German Red Turquoise Discus, Red Base
$44.00 – $159.00
This giant blue red German monster is sure to add a powerful touch to even the most complete collection. Streaks of blood red run through an iridescent body, creating the classic “Red Turquoise” effect originally pioneered by Eduard Schmidt-Focke.
One constant that has run through my life has been a love of art. While I mostly like realistic works, there’s something to be said for artists who express themselves in bold paint strokes. My mother had a painting done by a family friend that was of a woman but her face was done in a style more reminiscent of Picasso in his surrealistic stage. There was still something evocative about the painting that showed inner turmoil.
I get the same feeling when I look at the German Red Turquoise Discus, with its red base. It feels like nature decided to paint it with a frenzy of red and white brushstrokes all along its body. There’s almost a tribalistic feel to it, especially with the patterns around its eyes and mouth. It would not surprise me one bit if those colors actually glowed in the dark, making for an ethereal scene in a tank. There’s passion in these streaks, showing what a unique fish it is. I’d love having one or more in my tank, showing off their vibrancy.
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46 reviews for German Red Turquoise Discus, Red Base
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Every fish we sell bears our gold seal that represents the Discus.com promise to our customers. When you make a purchase with us, you are entrusting our team with shipping you a collector grade specimen of unparalleled quality, beauty, size, and heft based on our judgement accrued over 25 years of experience. We guarantee the fish you receive will match the exact fish represented in our product photos. We are the gold standard of discus. Note: our discus are always measured from tip of nose to end of tail. |
| Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Care Level: | Moderate, see our Learning Center for comprehensive care. |
| Temperament: | Peaceful |
| Color Form: | Huge variety available |
| Lifespan: | 15-25 Years |
| Adult Size: | 8-12 inches |
| Diet: | Omnivorous |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Minimum Tank Size: | 50 gallons |
| Tank Set-Up: | Bare-bottom, or Intermediate |
| Compatibility: | Often compatible |
Natural Habitat for Discus
Discus are found in floodplain lakes and flooded forests of the lowland Amazon River basin and some of its tributaries, including the Rio Negro. These areas experience extreme changes in water level due to seasonal flooding. Discus tend to congregate near fallen trees, known as “galhadas”, along the shore. They prefer quiet water, and are rarely found in areas where there is strong current or wave action.
Discus Water Requirements
Discus prefer warm, soft, acidic water. pH should be between 6.0 and 7.0, with hardness between 1° and 4° dKH (18 to 70 ppm). Temperature should be kept between 82° and 89° F. Water conditions for both wild and hybrid discus are the same. While captive bred discus can be kept in dechlorinated tap water reverse osmosis or deionized water supplemented will ensure the the best conditions. Discus require pristine water quality, and depending on the filtration system being used, a weekly or bi-weekly water change of 10% to 25% is highly recommended. Don’t forget to treat tap water with conditioner before refilling your aquarium!
Housing Requirements for Discus
Discus grow to be quite large, and full sized discus will require an aquarium of 50 gallons or larger when they reach adult size. Tall aquariums are best, to accommodate their body shape. Current should be gentle, and décor if used at all should include large broadleaf plants and driftwood that is arranged vertically to simulate downed branches and trees. A few floating plants can also be added to provide shaded areas and cover. Substrate should be fine to medium grade and smooth surfaced, as discus like to forage along the bottom for food.
Discus Behavior/Compatibility
Discus are generally calm, peaceful fish, but as cichlids they can be aggressive toward one another, especially when attempting to pair off and spawn. Shy or submissive fish should be removed if they are unable to compete. Most serious hobbyists do not mix their discus with too many other species. However, suitable aquarium mates include cardinal tetras, neons, emperor and rummy nose tetras, as well as clown loaches and dwarf cichlids such as rams and Apistogramma species. All of these fish tolerate the high temperatures and low pH/hardness required by discus.
What do Discus Eat?
