The Best Discus Foods – Daily Diet for Superior Coloration

Are you currently keeping discus fish? Are you feeling uncertain regarding the kind of proper and healthy diet that you must provide them? For sure, fish keepers love their finned friends but the process can be slightly challenging too particularly for beginners. At times, we keep wondering what adequate diet to provide them and where to get the best discus food products that would significantly help them obtain the necessary nourishment.

As a beginner in discus fish keeping, it is important to discover more about what your pet fish could feed on. Fundamentally, anything that could consist of live foods, pellets, frozen foods, and fish flakes could be consumed by this fish species. And, the most appropriate food for them would be a variety so that they could satisfy their daily nutritional needs to promote good health and fast development.

Thus, diet is certainly a very vital facet to search for and as discus fish owners; you must be very cautious about what you are feeding your aquarium inhabitants. Fortunately, this discus food guide is precisely intended to help discus keepers have a better grasp on how to feed your finned buddies the right way. The other valuable information posted here would also help you make discus keeping a less painful task for you to handle. So, keep reading!

Top-Quality Discus Food Reviews of 2023

1. Hikari USA Inc. Discus Bio-Gold

If you do not want to fail in picking the top-tier food for discus growth, then choose only tried and tested brands that are proven to be effective and reliable in providing proper nourishment for your pet fish. And, the good news is that Hikari is one of the most sterling brands that won’t disappoint you in fish feeding.

These foods are formulated with superior levels of vitamin C so you can be assured that your aquatic pets will be strong enough to fight off infections and illnesses since their immune functions will be boosted. It comes with protein-packed contents too so this helps in accelerating fish growth and increasing the size of your finned friends overall. This contains spirulina in its ingredients too.

Howbeit, a few things that you should be mindful of before purchasing this product are the size of the slightly small pellets if you intend to feed larger discus, and the price tag of this food is pricier than other available fish food products out there.

2. Seachem NutriDiet Discus Flakes

If you are in search of a premium quality discus fish diet, then this product can be your reliable partner to ensure that your aquarium occupants get the nutrients they deserve and require.

It is famous for containing an outstanding and nutrient-enriched fish diet that is particularly meant to satisfy the nutritional needs of this type of fish species. This comes in diverse package sizes such as 50 grams to 500 grams- all you need to do is to decide which one could meet the needs of your discus inside the tank. If you keep several of them, of course, you’ll need to get the bigger size.

On the other hand, these fish flakes appear not the most flavorful type of food for some finicky discus fish and it comes with red dye that tends to change the color of the tank water after a while. These are a few of the minor problems that you need to look through before buying one for your fish.

3. Sera 307 Discus Granules

Are you fishing for superb quality discus food for sale? Then, this option can be one of the most recommendable products that you can give your most cherished finned friends.

This feed is recognized for being a basic food for discus that contains discreetly formulated soft granules that help sustain the overall well-being of your aquarium dwellers. Its probiotics and garlic contents make the food easier to digest. When drenched, the sinking granules become softer but do not lose their shape and do not swell. Hence, the tank water stays clean and clear.

Be that as it may, this product costs more so those who prefer more affordable options, may want to skip this. And, due to improper handling, the food gets easily crumbled into powder. So, make sure to keep it safe while in transport and when storing it. Keep these downsides in mind before making the final shopping decision.

4. Tetra Tropical XL Color Granules

As fish owners, some of us keep wondering what to feed discus; this is probably because we only want the most trusted nutrition for our most treasured aquarium occupants. Luckily, there is no need to keep wondering because one of the top-quality fish diet brands that you count on is right here for you.

Fish foods manufactured by Tetra are known for innovation and quality. And, these are formulated with natural, safe and nutrient-enriched contents that highlight the lovely colors of tropical fish, bolster fish immunity, ensure healthy fish metabolic functions and provide the energy that fish needs for them to grow fast without any health problem.

Two drawbacks that fish keepers can encounter if they give this food to their pet fish are its not being that delectable so some fish won’t be lured to consume them in a few minutes and the pellets sink too immediately so they could cause lots of waste on the bottom of the tank.

5. SAN FRANCISCO BAY Brand Bloodworms

Buying discus fish food in India can be a little pricey. Just like this brand, the price is not certainly budget-friendly but if you’re going to conduct further research, you won’t ever question the reason behind this. As for quality ingredients, this is guaranteed to be exceptional!

If you want your finned friends to become more active, and energetic and increase their current size, this product can be your companion to achieve these targets. This feed is highly recommended for those who show finicky eating behaviors. But, be reminded that this food merely makes a good part of discus diet so you must supplement it with other fish foods to ensure a complete fish diet daily.

