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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

A: Our fish are kept in 6.8 pH (New York City tap) water, 88F (bare-bottom tanks only), and 50 TDS (hardness). If your discus are co-housed with plants or tank mates, these parameters may be adjusted accordingly. For planted aquariums, especially those containing fragile plants, we recommend a temperature no higher than 83F. For aquariums containing hardier plants such as swords and anubias, 84-85F would be reasonable.

A: No, we are mail-order only to the public. We sell discus fish in most areas of the country. We offer a live arrival guarantee on all orders, so you do not need to worry about ordering discus fish and having them shipped.

A: All discus carry the scientific name Symphysodon aequifasciatus -- they are all members of the identical species. As such, different strains can be freely interbred, housed together, and enjoyed. That being said, it is always wise to acclimate new discus in a temporary bare-bottom tank for up to a few weeks until they stabilize from transit and begin eating.

  • $100 UPS Overnight (to your door)
  • $80 via Delta/Southwest Cargo, airport pickup

A: If you are going away the best option for feeding discus is to not feed them at all! Stop feeding them 48 hours before leaving. The day before you leave make sure to do a water change. Discus can survive without food for up to 4 weeks without a problem. It is not recommended that you have someone else feed the discus for you while you are away unless they are going to perform water changes for you. The uneaten food will turn into bacteria that will foul up your water quality causing the discus to get sick. If you plan on being away for more than 4 weeks then you should make arrangements for someone to feed your discus and perform one water change per week.

A: Once you have done your research on the fish that you want to buy, you need to make sure that you have the proper environment for your fish to live in. That means having a healthy, cycled tank for them to go into. It is good to have a spare tank set up, so you can acclimate your fish to your water before adding them into a community tank. Always use aged aquarium water with healthy bacteria in it. Discus thrive in aquariums equal to or larger than 75 gallons.

A: Once your fish order has been prepared for shipment, we will coordinate your delivery with you via email and text. You will receive a tracking number by email. We package them with pure oxygen and pack them in insulated boxes. It is best to have someone home when the fish arrive, so that your package does not sit outside your door in the hot or cold weather.

A: Fish are packed in insulated boxes, with clean water and pure oxygen. Heat packs or ice packs are added when necessary at no additional cost. We have had extreme cases where packages have been delayed and still survived. While we would never intentionally put our fish in that situation, delays are sometimes inevitable. For that reason, we take the utmost care in how we package our fish.

A: We ship through UPS, FedEx, and Delta/Southwest Cargo for true Overnight Delivery. Many online fish companies advertise overnight delivery only to ship via 2-day or ground. Our overnight delivery is true overnight and fish typically arrive before 10:30 am the next day and are in transit for fewer than 12 hours in order to minimize stress.

A: Sorry, we only ship within the USA and Puerto Rico. Hawaii orders require US Fish & Wildlife documentation. 

A: Most pictures are taken with out-of-water full-grown adult fish who are showing their maximum color and size potential. Any fish that was just shipped will be stressed. Allow a day or two (or occasionally more) for the fish to acclimate to their new environment – their color will return. This stress can also affect a fish’s appetite. They may not eat for the first day or two. Be careful to not over feed during this period, as uneaten food will rot and diminish the water quality.

A: We can guarantee that your fish will arrive healthy up to 1 hour after they have been delivered. If any of your fish arrive dead on arrival you must send us a picture of the fish in the unopened bag within 1 hour of receiving the delivery. We will then issue you a STORE CREDIT toward your next order for the cost of the fish. We cannot guarantee the fish once the bag has been opened. Also, we cannot issue refunds on shipping costs. We work very hard to make sure that you receive your fish alive and we want your fish to have a long, happy life in your tank. ALl sales are final and we DO NOT issue Refunds- only Store Credit.

A: It is normal for discus to become stressed and/or scared during shipment and once they are released in their new environment. You should keep the aquarium lights turned off for the first 48 hours of introducing the new discus to your tank. During those 48 hours they will be more likely to eat with the lights off. They may not eat right away and may take up to 1 week before they start eating which is normal and does not cause the discus any harm.

A: Yes. We sell discus fish starting at 3 months of age and up. Our 3 inch discus are 3 months old. Each fish listing you see on our website has different sizes to choose from.

A: The 2 inch discus we sell are 3 to 3.5 months old. If fed properly multiple times per day, discus will grow half an inch every month. The maximum size of discus fish is 8-9 inches!

A: Discus fish should be fed at least 2-3 times per day.  Only feed them as much as they will eat in 5 minutes.  Do not overfeed them.  Be sure to vary the type of food you give them every feeding.  Discus fish require a varied balanced diet.

A: The lifespan of a discus fish varies depending on the conditions they are kept in.  Typically, you can expect a discus fish to live around 10 years under the right conditions.  However, it is not unusual for a discus fish to live up to 15 years.

A: Upon receiving your new discus fish, float the unopened bags in your aquarium for 30 to 45 minutes with the aquarium lights turned off.  After 45 minutes, open each bag, catch the fish with a net, and release it into your aquarium.  Do not dump the water from the fish bags in your aquarium.  Keep the aquarium lights off for at least 2 hours after releasing your fish.

A: Our founder, Michael Li, did very well in school. Due to the large numbers of transactions we handle with our suppliers each month, we leverage economies of scale to provide our customers with a reduced cost basis. In fact, we challenge you to find pricing that is lower than ours for each of our available strains -- show us, and we'll match it.

