Description

Blue Diamond is a solid-colour strain: no stress bars, no pattern, just an even metallic blue across the whole disc. Held under good lighting the sheen shifts from powder blue to turquoise as the fish turns.

Discus are not beginner fish, and we would rather tell you that before you buy. They need warm water at 28 – 30 °C, very low nitrate, and either large frequent water changes or a heavily planted low-stocked tank. Get the water right and they are hardy, long-lived, and they recognise you.

Keeping notes

• Keep six or more. Discus are social and single fish become withdrawn and stop eating.
• Target nitrate below 10 ppm. In practice that means 30 – 50% water changes several times a week for growing fish.
• Run the tank at 28 – 30 °C. This rules out most cold-water tank mates.
• Bare-bottom or thin sand substrate makes waste removal far easier while they grow.
• Good tank mates: cardinal tetras, rummynose tetras and sterbai corydoras, all of which tolerate the heat.