Pineapple Discus - Symphysodon discus willischwartzi

Symphysodon discus willischwartzi

Species Name: Symphysodon discus willischwartzi

Common Name: Pineapple Discus

Family: Cichlidae

Order: Perciformes

Class: Actinopterygii

Max Size: 12.3 cm

Environment: Freshwater

Origin: South America – Amazon River Basin

Temperament: Semi-aggressive

Company: Ideally kept with peaceful species. You can for instance pick small tetras, cories, and plecos.

Aquarium Setup: A 20 gallon tank is considered minimum for a breeding pair. If the fish are to be kept for display purposes only then a tank of 40 gallons should be provided.

Food: High quality pellet food, brine shrimp and beefheart should comprise the bulk of the food given. Black worms and blood worms may also be fed on occasion.

Breeding: While there are many theories on how to sex discus based on secondary sexual characteristics, the only way to be 100% positive of the gender is to observe the breeding tubes when they extend. If the breeding tube is tapered you are looking at a male fish; females always have non-tapered breeding tubes.

Discus will breed quite readily in the home aquarium and this variety is no exception. Just like all other members of its species, Symphysodon discus willischwartzi forms monogamous pairs. As soon as two specimens have paired off, they will select a vertical surface in the tank and then clean it together. When the spot is clean, the female will pass over it and lay her eggs on it and the male will follow behind and fertilize them. This process will be repeated multiple times during each spawning.

Symphysodon discus willischwartzi are dedicated parents and the mother and father will take turns fanning the eggs with their pectoral fins. You can expect the eggs to hatch within 48-60 hours. Even after the hatching, both parents raise the fry together and provide protection as well as food for the young ones. The newly emerged fry will feed off their egg sacks at first, but the parents will eventually start secreting a slime coat to feed their offspring. When young leave the parents and are free swimming you can give them newly hatched brine shrimp.

If you wish to keep the fry alive and healthy you must make sure that the water quality in the aquarium is extremely high. The water should be changed at least once a day, and 2-3 times a day is to be preferred. Water changes should be upwards of 90-95% each time.

The fry may be left with the parents or may be separated out. If the pair is being kept for the purpose of breeding then the parents should be moved to a new tank once the fry are free swimming and no longer feeding off their slimecoat.