The Secret to Massive Discus Growth

THE KEY TO EXPLOSIVE DISCUS GROWTH: FREQUENTLY CHANGING THE WATER

What do you think is the most important thing you can do to help your discus grow huge? Well, Jack Wattley did an experiment proving that frequently changing your discus’ water is one of the most important keys to massive discus growth.

XXL Blue Panda Discus

JACK WATTLEY’S EXPERIMENT

Wattley took discus from the same birth batch and divided them into two groups. He put one group in a smaller tank, and the other in a larger tank. The smaller tank was just large enough to place a pitcher in it to remove the water. This small tank had no filtration, and ninety percent of its water was changed seven to eight times every day. The larger tank held a sponge filter. Ninety percent of its water was changed one time every day. 

After a month, the discus in the smaller tank were double the size of their siblings in the larger tank. All because their water had been changed seven to eight times daily, they were huge. Both tanks had fish with the same parents and ate the same diet, and the tank that grew larger discus was smaller in size and did not even have filtration. But the frequent water changes led to double the growth.

Why would the frequent water changes lead to explosive growth? Wattley explained that frequent water changes cause the water to be clean so that discus can grow to their fullest potential without toxins and bacteria that would hinder their growth and development.

Of course, we don’t expect you to change ninety percent of your discus’ water seven to eight times every day. But we do hope that Wattley’s story will inspire and motivate you to change your discus’ water frequently. 

Another benefit of frequent water changes is that your discus can eat more food, which means a greater variety of nutrients. Just like teenagers who need to eat a lot to achieve their growth spurts, your healthy, growing discus will need a lot of food. The frequent water changes remove the ammonia that is produced form discus’ metabolization of proteins and the ammonia that excess food produces. Ammonia is toxic to discus, so it’s important that your tank is free from it. 

Considering microevolution, some breeders speculate: When you let your discus grow huge, will these discus, over generations, start producing larger discus? 

We hope that Wattley’s story will inspire you to change your discus’ water frequently. Now you know that frequent water changes will help your discus achieve their fullest size potential. When you give discus the proper environment, they will surprise you!

XXL Checkerboard Blue Panda Discus

QUESTIONS

• Do you think that if you grow your discus large, they will, over generations, start producing larger discus?
• How frequently do you currently change your discus’ water?
• To help your discus grow larger, how much more frequently will you start changing your discus’ water?
• What size do you hope to get your discus to achieve?