In nature discus eat a considerable amount of plant material and detritus, but also forage along the bottom looking for worms and small crustaceans. They are omnivores and will thrive on freeze dried black worms, beefheart, frozen blood worms, and a variety of pellet and flake food. Frozen and live foods may be fed as treats or to help induce spawning. For best results, rotate their diet daily and feed only what they can consume in 2 to 3 minutes, once or twice a day.
Discus Breeding Level – Difficult
Captive bred discus will pair up and spawn relatively easily, but young, inexperienced parents may eat their eggs the first few times, particularly if other fish are present. After hatching the young feed on heavy body mucus secreted by the parents for a few days until they begin to free-swim. Parents will transfer the young back and forth several times a day.
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Q: How are your stated fish measurements conducted? A: All measurements are made from tip of nose to end of tail. Photographs are representative of the strain or variety, and not the exact specimens that will be shipped. Q: How do I make a purchase? A: Every discus you see on our website is available for immediate purchase and ready to be shipped to you. Click the “Add to Cart” button on your desired products, adjust your quantities, and follow the checkout instructions. We honor all special requests. Please allow a 2-day minimum handling period for discus. Shipping Tiers for Live Tropical Fish:
Blackworms: Free USPS Postal Shipping Plants: $10 FedEx Priority Shipping, Minimum Order: $15 International Buyers Please Note: Import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer’s responsibility. Please check with your country’s customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to purchasing. |
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First, Thanks so Much for sending all the discus in good health ! Some of them were down during the first few hours after releasing them ...More
Hi Michael,
First, Thanks so Much for sending all the discus in good health ! Some of them were down during the first few hours after releasing them in my aquarium. Then all started eating maybe after 4-5 hours. This is my first experience with Discus and I took some risk ( a lot in fact !) as I just set up the tank (everything new), adding some bacteria to settle them in the new filter and speed up the entire process. After checking all the water parameters (I used Seachem Discus buffer) I placed two Angels just to make sure all is okay. I kept many other different species in the past so I had some courage to take risks. However, the discus arrived two days earlier than I expected. That made me nervous.
Regarding the color of Discus, my only concern is most of the fish that I ordered are not showing any color, I guess it's because they are still under stress. Although they are happily swimming and exploring the new habitat. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Please see the pictures attached.
Thank you again.
Kind regards,
Sirsendu
From Michael: Hi Sirsendu, I was very backed up last week, and the reason I hastened the delivery is because I didn't want them to be stuck in transit near the end of the work week. Otherwise, they would be dead by the time the actual delivery occurred the next Monday.
Got your email. The two discus you sent are absolutely stunning. They ate within 24hrs and look awesome. They both are up front of the tank ...More
Michael,
Got your email. The two discus you sent are absolutely stunning. They ate within 24hrs and look awesome. They both are up front of the tank and absolutely healthy. I attached an updated pic. Thank you!!! Will be looking to buy two more soon. You got a new customer.
Sincerely
Adam
Good morning, yes they got here safely! All still alive. I really appreciate you picking me some beautiful first time Discus for me. No, I have no other Discus but I am gonna be ordering 2 or 3 more from you cause I have 2 more picked out already lol. But I have a 55 gallon tank so I think maybe 2 for sure. I do still have the light turned off still. I just put it on for a sec to take a picture for you. But I hope you know I'm so happy that I found you to order from. I have stage 4 endometriosis and I learned over the years dealing with it. Me watching fish helps my depression and anxiety cause of me having to stay at home due to my symptoms, so I can sit and watch my new Discus for hours! I hope I can be the best Discus mom that I can be! I have read almost everything you have on your page over and over. So...I hope to definitely keep these babies safe and well. I'm definitely looking forward to getting the last 2 I would love to get! I hope if you don't mind if I do run into something if I may contact you to help me though? But hopefully I don't..lol but thank you so very much again for making me a new Discus mom! Have a Merry Christmas :) From Michael: Of course you may contact me any time. Thank you for the kind words, and Merry Christmas to you!
