界： 動物界 Animalia
門： 脊索動物門 Chordata
綱： 輻鰭魚綱 Actinopterygii
目： 鱸形目 Perciformes
亞目： 隆頭魚亞目 Labroidei
科： 慈鯛科 Cichlidae
屬： 盤麗魚屬 Symphysodon
最大尺寸：8“
最低槽尺寸：55加侖
水條件：78-86°F，KH 1-3，pH值6.0-7.5
With such vibrant colors and patterns, this is one gorgeous Discus that many hobbyist sought after!
Pigeon Blood Discus are a selectively bred or man-made species of Discus that typically have a creamy yellowish to orange base color, highlighted by bright red eyes and trimmed off in black stripes and spots. The tails of Pigeon Blood Discus are almost always black. Some of the varieties of this strain have more or less straitions or black spotting with more cream colored body coloring. This strain was developed by Kitti Phanaitthi in 1991 from a mutation in Thailand. Some breeders have noted that if you can grow young Pigeon Blood Discus in a brightly lit aquarium, that there should be less black spots or peppering on botht the body and finnage. Wild Discus originate from the Amazon River Systems of South America, where they were first imported into the aquarium hobby in the early 1930s. Ever since their introduction into the hobby to this day, Discus are considered one of the most colorful, demanding, rewarding and expensive of all tropical freshwater aquarium fish species. Due to their popularity and the high price tag that they command, Discus are very popular with fish breeders. Over the years breeders have not only raised enough tank-bred specimens to largely fulfill the demand from the aquarium hobby, but have developed completely new color strains and patterns as well. Discus are very popular amongst intermediate to advanced fish keepers, and are widely considered to be one of the most rewarding and challenging to keep of the freshwater tropical community fish species available within the hobby.
In the wild, Discus are found living in the upper tributaries of the Rio Negro and Rio Madiera along with the surrounding lakes and flood plains. The water is very low in mineral content, which makes it "soft" water with a low pH ranging from 4.0 to 7.0. The water also maintains very stable and consistent water parameters year round, including water temperatures that range between 80 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit both during the day and night. When keeping Pigeon Blood Discus in the home aquarium, it is extremely important to replicate their natural surroundings and water parameters as closely as possible. It is also very important to maintain very consistent water parameters that have very little pH, temperature and dissolved mineral fluctuations.
Pigeon Blood Discus aquariums should closely resemble their natural Amazonian habitat with plenty of plants and branching root. Water parameters should be very consistent with a pH near 6.8 to 7.2, temperature between 82° to 86° Fahrenheit with low to medium water currents. Discus can thrive in a wider range of water parameters as long as the changes are not sudden and the fish has adequate time to adjust to changing parameters. Pigeon Blood Discus should not be housed with aggressive or boisterous fish species or in aquariums with intense lighting or strong water currents. If strong aquarium lighting is used for plant growth, be sure that the density of the plant life is great enough to provide shaded areas for the Pigeon Blood Discus to retreat to when needed. Strong biological and mechanical filtration along with weekly partial water changes are required to keep water quality high and water parameters consistent. When keeping Discus with live plants, it is best to keep the aquarium pH between 6.0 to 6.8 and a lower water hardness of 150 PPM or less. Lastly, be sure to maintain excellent water quality at all times as Discus do not leave a lot of room for error when it comes to water quality and consistency. Recommended tank mates include: most Tetra species, loaches, cory catfish, smaller Plecostomus species, Siamese Algae Eaters, Ottocinclus, Rams, peaceful Rasbora species, Rainbow fish, Hatchet fish and Pencilfish.
