Super Carnation Checkerboard Pigeon Discus, Thick Line
$86.00 – $201.00
When the ancient Egyptians first invented checkers, it didn’t take long for them to become obsessed with this simple, but endlessly varied game. All you needed was a set of pieces and a board; no fancy equipment, no cost of entry. Kings and queens would play, but so would common folk. Soon, it became so popular that it wasn’t uncommon for people to be buried with their checker sets. According to legend, this allowed their spirit selves to play the game instead of being bored while waiting to transition into the afterlife.
Whether or not you choose to be buried with your Checkerboard Discus fish is up to you, but we can’t promise it’ll sit still for a whole game of checkers. Still, the Super Carnation Checkerboard Pigeon Discus (say that ten times fast) is a colorful, funky specimen with a striking pattern of striation not that different from the boards where the Egyptians played all those years ago. While red and white are the primary colors for this fish, a splash of yellow near the front of the fish makes its eyes really pop, with some ombre coloring going all the way back to the tail. And, in more modern times, its spiked little dorsal fins give it the appearance of a teen that got a red mohawk to upset mom and dad.
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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.
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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DO NOT BUY UNTIL YOU READ THIS. I want to tell you about a BAD GUY named Michael. I ordered over $400 of fish. They arrived in poor shape and within 6 hours they were dying. I texted back and forth until he ends with contact me in the morning. In the morning all the fish were dead, not only all the fish he sent, me but his fish infected all my fish. I didn’t know about his reputation until it was too late. He has blocked me on text and he has blocked the review page on his website so I can’t put up a bad review. I took pictures of the dead fish, and my bank immediately refunded ALL my money for his disgusting product. He is also a very nasty guy. He told me I was not intelligent and uneducated, in fact he said “Maybe you cooked the fish so you could eat them.” He ended with “I am the largest dealer in America and I would not be the largest if I gave my customers refunds." You have been warned.
From Michael: Ken, your review has indeed been published on Discus.com. Mr. Ken Taboh placed 2 separate orders with us: on April 24, 2024 and May 2, 2024. First order went great, and he ordered again on May 2. The second order contained 2 discus, a snowball pleco, 16 neons, and 3x clown loaches. 6 hours after arrival of the 2nd order, he texts me about white film on the body of the discus. This is pretty normal, as fish will incur ammonia burns as well as normal wear and tear during transit. I tell Ken to use Paraguard and the white spots should fully heal within a week. He agrees to keep me posted. The next morning, Ken texts me informing his entire tank has perished overnight -- including all of the tankmates and the discus he received from me in his first order. Immediately, he demands a full refund for both orders -- even for the previous order in his possession for over 2 weeks. Unfortunately for Ken, this isn't how we operate. We advise all customers to read our Return Policy prior to submitting their order.
Michael, here is a picture of the latest discus I bought a few months ago. It was the discus that almost didn't make it out of the airport. He looks great and doing well. Thank you, Adam
Michael! The discus just arrived!!! Omg they are amazing and gorgeous!!! Didn’t know that all 4 will be coming at the same time. All of them look sooo stunning and gorgeous! Thank you sooo much! All of them arrived well. Only one is just laying down but I think that is just normal since it’s only been a few minutes? Will observe and keep you updated. Really gorgeous fishes. Thank you! Best regards, Lex From Michael: Laying down is normal. If the fish is still breathing, it will right itself within 12 hours.
They arrived alive, a bit lethargic but otherwise seem to be fine. I realize color and striations come with time but I did expect more given their size. Guess time will tell. From Michael: Your baby fish were correctly sized and matched. If you want my photos' depicted 6" adults, that's what you need to order.
Thanks you Al fish okay but they not look like the picture I saw on the web. My fish don’t want to eat I try to let them eat normal food from Petco and bloodworms. And they go up and down all the time everything that normal? Do I need turn off the light all the time? Thank you, Mike From Michael: You were shipped the correct fish. The discrepancy is due to stress, and the small size you ordered. Keep the temps high at 88-89F for the first few days to kill bacteria and whet their appetite. Please follow the acclimation instructions I emailed you.
The fish came in yesterday, and as always you picked beauties! They seem happy and healthy. I only wish my tank were bigger so that I could have more. Thanks as always.
I cannot be more pleased with these fish Michael thank you very much! After we spoke I decided to take the substrate out of the tank I've ordered some very small ceramic pots and I'm going to plant the plants in there with just a bit of gravel for each one hopefully this will make it that much more healthy for the fish and again thank you very much, these are beautiful my friend.
My red and orange are doing great though. Water tested good and I’m doing a water chance tonight. They’re beautiful and they’re doing good. I definitely want to get another yellow and I’m planning on getting a green and a blue one as well.
Pictures of my fish tank and the 4 fish that you sent.
I have really enjoyed working with you, when I first purchased these fish I was just thinking fish were going to come in the mail and that was it! I was very surprised and happy with the service I got! Like I said before I don’t think I could’ve gone through a better company! Thank you so much!!