MARLBORO RED DISCUS Marlboro Red Discus is another strain of Discus fish which is quite popular in the aquarium market. Unlike the elegant blue color found in solid blue discus, the Red Marlboro features itself with the vivid red body and light-yellow face, which if you observe from a far distance, a group of Red Marlboro Discus will look like a small flame waving beautifully underwater. Marlboro Red Discus are mostly found captive bred. As a variant of Discus fish and a member of family Cichlidae, Marlboro Red Discus are famous for the distinctive disc-shaped appearance, and regarded as quite difficult to care for, yet once successfully, the fish become the pride and joy of those aquarists who possess them. The reason behind the advanced care level mainly lies in Discus’s size and high demands for living conditions. Although they are mostly captive-bred species, Marlboro Red Discus still incline to tropical environments. They will prefer dwelling in calm water flows with abundant live plants around. Warm and clean water are still the key factors for the survival of Red Marlboro Discus. More importantly, their big size with a distinctive disc-shaped appearance, despite highlighting the aquarium, increases the difficulty of care level by impelling the aquarists to pay more attention when setup and maintenance of the fish tank. Nevertheless, if you grasp some key points, keeping the Marlboro Red Discus is not as hard as you’ve imagined. Big size, big tank: If your fish are large, then your tank should be large, too. The average size of Discus fish is about 6 inches (above 15 cm). And, they often live in groups of six specimens. Hence, you may need a 75-gallon tank in the least for this case. Also, be aware of the pecking order issue as it is often established among Discus fish. Water conditions: Appropriate water temperature and clean water are two main issues when it comes to living conditions of Discus. Make sure your tank imitates the tropical areas characteristics (you could refer to our suggestion below), and the water change process is well performed regularly (30% per week). Given its large size, Discus eats a lot and disposes of the comparative waste. Thus, performing water changes diligently helps filter their waste out and return the clean conditions for them to thrive in captivity. Semi-aggression disposition: Try to reduce their aggression level by providing sufficient ample spaces and live aquarium plants to hide them from each other. Discus will be happier and surely appreciate such additions. What You Can Expect From This Fish: Distinctive disc-shaped appearance with a variety of bright coloration A focal point in the aquarium Thriving in heavily planted tanks RECOMMENDED TANK PARAMETERS: Temperature: 85° - 86°F (29° - 30°C) pH: 6.8 - 7.6 KH: 1 - 4 dKH GH: Soft to medium Minimum tank size: 75-gallon tank suits a group of six to seven specimens (provided water change performed weekly gallons) CARE GUIDELINES: Diet: Discus are omnivores and prefer both plant matter and live food. Although their favorite is bloodworms, they can accept other food sources such as tropical fish flakes, mosquito larvae, brine shrimp, and shrimp pellets. Social behavior: Semi-aggressive towards the same species (especially during breeding seasons), yet relatively peaceful to the tank community. Origin: Tank-bred Average adult size: [●] inches ([●] cm) Average purchase size: [●] inches ([●]cm) See more details about care guide for Discus fish here.
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