Penang Blue Knight Discus
$52.00 – $167.00
What could be considered the topaz of the aquarium world, the Penang Blue Knight features a blend of azure and light-sapphire tones. The characteristic lateral and oval shape serve as a palette for horizontal burgundy and dark brown stress bars reminiscent of Impressionist-era brush strokes. The patterns intersect at the forehead, where they run across a narrow face to form an intricate zebra pattern in between splashes of blue and their signature red eyes.
The blue hues and patterned stress bars cover the body and remain consistent on the dorsal, rear, and pelvic fins. The only shift in the overall design is the light blue, beige, and black spots that color the base of a near-transparent caudal fin.
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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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All fish appear to be doing well. All ate last night and this morning. They look great! Thanks! Will order more in the future as long as my tank can handle it.
Loving my discus. Did you get my review? I ask because I left my phone uploading photos but I’m not sure if it submitted or not.
I am at...More
Hi Michael,
Loving my discus. Did you get my review? I ask because I left my phone uploading photos but I’m not sure if it submitted or not.
I am attaching photos from this evening. I am having a hard time with ID on some and was hoping you could check my guesses to see if I’ve got it right.
Mike, Here’s a few pics about 48 hours after arrival. (Kept the lights off & room dim until today) Obviously the pics speak for themselves. Great Looking fish, Colors are showing, even in the Juvies 3”- 3.5”. So excited to watch them grow & see the colors blossom as Adults. Thanks, they are awesome!!
I received my package, however, I think maybe they could have been wrong about the selection I made! With the exception of the two golden ones, the others look identical. From Michael: You ordered small discus which will take time to grow into the adult forms pictured on my website. However, even in this size, it's extremely clear to me the patterns are different. For example, the leopard snakeskin is clearly showing a spotted/snake pattern, while the Penang Blue Knight you ordered has a clear striated pattern. Don't just look at the colors. The patterns matter a lot, too.
I ended up putting in sand and HOB filter because it's much easier to see and clean up the uneaten food and the reflection off the bottom seemed to be adding to their stress. I've done partial WC everyday sometimes 2 times a day to make sure I get all food.
PH - 6.8
Ammonia - 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 20 ppm (that's how it comes out of tap)
Temp -88
Added a little bit of salt and stress guard
I'm very pleased overall. I just wish they would eat and I'm worried about the Tefe and the nose of the Rafflesia. I'm going to go try and find some Paraguard. I'll keep you posted.
All of the discus are up and moving this morning. The albino is still not 100% but better. I offered some food this morning. Some ate frozen blood worms. Some didn’t eat. I expected that. They are settling in. I’ll offer up some live brine shrimp later today to see if I can jump start their appetites.
The Sterbi’s are all doing good. I owe you for 1. You sent 9. Two of the gold nuggets are doing well. One is not moving much. We’re they tank raised or wild?
All in all I’m very pleased. I’ll get some pictures to you this morning.
FYI I’ve bred discus back in the 70’s and 80’s. Small time but I had 1500 gallons and probably 10 or 12 pairs at any given time. I loved my Heckles and Tefe’s the best. At that time there were some new crosses coming out. Solid colored, blues and greens mostly. The reds came later and were nothing like the reds of today. I’m partial to the wild discus always have been, but I really like all of the crosses you offered. I which I had more tank space.
I had switched to salt water and raised corals for 30 years. 18 plus tanks and 1000 gallons. I sent corals back to the oceans through the Chicago marine club of which I was the president of. That was a tough gig. All this time I’ve missed the discus. I have no intention of breeding anymore. Just taking care of them. Watching them has brought back memories of the fish and friends I’ve met through the years.
There is a lot of sellers out there who are taking advantage of the people looking to get into keeping discus. You are definitely one of the good guys. You are a rare guy, Mike. Keep up the good work. Thanks Mike.
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!
Good morning Michael, I’m and enjoying the discus and I’m wanting to get 4 more with a few more Corys. It’s probably going to be in February or January I’ll order them and looking forward to getting some new colors for the tank. Thank you for the awesome service! They eat from my hands! And are so happy and swimming all day long!
Thank you Michael! All is good, we took the acclimating slow and it paid off. Didn’t know if the Blue Penang was going to make it due to the delay from FedEx, but after a few days all good. Melon was a trooper from the start.
I have always ordered my Discus from Jack Wattley and this is the first time I ordered from you. I must say, I'm impressed with the quality ...More
Michael:
I have always ordered my Discus from Jack Wattley and this is the first time I ordered from you. I must say, I'm impressed with the quality of your fish as well as your shipping! Thank you!!
Rich
I was worried about salient peppering and dark background. The quality fish you sent have such light peppering that it isn't a problem. You ruined me, man...lol. I was going to get a saltwater, but now I'm going to simply get a bigger tank. These guys are worth it.
This is a beautiful blue fish. If you are looki...More
This is a beautiful blue fish. If you are looking for something with brilliant blues, this is the fish. It's gorgeous even at its small size. This Penang Blue Knight will be spectacular when it is an adult! It arrived healthy and barely needed coloring up from shipping. You won't regret doing business with Michael, every fish I've gotten has been exactly what was advertised.
These are accurately sized fish to what I ordered. Quality discus is here at this site and great customer service as well. Don't ever doubt it. Being patient on your order will pay off, but don't be afraid to reach out to Michael on any concerns. His response is quick during business hours.
Pictures depict one fish. I want to include good pictures for the review as most reviews show a bunch and it's a guessing game which one you're wanting to actually see. I hope you find this helpful!
Thank you Michael!
Yes everyone arrived fine, they are so beautiful, I'm very happy with them, and I'll 100% be buying from you again.
On a more positive note the seven ...More
Yes, everything is fine. They look awesome!!
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.
Michael ...More
My Penang Blue Knight Discus is gorgeous to look at with bold blue color and black striping he is eating like a champ and settling right in.
Michael went above and beyond making sure I was happy with my purchase. He answered questions promptly and gave me bigger Discus than what I paid for. The 11 discus that I have are beautiful and eating great.
I received my fish and love them. Now I am just wondering about my plants and when they are coming? I assumed they would come at the same time. Thank you so much for getting discus shipped to me.
Hello Michael, just a little update. Thanks again for the beautiful fish, sir.
The fish arrived at the airport on time. The packaging was Impeccable. No surprise the fish were in excellent health. The two discus a medium Albino Leopard Snakeskin 4.5" and a large Penang Blue Knight 5.75" both stunningly beautiful and eager to get out of their rather cramped quarters.
This like all the other fish I have ordered from Michael; a consummate professional and just a down right great guy. These strains were beautiful. I cant wait to add them to my 140 gallon display tank.