Transporting a Discus: bagging, acclimatisation, moving
Discus : Transport in double, opaque bags kept warm, as temperature drops are its main danger. Drip acclimation of about one hour, in the dark.
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In short: 15 to 20 cm as an adult, 300 L minimum for a group of 5, very soft water between 28 and 30 °C. A gregarious, shy cichlid that forms a group hierarchy and gets outcompeted at feeding time if too harassed. The most demanding for water quality: very soft, acidic, at 28-30 °C, with an RO unit and frequent water changes essential.
Bringing home or moving a Discus
A double-layered transport bag one-third water, two-thirds air, slipped into an opaque bag or cool box: darkness calms, insulation protects from swings away from its 28 to 30°C comfort zone. Split the group of 5+ across several bags: less ammonia per bag, fewer losses if one fails.
Acclimatisation: the critical step
On arrival, float the bag 20 minutes to equalise temperature, then add tank water drop by drop over an hour — the species is sensitive to parameter swings, and release with a net without pouring bag water into the tank. In this species, a botched transfer is paid for in bouts of hexamita and hole-in-the-head in imperfect water. Lights off for the first day: a newcomer hazed under floodlights starts with a handicap.
Moving an entire aquarium
A house move takes planning: fish in bags or covered buckets, filter media kept damp and warm in a cool box (your bacteria are gold), plants in wet bags, and the tank restarted the same day with as much original water as possible. The tank itself travels EMPTY: glass stressed by a few leftover litres cracks at the first corner.
Frequently asked questions
How long can a Discus handle transport?
Count on several hours of margin in a proper bag, 24 hours in professional oxygenated packaging. What kills in transit is not duration but thermal drift.
How do you acclimatise a Discus safely?
Float the bag 20 minutes, add tank water gradually over 30 to 60 minutes, release with a net, lights off the first day — and never pour bag water into the tank.
The guides that apply to you
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- Fasting a fish before transport: useful or pointless?
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