Discus | Marlboro Red Discus
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Scientific Name: Symphysodon Aequifasciatus
Common Name: Marlboro Red Discus
Adult Size: 8- 10 inches
Life Expectancy: 5 years
Habitat: Amazon basin of S. America
Minimum Tank Size: 40 gallon
Ideal Tank Conditions:
- Temperature Range: 82-86F
- pH Range: 6.4 -7.2
- Hardness Range: 1° to 8° dH
Temperament: Small will school, large can be semi aggressive
Diet & Nutrition: Carnivore; will eat a broad range of foods from flakes, small pellets, frozen, and live worms along with brine shrimp, but not always on the first attempt. DO NOT feed them tubifex worms. Tubifex carries too many pathogens and the risk of introducing disease to your Discus is too great a risk.
Breeding & Spawning: Will lay their eggs on broad leaved plants like Amazon Swords or almost any vertical flat surface that is to their liking. Fry are best kept with the parents as they will eat the slime that the parents secrete.
Gender: Venting is the best way to sex Discus
Compatible Tank Mates: See Compatibility Chart
MARLBORO RED DISCUS OVERVIEW
The Marlboro Red Discus is a beautiful freshwater fish that stuns with its yellow and red colorings. You’ll typically find a traditional Marlboro Red Discus with a yellow or white head and vibrant red body.
The shape of the Marlboro Red Discus is just as it sounds — flat and round just like a discus! These fish can grow to be 8”, with a beautiful round body and sweeping fins sometimes etched in black.
These fish are found in nature largely in the Amazonian river systems of South America, where they were first imported in the 1930s.
Compared to the other breeds of discus fish, the Marlboro Red Discus also requires a large care commitment, making them a fish for a more experienced fish hobbyist. From a soft water pH to a specific water temperature, the Marlboro Red Discus needs precise conditions to really thrive.
In addition to specific water conditions, your Marlboro Red Discus needs a set feeding schedule to help them flourish. This set of requirements ensures that your Marlboro Red Discus stays a vibrant color, has a happy demeanor, and is free from illness and disease.
Let’s explore more about their specific tank conditions and diet below.
SETTING UP THE AQUARIUM: MARLBORO RED DISCUS
The Marlboro Red Discus needs an aquarium that closely mimics the rivers of the Amazon — water temperature between 82 and 86 degrees F, a stable pH of 6.4 - 7.2 , and a water hardness (they like soft water) of 6.1 to7.5 KH.
They like to have room to move slowly in and out of plant life, so a tank size of at least 50 gallons is the standard. If there is a goal of breeding them, they’ll require extra room, and even perhaps, a separate tank.
Like other discus fish, the Marlboro Red Discus, cannot have any nitrites or ammonia present — 0 ppm — and the nitrate level should be > 20 ppm.
MARLBORO RED DISCUS TANK AT A GLANCE
Temperature: 82-86 degrees F
pH: 6.0 - 6.8
Hardness: 6.1 to 7.5 KH
Size: Up to 8"+
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrites: 0 ppm
Nitrates: > 20 ppm
Temperament: harmonious (mostly non-aggressive)
Compatibility: Other discus, guppies, danios/minnows
Marlboro Red Discus are great in an aquarium with other discus and they’ll often find a mate or form a school with their siblings. When they aren’t swimming next to other discus, they are great with Guppies, Cory Cats, and Danios/Minnows. They are mostly peaceful fish around their tankmates but can become aggressive towards others when breeding.
MARLBORO RED DISCUS DIET
Marlboro Red Discus’ consume a mostly carnivorous diet but will also eat algae and plant life in the tank. Their diet should be high protein and come from sources such as tubifex, bloodworms, high-quality fish flakes, pellets, organ meats (beef heart), and brine shrimp.
Marlboro Red Discus adapts well to a feeding schedule, so it’s important to establish a regular time to feed them. The frequency that fish hobbyists choose to feed their fish will slightly vary, but they should be fed frequently anywhere from two to five times a day.
It’s also important to stress that with these frequent feedings that the volume of food is low. Discus fish are slow eaters and often graze on and off for hours. If they’re fed large meals it can cause bloat which can be disastrous and even life-threatening.
Instead, feed them small meals and allow enough time to pass for them to eat. It’s important to clean up and remove any leftover food because this can disrupt the pH of the water and make for a dirty tank.
FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF HEALTHY AND THRIVING MARLBORO RED DISCUS, SHOP OUR ONLINE FISH STORE TODAY!
