5 Best Foods for Discus Fish – What do Discus Eat?
If you’re looking to keep your discus fish healthy and happy for a long time, then one of the best ways to do that is to buy high-quality foods for them. These foods should have high amounts of protein, but also other nutrients that will allow your discus fish to grow to their full potential.
This will be easier said than done, though. Most commercial foods, especially flakes and pellets that are cheap and readily available in some local shops, might just not do the trick.
Instead, you’ll do better to buy specialized discus fish foods that have the right amount of nutrients for the discus fish, and are made especially for this type of fish.
Of course, you’ll need to find a good balance between all the foods you feed to your fish. It’s important to keep some variety in their diet, because feeding them only one type of food is never beneficial.
But if your after high-quality sources of food, then you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll discuss the best food for discus fish, and what you need to keep in mind when it comes to discus fish diet.
Best Commercial Foods for Discus Fish
So, what are the best commercial foods that you can buy for discus fish? These are our recommendations.
1. Seachem NutriDiet Discus Flakes
The Seachem NutriDiet discus flakes are one of the best foods for your discus fish. That’s because it has the right blend of the right nutrients that your discus fish will ever need.
It’s a great blend of different types of flakes. It has some fantastic ingredients that will satisfy your discus fish, such as fish, squid, and earthworms.
In addition, these flakes have Chlorella algae, which is one of the best additions to flakes you can add. The algae are a fantastic source of additional nutrients for your discus fish.
They will add some crucial amino acids to the blend, while also adding vitamins and some other key nutrients to help your discus fish grow.
The flakes also have probiotics, which will keep your fish safe from potential diseases by boosting its immune system. It reduces waster produced by the fish, because the food will be digested better by the fish, and there will be much less wastage.
Overall, this food should be fed 3 times daily, but it’s definitely one of the best types of flakes you should order for your discus fish right now.
2. Hikari Tropical Vibra Bites Fish Food
This Hikari food for tropical fish is one of the best sources of food for your discus fish. It’s different from traditional flakes as it comes in shape of worms, but it has all the nutrients that your discus fish will ever need.
It comes in the form of worm-shaped sticks, which can be used as either the primary source of food for your discus fish, or as a complementary source of food.
The unique thing about these sticks is they will move through the water just like live worms, which will make your discus fish interested instantly in these worms, as they will try to eat them and hunt them.
It’s a great type of food for discus fish, because it’s a fantastic replacement for live foods. It has almost all the nutrients live foods have with an addition of extra nutrients for discus fish specifically.
You can buy this food as a primary source of food, or you can consider it as an addition to the overall diet of the discus fish.
3. Sera 307 Discus Granules
The Sera 307 discus granules are sinking granules that will become the staple of any discus fish’s diet. It’s a primary source of food for the discus fish.
These granules will float and sink through the water, so they will slowly find their way towards the bottom of the tank, allowing your discus fish to grab them easily as they swim around.
You will need to keep the feeding patterns moderate though, because if you feed the discus fish too much of these granules, they will soon find their way towards the bottom of the tank, and if there’s too many of them, they will stay right there.
But the granules are full of beneficial nutrients for the discus fish. They are designed specifically for this type of fish, so they have all the nutrients necessary for the discus fish.
Plus, they have a garlic extract, which gives them a special and unique taste, but it also has probiotics, which will boost your fish’s immune system.
These granules are great for fish that are still growing but also for fish that are active and extremely fertile. If you’re breeding your discus fish, then these granules will be fantastic.
4. New Life Spectrum Discus
This package carries 150 grams of pellets for your discus fish. With all of the nutrients needed by the discus fish, it’s one of the better packages you can buy for the fish.
Of course, these pellets can be the primary source of food for your discus fish, because they are nutritious enough but they also have the right amount of nutrients in the package.
The main ingredient is the squid, so they will be very tasty for the discus fish. One of the main features of this food is that it will boost the colors of your discus fish inside the tank, so you will be able to see brighter colors from your fish in just a few weeks.
It also has all-natural preservatives, so you won’t have to worry about any unnatural stuff finding its way into the pellets.
This will keep your fish healthy, because they will easily avoid the nasty stuff that’s sometimes present in commercial foods, especially in cheap and low-quality foods.
They also allow for a better digestion, so the fish won’t produce that much waste as they normally would.
5. Ocean Nutrition Discus Flakes
If your discus fish like flakes better, then you have to get these flakes by Ocean Nutrition. It has a flavor of seafood, and they are very palatable for your fish.
They are also attractive and clearly visible, so the fish won’t confuse it for something else.
They have very high amounts of protein inside and they will boost the coloration of your fish massively. They will also help to maintain your fish and keep them healthy and vital for much longer.
In addition, these flakes were tested thoroughly and created by biologists, so they won’t cloud the water at all.
Once you put them inside, they won’t leave any residue behind which can cloud the water, which is way better than most other discus fish flakes on the market.
How to Feed Your Discus Fish?
From my experience, it’s best to feed your fish twice a day, and in moderate amounts. These amounts should be enough for the fish to consume all the food in less than 3 minutes.
One thing to keep in mind is to keep a variety in their diet. Because only feeding them one type of food will be worse for the fish than if you kept some variety and added live foods to pellets or flakes.
Avoid overfeeding at all costs, too. You can easily avoid this by making sure you only feed them twice, and in moderate amounts. They will want to eat more sometimes, but you should not let them because it can lead to obesity.
Can Discus Fish Eat Bloodworms?
Yes, discus fish will love to eat bloodworms, as it’s one of their most preferred types of food.
However, bloodworms are often not as nutritious as the foods we’ve mentioned above, and you should only feed the worms to the fish from time to time. They should be used more as treats rather than primary sources of food.
Can Discus Eat Veggies?
Yes, discus fish will also eat veggies, although you’ll need to cut them in easily consumable chunks. This includes peas, red lettuce, spinach, or spirulina.
Some discus might like veggies, while others will not eat them. In any case, you should try it and see if they like it.
Can Discus Fish Eat Beef Heart?
Yes, discus fish can eat beef heart, because it’s tasty food for them, but it’s also a great source of protein for your fish.
You can add beef heart as a supplement to the diet, or as a secondary source of food. They will be great for your fish’s growth, but it will also boost the colors of your fish greatly.
Conclusion
Discus fish are beautiful animals with bright colors. But these colors will only show if you feed the discus fish the right types of food constantly.
To help you out, we’ve prepared the best list of foods that your discus fish will enjoy, and foods that will boost their growth and benefit their color patterns greatly.