Food basics

[AndyL]

Ok, so I read and I read, and I got to the last page of the food and nutrition section...


But I have yet to see a answer...

So what is best to feed a discus... Obviously a lot of you feed a large quantity of CBW, some feed various frozen foods... I read of a little use of 'tetra bits'. And of course beef heart mixes.

Being in a locale where some of these items can be difficult if not impossible to come by. What are some other good options? I can get the 'normal' assortment of frozen treats at the pet store (they carry the hikari line) Are there some good flake/pellet foods to look at for a 'staple'. I personally like kent brand foods, and I keep many of the breeders award foods (Brine shrimp flakes, Color flake, earthworm flake).

So would my current variety of flake plus some daily treats (frozen bloodworms, frozen brine shrimp, and usually freeze dried tubiflex) be an adequate diet?

Andy

[Carol_Roberts]

Yes.

I feed Oncean Nutrition flakes and none of my discus will touch freeze dried anything . . . . All you need to do is feed a varied diet of quality foods that have been stored correctly and maintain your water quality.

[Qbal18]

ok so now another Q. about feeding how often do you feed them or need to feed then 1x 2x a day or what?

[darcy]

well I feed OSI flake, bloodworms and beefheart mix. In the summer I feed earthworms every once in a while. I usually feed my adults 3x a day. My growouts 6 to 7x a day, and real small babies are fed constantly!!!!

Andy if you want some beefheart let me know I can get hearts from cattle that have not been fed a bunch of chemicals!!!!

Darcy

[DarkDiscus]

Andy,

Variety and quality in your foods keep discus happy. Mine get CBW, red wigglers, frozen bloodworms, frozen krill, frozen mysis, frozen brine, tetra bits, hikari red pellets, OSI color flake and chunks of chopped garlic. I rotate the menu to keep the fish eating everything.

One trick is to start the day with something they like less - say flake or pellets and to end the day with their favorites - CBW or red wigglers. Keeps them eating and doesn't spoil them.

Like Darcy, I feed a lot of smaller feedings, to keep 'em hungry and interested in the food. My big guys get 2-3 a day and the smaller ones up to 6.

HtH,

John

The most important thing is to get your discus to eat. Regardless what kind of food. All commericial food in different forms has basically the same ingredients. If your discus like a centrain kind of food. Give it to them. Only those discus who stop eating will suffer nutrient deficency and get into trouble. I have a hugh 7 plus" cobalt blue fed exclusively with color flakes since birth and nothing else. He is still alive and well after 3 years.The key is to feed various kind of food to obtain a balance diet. Life food is preferable but your fish can be spoiled easily and refuse to eat anything else. Like I told the waiter on the cruise ship. A little bit of everything on the menu.
Jimmy.

[DarkDiscus]

Jimmy,

Impressive. Did you plan on just feeding the big guy color flakes only or did he just develop a liking for it and refuse other foods?

I've had that happen with several fish in the past.

I prefer, however, to keep the fish on a varied diet not only for nutritional reasons but for ease of transition to another owner - then again, flakes are about as easy a food as any!

John

Dark: It's part of my research. I have different disucs fed on different diet exclusively since birth. So far the 100% BH is the champ even better than red wrigglers. None on CBW only. Can't affort constant supply of that critters. I'm sure it will be the ultimate champ in this category. Surprisingly, my unfinished project of frequency of feeding is controversal. Discus after 3" in size fed once a day with unlimited amount until they have enough and W/C after 1/2hr. seems to grow better and more active compared to those fed 2 or more times a day with limited feedings to keep the water clean.
Jimmy.

[DarkDiscus]

Jimmy,

Interesting. Do you run into any issues with fish becoming constipated or other intestinal blockages with the all-you-can-eat method?

John

Not really. They all looking like gold fish after feeding. Constipation only happen on the Blue Diamond strain with massive dose of blood worms. I don't feed them BW that practically can avoid the problem. Their nutrient value is quite low and the thickness of the fish will suffer. It may look quite graceful for the BD and make them a poor breeder.
Jimmy.