usually do very well long term.
    Mark

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