Wild Classic Brazilian Heckel Discus
$150.00 – $175.00
Sure, I’ve got a wild Brazilian outing in my dreams and on my bucket list. Carnaval do Rio de Janeiro, the world’s biggest carnival/festival, with two million people per day on Rio’s streets… that’s the one I dream about attending. What happens in Rio stays in Rio? Nope, that’s Vegas… but it may apply to those adventurers willing to take the plane to the train and get to Brazil.
Brazil’s Wild Brazilian Yellow Heckel Discus tells me this: Enjoy Your Festivals! Honor Your traditions! Here in northeastern Pennsylvania, my mom’s side of the family–Lithuanians from the old country–had their traditions. Ever since I was a small boy, my parents took me to the festivals here in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, anthracite coal country where many European immigrants came to work in the mines. They had it rough, the immigrant miners, owing their souls to the company store. But… they enjoyed a festival now and again. Today their ancestors still hold those ethnic festivals and I bring my children for pierogies, halupki and the culinary artistry of the Pennsylvania Dutch. Shoo fly pie got its name because the Dutch (really Germans) put the pies on the open window sills and had to “shoo” the flies away from the sweet smells emanating into the cool mountain air.
When I was a boy in the PA mountains I stumbled upon my uncle Bill’s book about the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. We talked about going there and from those moments going forward I always dreamt of going to see the most concentrated amount of plants and animals in any one spot on God’s good green earth.
This fish’s yellows and browns scream the word WILD BRAZIL!
“Honey… call our travel agent…”
“But we don’t have a travel agent dear…””
“No worries… we’ll book a flight for Carnival which is held every year before Lent. And then we’ll take a boat up the Amazon and check out the world’s most fantastic rainforest.”
“Will Sting be there dear?”
“No but we will.”
By Robert Gluck
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9 reviews for Wild Classic Brazilian Heckel Discus
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Collectors yearning for the iconic look that can only be obtained with a heckel would be hard-pressed to find a fish that exceeds our classic Brazilian heckels. Each fish has the signature jagged “lightning bolt” that runs vertically through the fish sides, almost creating an “Eye of Sauron” Lord of the Rings look.
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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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This one is a wild one, correct? From Michael: Yes indeed, this is your Brazilian Heckel Discus.
Fish look great so far we have 3 other discus and everyone is getting along so far. I appreciate the excellent quality discus. They’re beautiful and just what we were hoping they would be.
Hi Michael. Discus delivered. Happy with them but right now they are really stressed from shipping. The shipping box bottom was very wet and quite a bit of leaked water from all 3 bags into the styrofoam box. Acclimating discus now. My tank water is pH 6.8 and temp 91F. Should i adjust to match yours exactly? From Michael: 91 is too high. You'll kill them. Lower it to 89F max.
I left a review with all these discus. I couldn't be happier with these beautiful discus. These are beautiful too all of them are!!! You do a phenomenal job with your discus! I want to thank you for picking out truly magnificent discus for me!! So glad I took the chance on buying discus!! Had been told they're impossible to keep healthy. Your discus are not only beautiful but also healthy and resilient!! Grateful I found you!!
So beautiful!!
Here are pics. I am concerned that the first couple of pics there is a scar/hole in the head. I will wait to see. What I did not see is the yellow wild caught Ica. None of the fish resemble the Ica. From Michael: None of the fish have hole in the head. Based on your photos, I see the yellow Ica, do you?