While this option is a certified nutritionally balanced product, a few flaws that can be encountered when you purchase this brand are its overpriced selling cost and the package also contains pieces of tiny twigs, grass and other messy debris that may potentially harm your aquatic pets.

6. Hikari Vibra Bites

If you feel baffled about what live food for discus to buy, then why not give this feed a chance to prove its efficiency in providing the proper nutrition for your most treasured discus? If you are presently keeping tropical fish that adore live foods, these feeds will delight them.

What is more, this type of food is designed with worm-like forms so most fish find them interesting and thoughtlessly decide to gobble them. Whether you take care of young and old tropical fish, these would top-rated suit them. If you go for a complete fish diet, then look no further.

Hikari is a well-known brand and is highly trusted for producing superior quality feeds so it is expected that its products are priced slightly higher than other brands. Additionally, this food does not effectively attract most fish to consume them right away which was opposite to what was advertised.

7. Ocean Nutrition Discus Flakes

Ocean Nutrition discus flakes are very renowned and one of the most preferred options when it comes to suitable foods to give to their aquarium pets. Since these are particularly designed to meet the nutritional needs of discus, they serve a very vital role in sustaining the overall well-being of their aquarium inhabitants.

Packed with supreme levels of protein, you can be guaranteed that your fish achieves peak health and accelerated growth. More than that labeled as a gourmet diet for tropical fish, this food is highly enticing, a lot easier to digest for tropical fish and they would find them palatable.

This gourmet diet for discus is slightly difficult to find or purchase from local pet or fish stores, and contrary to what was advertised, it may require some time for discus to eat it. Take these weak points in mind before picking these foods.

What to Look for When Buying Discus Food

The overall wellness of the fish inside the fish tank generally relies on the food they obtain. Fortunately, the market offers lots of products that help aquarists make their fish-feeding job a less complex task to deal with.

Some of the vital considerations that discus fish keepers need to carefully examine before making the final purchase regarding what to feed their finned buddies consist of:

• Nutritional Value

It is wise to opt for both dry and live foods to encourage your aquarium dwellers to enjoy peak health. Inspect the information indicated on the product’s label so you can learn more about the nutritional value of the fish diet. Mix diverse foods if necessary to ensure that your pet fish obtains all the nutrients, minerals as well as vitamins.

• Frozen or Live Foods

It may be impossible to give your fish live food all the time. So, the best alternative would be frozen foods. Luckily, fish supply stores nowadays offer both frozen and live food products in different forms to satisfy diverse fish requirements.

All you need to do is to go over the labels carefully before purchasing one for your aquatic pets. Inspect if the bloodworms do not contain any parasites.

• Fish Flakes, Pellets or Granules?

Some of the most common fish foods that you could easily find at present comprise of pellets, granules and flakes, frozen or live foods. It does not matter what products you opt for; what matters the most is mixing them properly so you can be guaranteed that they can provide all the valuable nutrients required for more vigorous fish health.

Not to mention, granules are the most outstanding processed foods for discus fish because they feed in the middle of the tank and barely do so at the water’s surface. Meanwhile, if you opt for fish flakes, see to it to supplement your aquarium inhabitants’ diet with live foods since flakes are incapable of covering all of their nutritional requirements.

If you go for pellets, make sure to soak them in water before feeding them to your finned friends. This is to avoid bloatedness as pellets could be hard for fish to eat right away.

Other Important Factors to Consider

What is top-tier discus food?

Before you browse diverse online shopping sites or visit local pet or fish stores for discus foods, it is critical to explore more about what kinds of foods discus fish commonly consume. Considering their carnivorous nature, this fish species would thrive top-rated with bloodworms and beef hearts since they could consume insects, small fish, shrimp and larvae in their natural habitat.

You would find packs of bloodworms that were particularly designed for this type of fish. In the same way, there are available frozen beef heart products that were also manufactured to satisfy the nutritional requirements of this fish species.

What is more, discus fish diet should be fortified with pellets and flakes that contain high levels of minerals and vitamins. Hence, aside from ensuring that their eating program consists of types of foods that would meet their carnivorous needs, it is also necessary to introduce minerals and vitamins into their feeding habits. These are regarded as the most suitable foods for discus fish.

What kind of food does discus fish eat?

In their natural habitat (wild), discus fish eat lots of diverse kinds of sustenance. For instance, some of them consume plenty of bug larvae and bugs. Others eat considerable amounts of crustaceans, plants, and worms. Besides, they also love to munch on insects more often.

All the same, in aquariums, these fish species consume more meaty types of meals like brine shrimps, mosquito larvae, earthworms, white worms, and bloodworms. Discus fish also eat spirulina which is known for being stellar at intensifying natural and vibrant fish color.

This fish species also commonly eat flakes handily; for all that, it is not advised to make these as the center of their feeding programs. They also consume pellets.

