Marlboro Red Panda Discus
$109.00 – $159.00
It’s been a long day. Your meeting ran late which means you missed lunch. Then your afternoon presentation ran into technical issues, making you look unprepared and needless to say, you didn’t close the deal. On the way home, you decide to pick up your favorite meal because you don’t have much left in the fridge but when you pull into the parking lot of your favorite restaurant, it’s closed for emergency repairs. It has definitely been “one of those days.” You finally get home, throw your keys on the counter and head for the couch.
Suddenly, out of the corner of your eye, you see a flash of fluorescent orange. A single bright spot in an otherwise gloomy day. You look over to see your new Marlboro Red Panda Discus swimming up to the glass, it’s sleek body cutting through the water like a jet. You watch as the light from the window flickers across its scales, reminding you that there is beauty in the world if you just look close enough. You get up off the couch to feed it and for the first time today, you smile.
- Reviews (18)
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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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Here are some close ups. They are as clear as I can get. Now that I have been watching more. The neon sapphire has me a little concerned. He had some damage on his scales which I assumed were from transport, but he is not shoaling with others much. He is still eating when food comes by him but isn't going out of his way to eat the bloodworms like the others do. The first image shows some of the scale damage. I don't know how well it will show up for you. It's worse on the right side. So far all of the fish are doing great. Their colors are so vibrant. I attached some more pictures. It's hard to get close ups that aren't blurry.
They all came in alive! I did not know to quarantine them so I hope they'll do okay! Only one of them looked dead for a while but after I put him in he eventually got up and started swimming.
These are the best I could get, hope they work out, thanks. I had some manzanita that was amazing but was hard to do maintenance around so I removed it, thanks for the tips.
I was waiting to give my review bit I never got the link to do so. So fyi all fish are doing great. Two of my original fish laid eggs after introducing the new fish. They were promptly eaten though. I am attaching pictures of my new and beautiful fish. Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to have such beautiful fish.
All of the discus arrived alive and well. The marlboro red spent the first two hours laying in the sand on his side. I kept all of...More
Sir, my recently arrived melon has some white pod like eggs on gills. I have attached a photo of the concern. Any idea what they may be? I have treated water with numerous parasite treatments. From Michael: You're an idiot. That part of the fish's natural pattern -- not parasites. Treating a fish that doesn't have an illness is a great way to kill it.
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
Good evening I’m not one to complain but the San Merah almost died, the bag was pierced and 75% of the water leaked out and it was almost dead. It took the whole day for it to revive and now it’s swims awkward. the yellow rafflesia I don’t like the black mark on the its chin so I’m not comfortable ordering again. Thank you From Michael: Any pigeon strain will have different degrees of the black markings. It's called peppering. Remove your dark substrate and dark background if you find it unsightly. The markings will diminish. As far as the San Merah goes, keep me posted, and I will do my best to assist.
Will write a review today!! Absolutely love em!!
Hi, this is Josh F... my fish are happy fish!! Thanks, we love them!!! as for favorite, NOPE I love them all.
From Michael: Pay attention to this customer's white substrate. It significantly brings out the maximum coloration of his discus. Wonderful setup, and you clearly understand what you're doing.That's not the right thing to do as a businessman. I will let the people know how you do business. You are cheating. From Michael: Customer orders a 4-4.5" discus. Fish arrived correctly matched and sized, and he accuses me of cheating him, threatens a negative review, and demands a free replacement fish. Do your tactics actually work with other sellers to get free stuff? Please keep your money and stay away from me.
The fish you picked for me are beautiful. You did me solid. I'll get pics and reviews out. Here's a quick shot before the lights went out. I'll get you a couple more with them spread out. It's funny watching them they're playing in the current. I got some MP40s turned way down and they like it.
Please be forgiving with my poor cell phone pictures since the fish just arrived and don't display its full color yet, additionally he's normally shy for now and not easy to catch.
As you will see in these photos, I’m still holding all 13 “babies” from last year’s spawn. They went free-swimming Dec 11 2018... ONE YEAR OLD TODAY!
I purchased the parents from you last year, if you recall. Pretty interesting to see the mix between Mom and Dad in their offspring, wouldn’t you agree?
Thanks for touching based (good customer service). I appreciate you and all you’ve done to help me get back into Discus keeping. Wishing you the best, my friend.
Happy Holidays!
Beautiful pattern and colors, great size, and excellent health. My new Large Marlboro Red Panda has only been here for three weeks, and has already paired up with a Large Golden Carnation Snakeskin from the same order, and laid eggs (should be quite interesting offspring). I appreciate Michael’s attentiveness to getting to know the customer, their tastes and desires, and especially the guidance / education / coaching provided along the way.