Who Gives A Fish Forums

My juvenile Discus aren't growing as fast as I expected. I feed them twice a day with frozen bloodworms and Hikari pellets, but their growth seems stunted. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, nitrate under 20 ppm. Tank is 75 gallons, temp at 86°F, with a canister filter and weekly 50% water changes. Any recommendations for better food?

Beef heart mix is the way to go for growth. I've been using a homemade blend with shrimp, vitamins, and a bit of spinach. My Discus went from 2 inches to 5 in six months. Key is high protein, small portions, and frequent feedings. Also, try adding some live blackworms if you can find them.

Pureace wrote: ↑Wed May 14, 2025 7:52 pm Beef heart mix is the way to go for growth. I've been using a homemade blend with shrimp, vitamins, and a bit of spinach. My Discus went from 2 inches to 5 in six months. Key is high protein, small portions, and frequent feedings. Also, try adding some live blackworms if you can find them.

Yep, beef heart works wonders. I'd also recommend adding some spirulina flakes for extra nutrients. My tank's at 84°F, and I feed 4 times a day with a mix of flakes, pellets, and frozen foods.

I've heard beef heart is messy. Does it really not mess with water quality? My tank's only 55 gallons, and I'm scared of ammonia spikes.

Lish wrote: ↑Wed May 14, 2025 8:41 pm I've heard beef heart is messy. Does it really not mess with water quality? My tank's only 55 gallons, and I'm scared of ammonia spikes.

It can be messy, but with a strong filter and daily water changes, it's manageable. I run a Fluval FX6 on my 75-gallon and do 30% changes every other day. No issues so far.

Why not just stick to pellets? Less hassle. I use New Life Spectrum Discus pellets, and my fish are growing fine. Tank's at 82°F, with a sponge filter and bi-weekly water changes.

dawny wrote: ↑Wed May 14, 2025 11:37 pm Why not just stick to pellets? Less hassle. I use New Life Spectrum Discus pellets, and my fish are growing fine. Tank's at 82°F, with a sponge filter and bi-weekly water changes.

Pellets are chill, but they don't pack the same punch as beef heart. My crew went nuts for the mix, and their colors popped way more. Just sayin'.

Anyone tried freeze-dried foods? I'm kinda sketched out by the mess from frozen stuff. My tank's got sand substrate, and it's a pain to clean.

kayzer wrote: ↑Thu May 15, 2025 12:41 am Anyone tried freeze-dried foods? I'm kinda sketched out by the mess from frozen stuff. My tank's got sand substrate, and it's a pain to clean.

Freeze-dried can work, but you gotta soak it first. Otherwise, it swells in their stomachs. I use freeze-dried tubifex worms soaked in tank water for 5 minutes before feeding. No mess, no bloat.

I feed mine a mix of frozen brine shrimp and flakes. Growth is steady, not explosive. Tank's at 85°F, with a hang-on-back filter and weekly 25% changes.