A: We sell everything we feed our own fish. Check out our food section and freeze dried foods for the full lists. Our Calfornia freeze-dried blackworm cubes are our top selling food item.

A: Yes, purchase a gift certificate with card #1 first. Once we email you the redemption code, you may then proceed with your purchase using card #2.

A: Yes -- each specific photo you'd like will cost $20. Taking photos requires time. Our time is extremely valuable, and we will charge for it. The total cost of the photos will be deducted from your order once you place it. We are the #1 discus seller by volume in the world. Our product photos are extremely accurate and representative of actual fish received. Please refer to our customer review photos found on the bottom of each fish on its description page, or check out our customer review section.

A: All of our terms and conditions are outlined here. Every customer must agree to abide by our policy before they may submit an order.

A: Yes-- otherwise, we wouldn't be selling them. As the #1 discus seller in the world, it makes sense that we are also the largest discus facility in the world. Our carrying capacity is well over 6,000 discus and 10,000 gallons at any given time.

A: Discus.com takes every precaution necessary to protect your privacy and personal information. When submitting sensitive information (such as a credit card number) via our website, that information is collected, encrypted and protected by the best encryption technology available in the industry—SSL. Discus.com uses 128-bit EV encryption by GoDaddy, the most trusted form of SSL software presently available—used by Google, PayPal, banking websites such as Citibank and Bank of America, and Apple. To learn more about EV SSL certification, visit GoDaddy.com.

A: The answer depends on the complexity of the order in question. Simple straightforward orders may ship out as early as same-day. Complicated orders such may take several weeks, or in worst-case scenarios, several months. For example, international orders are particularly complex, as they require abundant paperwork, health certificates, and a certificate of origin.

Orders containing breeding pairs may necessitate the parents complete spawning prior to being shipped. Also, orders containing rare strains may involve waiting for our next incoming shipment to arrive in order to complete the order.

All submitted orders are guaranteed to be fulfilled in a reasonable amount of time. We never intentionally hold a customer's money or cause delays within our control. Regardless of the circumstance, we maintain that keeping open communication with customers has always been the best policy.

A. No, this website will only make it worse. In fact, our creator Michael Li likens his creating Discus.com to an alcoholic opening his own bar. If you are a terminally-ill discus addict, you have been advised to stay away!

A: No, what you are describing is normal wear and tear from the shipping process. With a bit of Paraguard and a good diet, your fish will fully heal from their transit scars within a week. Remember to keep the tank covered for the first 48 hours and temps on the high side (86-88F) for setups without tankmates/plants and (83-84F) for planted/tankmate setups.

A: It is not reasonable to expect baby or juvenile fish to resemble exact replicas of the parents -- they require time to grow into their final patterns and colors. If you want what's exactly pictured on the website, you need to order adult fish. See our customer review gallery for actual examples of the fish you will actually receive, in various sizes. In addition, when fish are first received, variables such as stress, pH, diet, temperature, and substrate color (no black or dark colors!) will have an impact on coloration. Also keep in mind that most of our photos are taken out of water.

A: We have a small showroom in New York City by appointment only. However, due to our strict sanitation and quality control requirements, customers are typically not allowed in our facility. We are predominantly a mail-order company only.

A. Everything we feed our fish we make available for sale in our food section. Take a look at our "discus buffet" here.

A. Chances are likely that you will not. Several myths have been propagated by unscrupulous dealers that breeding discus is somehow a get-rich-quick scheme. This is simply not the case. The average operational cost to open a proper breeding and holding facility is $300k, and you will be competing with industry veterans. That said, amateur breeders have been known to make a name for themselves and fund their hobby by locally selling homegrown strains.

A: We get asked this question a lot, probably more than any single other question. We own a number of other valuable and highly-trafficked domains such as DiscusFish.com Grubby.com, and Unsweetened.com.

Michael Li, the creator of Discus.com, had the foresight to come into ownership of these properties very early on in the history of the internet before they reached unattainable status and fell into the wrong hands. Today, Discus.com has blossomed into not only the largest discus e-commerce storefront on the internet, but also the largest institutional discus knowledge library in the world through our Learning Center. Collectors, hobbyists, and impassioned discus enthusiasts are the biggest winners.

A: It is preferred for discus to keep temperature anywhere from 82 to 86 , ph 5.5 to 7.5  with frequent water changes, as frequent as possible . For young ones it is better to have water changes up to 5 times a week, this will keep them happy and healthy. Change about 30 to 70 % until they get 3 to 4 inches with  conditioners added.

Angels prefer 78 to 82 , ph 5.9 to 7.5. with good amount of oxygen. Angels do not require frequent  water changes maybe once or twice in ten days; it all depends on the size of the aquarium, number of fish and filtering system you use.

A: Thank you, and no. In our opinion, discus fish are the most beautiful fish in the world, and are one of the best fish to keep and breed in the aquarium hobby. Please visit our Learning Center for tons of exciting information on how to be successful with discus.

A. We house over 10,000 gallons of water in our state-of-the-art hatcheries. The photos available provide a general idea of what to expect. However, due to our volume, it is impossible to photograph individual fish. We understand that every discus purchase is deeply personal for a customer, and we take extreme care in selecting only the highest quality fish for each and every order. We would rather not sell fish at all than ship specimens that do not match our extreme standards for genetic focus and quality. Part of the experience of purchasing from us is entrusting us to choose your fish based on our appreciation for aethestics and keen professional eye. Imagine a chef of a Michelin Star restaurant preparing an exquisite meal upon receiving a customer's specific course selection from the restaurant's menu. We are the chef.