Why do you need food for discus fish? (Benefits)

Using the appropriate combination of freeze-dried, frozen and live foods is perceived as the key to sustaining well-fed and healthy discus fish. This is the sole reason why it is a must to feed this fish species with foods that are particularly designed to meet their nutritional needs.

Essentially, in discus fish’s natural habitat, they consume more protein since they are known to be carnivores in nature. Hence, if you decide to keep them in an artificial environment, then it is a must to provide them with a type of diet that is similar to that.

Some of the benefits of feeding your aquatic pets with proper nutrition consisting of:

• Feeding your discus with a suitable amount of proteins greatly assists in encouraging faster and healthy growth and development.
• Foods packed with vital minerals and vitamins are not primary sources of energy but these serve as building blocks for healthy immunity, proper functioning, healthy reproduction, and proper digestion.
• Some discus foods are especially beneficial in terms of promoting the breeding and condition of this fish species since they contain a generous amount of fats that work exceptionally in enabling your aquatic pets to instantly add mass and size.
• The right amount of fat content in fish foods is meant to help sustain optimum health for fish. Foods that are high in fats and proteins are ideal, particularly for juvenile discus and young fry.
• For finicky eaters, you can add a mixture of different veggies and beef hearts. This mixture is specifically advantageous in making your fish look stronger and bigger. This is also one great solution to easily raise baby fry.
• Some foods are formulated to help immensely improve fish color. Thus, you can enjoy seeing fish that are attractive and very colorful while swimming, playing, and roaming around the tank.

As you can see, when it comes to providing a nutritionally balanced diet and nutrition for your finned buddies, it is critical to opt for the ones that are formulated with natural and healthy ingredients that focus on allowing fish to healthily and fully grow at their peak.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most trusted discus food brands?

The first thing that you must do when buying the most appropriate foods for your discus fish is to conduct your homework with regards to tried and tested fish food brands that many professional aquarists and fish enthusiasts patronize. In so doing, you will gain insight regarding manufacturers that produce premium quality fish food products for your aquatic pets.

The following brands are just a few of the most highly recognized producers of top-rated products related to fish feeding. These are renowned for being formulated with complete and nutrient-packed ingredients that ensure a nutritionally balanced diet for your finned friends.

A few of the brands that you can count on if you seriously wish to provide your aquarium dwellers with proper nutrition for them to thrive and live longer lives include:

• Hikari
• Cobalt Aquatics
• Josh’s Frogs
• Sera
• Seachem
• San Francisco Bay

You might probably be surprised seeing that these brands are priced more expensively than their competitors, but if you dig deeper into their contents; then you would not question the actual reason behind this.

How do I get my discus to eat?

It is natural to notice discus fish lose their appetite for a few days; however, if this persists, it could lead to serious health problems. There are several possible reasons why your pet fish lose their appetite and these include being stressed due to some tank condition changes or improper tank environment.

So, to impede unfortunate incidents from emerging, it is important to determine the problem at once before the situation aggravates. In most cases, these fish species are not that challenging to feed. They could be sometimes more demanding, but commonly this only happens when they encounter frustration of some sort.

Thus, it is not proper to feed them excessively and only give them the recommended food amount that they consume in a few minutes. Even though they approach their food aggressively at first, this fondness cools down instantly and they begin nonchalantly eating instead.

And, because fish are nowhere near voracious about foods, it is not highly suggested to place them in the same fish tank as other types of fish. The reason is that this could lead to losing their appetite even more and they would be more susceptible to malnutrition.

If your fish still appear unwilling to eat, feed them with live foods so to help them get accustomed to eating in the aquarium. Initially, freeze-dried or frozen foods won’t be as luring particularly because this fish species’ instincts as carnivores are to consume live small fish, shrimps, insects and a lot more.

Once they begin to get trained and start mastering where the food comes from and who feeds them, from there you may switch them on to dry or frozen foods. Take into account the importance of mixing diverse kinds of foods.

Sure thing, getting a finicky eater to eat can be a tedious and tricky process that requires more patience. Also, see to it that the temperature and pH levels in the aquarium are at the right level.

How often should you feed discus?

When it comes to the frequency of times when to feed your discus fish, you must keep the following recommendations in mind:

For those aged less than three months: feed them at least ten by up to twelve times daily

Discus fish aged three by up to twelve months: they must be fed 5 times daily

And those aged 1 year and beyond: it is a must to feed your aquatic pet 2 by up to 3 times daily

Please note that it is improper to give your fish more than enough food that they can consume. As already mentioned previously, overfeeding could lead to obesity, digestive system issues, tank water pollution, and many other different ailments.

How can I make my discus grow faster?

