A. Acidic water is preferable for Discus but it need not be exactly ph 6.3 or ph 6.5 as long as it is on the acid side of neutral. Acid buffers such as Waterlife's 6.5 can be used quite safely to lower your ph.

B. Brine Shrimp nauplii, (newly hatched) are an ideal first food for Discus fry after they are removed from the parents. Quick Receipe: Hatch them at 82f in a ph of 7.5 or over using 6 tsp of salt per gallon of water to 1tsp of eggs.

C. Canister filters are ideal for Discus but choose one that will turn over the volume of the tank 2 - 3 times per hour.

D. Disinfect a tank (when empty) that has contained diseased Discus with a solution of Potassium Permanganate. Use enough to turn the water a deep purple, leave standing for one week, then rinse with fresh water.

E. Earthworms make excellent Discus food. Pile up grass cuttings in layers in a garden corner (not the compost heap), keep it moist and the worms and the worms will work their way up and through.

F. Fungus often destroy's eggs. Protect them by adding a dose of Myxazin on the days prior to hatching.

G. Gill Problems: Always elimate the first three likely causes. Poor water quality, temperature too high and oxygen depletion before you suspect parasites. Unnecessary treatments will only worsen the situation.

H. Heat can be used to treat Discus diseases. Gradually raise the temperature to 90 - 92f for a few days. Aerate well to avoid oxygen depletion.

I. Intestinal Parasites are often indicated by passing of white stringy faeces. Examine them carefully before choosing a treatment.

J. Juvenile Discus have a strong shoaling instinct. Never keep less than six together.

K. Knowledge of the normal behaviour of your Discus will give you an early warning of when something is wrong.

L. Loss of colour can be seen in Discus when they are in a too high ph or exposed to over bright lighting.

M. When gill filaments turn Mauveinstead of a creamy white, there is a toxin present. Suspect and test for, Ammonia. Nitrite, Nitrate and ph

N. Nitrate is often forgotten as a pollutant, but in high concentrations it can produce the same symptoms as parasite's flicking and scratching. Test for Nitrate's before treating for chemical's

O. Open wounds or scratches heal quicker when a broad spectrum bactercide is added to the water to inhibit infection

P. Protection is better than cure - there is no there is no substitute for a well maintained, sensibly stocked tank.

Q. Quarantine tanks are a must for the Discus keeper - and will double up as hospital tanks.

R. Razor Back Discus are fish that have lost a lot of weight, perhaps by infestation with parasites. The forehead becomes very sharply pointed.

S. Spironucleus infections can be treated with Metronidazole - one 250mg tablet per 10 gallons of water.

T. Tail and fin rot is caused by bacteria attacking a Discus when it's stressed. Find and remove the cause of the stress, then treat the problem with Myxazin

U. Ultra Violet steralisers have a use in temporarily "dampning down" heavy bacterial levels, but shouldn't be used constantly. A pro-breeder who uses constant UV is expecting you to do the same, to keep your Discus healthy.

V. Vitamins are essential for the health of your Discus, but need not be added to your beefheart mix in great quantity to your food mix. A good quality flake food mixed in will contain all that they need.

W. Whiteworms are a favourite Discus Food. Culture them in a margarine tubes in a mixture of peat, soil and fine sand - fed on Redy Brek mixed into a paste.

X. Xtra feeds of a cultured live food, white worms, small red worms are useful to bring Discus into spawning condition.

Y. Young Discus can be weaned onto solid food within days of leaving their parents Start with brine shrimp but add a very fine powered food such as Promin to move them on.

Z. Zero ammonia is essential in the Discus tank. So when steeing up a new tank, mature the filter for at least four weeks, using a small shoal of corydoras, and introduce the Discus when the tank is matured.