Yes, they all arrived and are getting acclimated. I never realized how some look so much like the other ones. I’m hoping they all make it. They are mostly hiding right now. I’ll keep you posted!
Discus arrived alive. I had to put them into the 300 gallon as the 29s heater wasn't working. The discus are cohabitation well 24 hrs in, the Red Heckel looks good and robust, measured at 5.75 inches. The German Red look very thin and feeble almost emaciated with his stomach sucked way in. I presume you didn't pick this guy out? I took some pictures so you can see. Neither discus has eaten anything yet. Not to beat a dead horse, but I don't understand the obvious discrepancy in the quality of the two fish? Both fish should be of equal quality when shipped from you facility and already thriving. I'm advising of my dissatisfaction in the quality of the German Red Discus upon shipment arrival. From Michael: Of course the fish will arrive looking thin, since we starve all our fish for 48 hours prior to shipping -- otherwise, they will defecate in their bags and die from ammonia.
Two of the fish are ok. They were stressed, but they're ok now. I sent a pic of them. The other one was DOA. I also sent a picture of th...More
Hi Michael -
Two of the fish are ok. They were stressed, but they're ok now. I sent a pic of them. The other one was DOA. I also sent a picture of that one. I put him in the tank, but he just floated around. So I put him in a holder to see what would happen. But he never came to life. From Michael: I've credited you for the DOA.
Thanks,
Alan
Hi Michael,
Fish are doing well! They have laid eggs twice. The first didn’t survive and they ate them but here is the second.
Tanya
Will write a review today!! Absolutely love em!! Loving the fish my tank started leaking yesterday so had to switch everything over to a new tank but as you can see doesn't seem to have bothered them too much...
Hi Michael, sorry it took some time, it's been busy. The Discus are doing great, they are all 9 eating now and all rise to the hand when offered some beefheart, bloodworms or brine shrimp. They are greedy 4 times a day and other than that acting like teenagers.
Hey Michael, here are a few pics of my tank with the new residence. They’re doing good thanks for some nice fish!
They all arrived in good shape. All three are good sized too. One has some travel issues, kinda on his side but he’s getting better. They are in the quarantine tank with a few black skirts. We kept the lights out until today. We fed them brine shrimp this morning and two charged right up to eat.
Here’s the three new guys we just received from you in the quarantine tank, plus an angelfish. He thinks we are going to feed him every time we come by. All three are good size. Two of the three discuss ate today, one is still pretty shy. All look good. You’d never guess they spent yesterday bouncing around in a box. Thank you.
Gm Michael, Much less distress with this shipment compared to last, dead arrival due to very late UPS arrival and broken cooler from apparent mishandling of the box by UPS. All fish arrived alive, the smaller German with red base was one of two surviving from prior shipment. Did not expect him to survive. He is doing well with TLC and treatments. All are feeding. Those four are in quarantine. The yellow pigeon is in one of the display tanks. The other two next to him I had.
They all seem to be doing well. Guessing the one just has two dots on his tail. Fish are absolutely gorgeous and so much savings compared to my local fish store.
Yes, everything has arrived. The melon was a bit stressed, but seems to be recovering. I'll be ordering again soon. Thanks!
Hi Michael. I am very happy with the fish you sent me. I got 9 Discus from you and the only thing wrong was I hoping for a solid color cobalt. The fish are all still healthy and good, I even have a pair that have laid five different sets of eggs since I received them.
I did get them in the tank ASAP because of how late they arrived. The eruption and one German Blue are swimming around fine. The two German Reds are hiding but seem okay. The one German Blue is floating at the top and tries to swim every now and then but not much. All five are alive and seem to be doing well. Thank you for your patience with me and the information you shared! I will send pictures once I turn the lights on. They are beautiful!
Yes everyone arrived fine, they are so beautiful, I'm very happy with them, and I'll 100% be buying from you again.
Hi Michael! I'm sorry I've been so out of touch lately. But yes the discus are doing great, the are beautiful and super healthy thank you a lot! I will definitely order from your site again.