If you want to ensure healthy and fast growth for your discus fish, then keep in mind that the foods you provide them play a very substantial role in that aspect. Generally speaking, protein-packed flakes are more preferable for this fish species. In addition to this, they delight in goat or beef’s heart, artemia, and frozen bloodworms to make a nutrient-filled diet for them.

Nearly all young discus fish could grow instantly with this type of diet. Indeed, live freshwater foods are also preferred for them. Take note that the frequency of feeding your aquatic pet largely relies on its current size.

This implies that if they are two by up to three inches in length, then feeding them every two hours is mandatory. Meanwhile, if this fish measures four by up to five inches long, feeding them five times per day is highly suggested.

For fish measuring five inches in length, giving them food three times per week is already adequate for them.

Does discus need daily water changes?

Even though all tropical fish tanks call for regular water changes; in particular, discus fish tanks require more frequent water changes. Some fish keepers change roughly 20 by up to 25% of their tank water at least 2 by up to 3 times per week.

If your pet fish behave and look healthier after water replacements, then consider changing their water more often. Be reminded that changing your discus fish tank water gets rid of hazardous toxins and other tank water pollutants. You may replace the tank water more often if you can. But if you can’t, just ensure that you replace it at least once per week.

In some special cases, it is necessary to replace the tank water daily. For instance: during times when you medicate your fish or when rearing young fry. Please note that it is unnecessary to replace the entire tank water at once. A lot of fish keepers only replace a percentage at a time; this is to make the task more plain sailing to execute.

In essence, the more you replace the tank water, the more that those hazardous toxins will be eliminated, and the more your aquatic pets will flourish.

How to care, clean and maintain?

As for cleaning, looking after and maintaining your discus fish and the fish tank, you need to take the following guides in mind:

• Live foods must be administered as clumps; on the other hand, fish flakes and frozen foods must be thoroughly sprinkled onto the surface of the water.
• Please be guided that it is prohibited to overfeed your aquarium occupants. If so, this would result in different health issues, obesity and it would also negatively affect the tank water quality. Consider feeding your fish with foods that are 3% of their body weight.
• See to it that you clean the tank, and get rid of any food residues or debris regularly.
• Make sure that you remove the unconsumed food after fifteen minutes.
• Take into account that your discus fish necessitate a sufficient amount of nutrients in their daily feeds. So, make it a point you give them vitamins, proteins, minerals and fats in proper proportions. This fish species needs roughly 50% of the protein-based diet during the development period.

Be that as it may, upon adulthood, you would need to provide them with approximately 35 by up to 40% of proteins per meal.

Where to buy?

If you are planning to provide your discus fish with a variety of foods, then you can start by shopping for different types of foods that were specifically designed for them. Since discus fish require a variety in their daily diet to help them sustain their well-being, then as discus owners, it is your sole responsibility to feed them high-quality foods that would support a healthy lifestyle for them.

Luckily, such foods are not hard to find nowadays and you can encounter lots of options in local supermarkets, pet or fish supply stores in your area. On the other hand, if you are fond of shopping online, then a few of the highly credible online shopping sites that you can bank on include PetSmart, Amazon, and PetCo.

Shopping online can introduce you to a wide range of famous fish food manufacturers around the globe. And, with lots of options to select from for your discus fish needs, you can have the ideal product that would best meet their nutritional requirements.

Amazing Fact about Discus Fish

Discus fish that are bigger than 10 cm is capable of surviving quite well without consuming any foods for a period of two by up to three weeks. For a fact, larger and older fish could thrive even longer, with some instances capable of thriving by up to 60 days without food.

Surprisingly, the reason why these fish species are capable of surviving without food for a longer period is that these long periods of fasting normally emerge in their natural habitat. Indeed, they could have an advantageous effect on their overall health.

Essentially, it is unnecessary to replace the water during this time because without food residue in the tank, there would barely be any contamination.

Conclusion

All factors carefully looked into, shopping for the best discus food especially requires deeper contemplation to ensure that you are feeding them the right foods, capable of providing the recommended amounts and that you are stringently following the right method of feeding and looking after them. Fishkeeping is certainly a delighting hobby, but it surely entails great responsibility too.

Without question, with numerous options readily available when it comes to a variety of fish diet products nowadays, it could at times be overwhelming to come up with the final decision. Discus fish often thrive most suitable when their owners get back to basics. As mentioned in this post, it is wise to provide them with the right food combination to obtain the best possible results.

If you seriously hope to make your fish hobby a success, you must do all the work; from there, you can start reaping the benefits of your hard work and would guarantee healthy and long lives for your most cherished aquatic pets.

Hopefully, the product reviews and other discus-feeding and keeping information shared in this post will serve as your practical guide for you to take pleasure more in your fish-keeping venture.