Orange Checkerboard Pigeon Discus
$63.00 – $193.00
Orange as bright as a high magnitude star that illuminates the void of interstellar space will grace your aquarium as a checkerboard pigeon discus. With amber or red eyes and lateral striations that run the gamut from thick to thin lines and occasional small black specks on the nose and face, this multi-colored fish will brighten your aquarium as a supernova brightens the darkness.
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4 reviews for Orange Checkerboard Pigeon Discus
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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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They're doing great love them so much thanks for all your help.
(So much for acclimating them gently and slowly… I took ...More
Everyone arrived alive. They arrived on Friday at 10:10 and I had to leave for work at 11.😧🤭
(So much for acclimating them gently and slowly… I took them out of 1st layer of bags (water was still nice and warm) and started plopping the bags into my tank. Then I started at the back at beginning of the line up and started opening the bags the fish were in and letting tank water in. ((((Repeat)))) (Lights off)(added stress guard to tank)
Long story long, they all were still alive when I got home from work and they all seem to be eating well! I am really excited to see what their colors are going to look like when they grow up. They are just now starting to look like they are feeling more “at home” and colors are starting to reveal themselves. So pretty!!! I didn’t know the eyes lost color too when stressed… the red eyes are starting to appear😍
They are getting to know me already and come over by me when they see me🥰
Thanks so much for your zeal and passion for these magnificent fish. You make this hobby so enjoyable knowing I'll always get top notch customer service from you with the awesome discus as a foundation at Discus.com! It's like opening up a Christmas present when I get my discus delivered. Much better than a "Red Rider" BB Gun! Here I am, like a big kid version of Ralphie on "A Christmas Story" when I see the flashes of color dashing around the plastic shipping bag! Fun! Thanks Mike!
My wife and I live in Anchorage, Alaska and decided to order discus from Discus.com after speaking and emailing with Michael Li. Michael was extremely communicative, helpful, and reassuring throughout this somewhat stressful process of shipping seven discus to us in the middle of winter.
All seven fish arrived alive, healthy, and warm with one struggling a bit the first night. Michael was on the phone with us (and it is a 4 hour time difference between AK and the East Coast) throughout the unpacking/acclimation process. Within 12 hours of arriving in our aquarium all seven (including the one that had a rough few hours) were shoaling together, eating, and brightening up. Michael and Discus.com have exceeded our expectations by a LONG SHOT! We plan on only going through Discus.com for all future discus fish transactions.