Good afternoon Michael happy Friday. This is Brent R. the fish delivered Tuesday and I love them. This is from yesterday afternoon when I turned on the lights! I was wearing my Discus.com tshirt yesterday when I was acclimating my fish.
We LOVE the selection! They are a perfect addition to the couple we already had. Thank you!
Hello Michael, It is my pleasure to review the recent discus purchase I made. The second photo is a Red Turquoise from the famed Schmidt-Focke line. As one can see the patterning and color are superb as well as having great body shape. Once again I continue to enjoy ordering great quality fish from Discus.com.
Everyone showed up great. Healthy and beautiful. I love them! They are beautiful additions to my tank. Seems like they're loving the new home, active and eating well. Thank you for the beautiful fish!
Beautiful picks! All healthy! Nice!!! Thanks!!!
Arrived in perfect health.
Hi Michael, the sickest died yesterday. The other one that seems to have similar issues does not seem to be deteriorating as fast and looked pretty similar as he did yesterday. I was able to coax him out of hiding to get a few pictures. Some fraying/loss of tips of pectoral fins, ventral fin, caudal fin and more of a dull coloration of his scales. I'm keeping a close eye on him. He's still hiding while the other five are out foraging (I have 6 in that tank)
It is just a sharp contrast to the rest of the fish which looked in excellent condition. The blue knights in particular look amazing, very healthy, very colorful. I've got a few glimpses of the german turquoise but they are mostly in hiding still.
Nice fish, everyone arrived alive.
Thanks 4 the e-mail Michael! Fish are doing great!!! Thank 4 the sweet fish! I will be getting a few more fish in May.....the fish were packed great! But after they left you!.... they were not handled right.... they were beat up pretty badly! My order was to big and thats my bad :) If the carrier does not keep the box the right way the whole time the fish will get beat up and stress out and are in trouble! All fish survived and in the time since have only Lost 3 of them! Love your Web site i have to be on it everyday and see all the great selections You have! (I want all of them!!) Hahahaha thanks again 4 everything Michael!
They eat all that You can put in front of them! The golden pigeon leopards are getting better looking everyday and are always moving around the tank and active! My favorite guys are the german red turquoise (red base) ... they have a great shape to them and the fins are always up and out on display!! And the royal heckel cross! Cant wait to see what he will be look like in a few months! Beautiful fish!! Thanks y'all! I appreciate ya.
Pictures of my fish tank and the 4 fish that you sent.
Feeding time!! Just wanted to share a few more pictures of our beautiful crew!! We are so happy with them, if we had a bigger tank I definitely would have bought more from you, great quality discus!! You have many more selections and healthy discus. If I recommend to my family and friends, I will definitely tell them about discus.com!
I will update the website soon..just wanted to say they all recovered from there shipment and looking good. Still a bit antsy...but that was expected
Good morning! The discus just arrived! They are beautiful! They were very cold at 69 degrees. I hope they will be ok! I thought the red was dead, but today, Friday, seems ok this morning. Also, a lot of the water leaked out during shipping, but they are so beautiful! My current discus is harassing/herding them. I have the lights turned off and feeding a bit more often, any suggestions? It’s a blue diamond about a half inch bigger than the new ones.
Thank you!
Jody
Hi Michael, everything is good.
Mike. Awesome fish. What did you feed them?
Everything is going well. Thank you for reaching out. The discus are growing beautifully even though I lost half my batch the last time I ordered. I've posted a video for you too see. Hope all is well with you.
This discus is doing very well. It has become much more active over the past couple of weeks and is starting to color up pretty nicely. He was fairly small so I am sure he will continue to color up.
All of the fish arrived safely and are now settled in and are loving life. They look great and we are very happy with them. Thank you. I sent them all in a few different emails because it wouldn't let me send them all in the same one. Hope you get them all. We look forward to doing more business with you in the near future.
Yes I received my discus. They're beautiful.