There are several reasons why Discus fishes are expensive such as the amount of time required to breed them, the labour required to breed them, the breeding brand, the cost incurred in feeding them, etc.
Table of Contents
Why Are Discus So Expensive?
Discus are expensive because of various reasons, below are the 7 reasons why Discus are so expensive:
[1] – Discus Origin
Most discus fishes originate from the Amazon River in South America, and the available hybrid species come from very few places (they are not found everywhere), since they are rare, they are more expensive than regular aquarium fishes.
[2] – Discus Quality
There are name brands for breeders or suppliers of discus fishes; also, there are specific individuals who favour a particular brand of breeder over others because they believe that the brand offers quality discus fishes and so they will not hesitate to pay any price that’s been offered to them as long as the fishes came from that particular breeder. It is the knowledge of this that creates instances where breeders take the advantage and hike up the discus fish price.
[3] – Discus Size
Smaller discus fishes are less expensive than the bigger ones. This is because when discus is a little fry, much effort and time has not yet been put to its breeding; in contrast, a big-sized discus took effort, time and money to grow and all these will contribute to its cost
[4] – Discus Color
Various discus fishes have different colours on their bodies (skin). The colour available on the skin of the discus affects their price and also shows how well the discus is bred. If one part of the discus is brighter than the other, it means that the discus was not properly treated, for instance, yellow discus will turn orange unless a specific kind of food is fed them. Colour is one reason why discus fishes are expensive.
[5] – Discus Breeding And Gowing Time
Discus fish takes a great deal of time for it to reach its full size of growth in contrast to other kinds of fish kept in an aquarium. To grow to be 6.5 in (that is, the biggest size a discus fish can be), it will take about 2 years.
Maintenance of water demands the consumption of energy and cash, doing so for almost 2 years is not a feat many can achieve and for this reason, does who desire an aquarium in their homes tend to purchase mature ones. The amount of time required to breed discus is a factor that determines how much discus fish cost.
[6] – Discus Breeding Expensive Facilities
The facilities required to breed discus fishes are quite expensive, and it is only natural that a breeder or collector of Discus fishes to count the cost they incurred in the breeding process when they are looking to sell the fishes.
Warm Temperature
In general, the temperature of the water which is ideal for the keeping Discus in a tank or aquarium is between the ranges of 82 and 860 Fahrenheit; this is because they need a higher temperature than any other fish from the tropics.
Food and Water
Although it is not new that Discus require water at high temperatures in order to flourish; however, that is not all there is to it.
The condition of the water (pH, nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, temperature) has to be checked on a regular basis to ensure that they are suitable for the fishes which although sounds simple, is not easy.
As a result of the difficulty that comes with the maintenance of the water in the aquarium, not a lot of fish breeders can keep Discus.
It is important that discus is fed with the proper diet and breeders have to prepare the food themselves or buy their food from shops that sell them.
Below are some of the foods that can be fed to Discus:
- Prepared foods such as pellets and flakes.
- Brine shrimps.
- White worms.
- Glass worms.
- Earthworms.
- Frozen foods.
The common things about the items that have been listed above are that they are high-priced and even if they are not that expensive, the amount of time it takes to prepare them is much.
Take frozen foods for instance, despite the fact that they are a significant component to the dietary needs of Discus, its preparation requires a great deal of time and energy before it is fed to the fishes.
The amount of time and energy consumed in preparing Discus foods is why most breeders opt for the purchase of foods from stores.
[7] – Game Of Supply And Demand
A lot of reasons are responsible for the high cost of Discus fishes, and this one is not particularly understood by a lot of people because of the technical nature of it.
Just as is the case with any product, when there is a high demand in the market, and the amount of supply is not as much, the price of the product tends to increase.
Since the care and maintenance of this breed of fish are not easy, its availability in the market is on an all-time low, and this is the reason why the increase in the Discus price range is inevitable; people seeking to buy a Discus fish will do so without any reservations in spite of the cost.
When someone decides to have Discus fish imported, the supplier will need to pay for import tax, treat the diseases and put up with the burden of any loss or damage that was incurred during transit. All of these serve to skyrocket the Discus fish price.
Labour
The fact that a lot of effort is needed to breed Discus fishes cannot be overemphasized, and the kind of labour that is required for keeping them is of high intensity.
Also, the water condition must be checked on a regular basis, and special care and attention must be given to the fishes, and since Discus takes a long period of time to grow, breeders have to spend a lot more time with the fishes in order to ensure that they not under any form of stress.
Keeping a discus requires that there should not be too many fishes (or bigger fishes) in the tank or aquarium, the water and tank should be clean, regular water changes should be done, and proper foods be provided. All of these tasks are what make Discus fish expensive.
Which Discus Is Most Expensive?
The Red Turquoise Discus is the most expensive Discus fish. The price range of Red Turquoise Discus is between $440.00 and $540.00
Discus Price Ranges
Below are the full Discus fish price ranges:
Cobalt Blue:
- Origin – Amazon River.
- Sizes – 2.0 to 4.0 inches.
- Colour/pattern – thick stripes on a light blue color.
- Cobalt Blue price range is $17.95 – $74.95
Pigeon Blood Discus:
- Origin – Thailand.
- Sizes – 3.0 inches.
- Colour/pattern – ranging from creamy yellow to orange.
- Pigeon Blood Discus price range is $20.00 – $45.00
Rose Red Discus:
- Origin – Amazon River.
- Sizes – 2.0 to 5.5 inches.
- Colour/pattern – reddish-orange.
- Rose Red Discus price range is $25.00 – $115.00
Mercury Discus:
- Origin – Amazon Basin.
- Sizes – 4.0 to 6.5 inches.
- Colour/pattern – semitransparent pearl color.
- Mercury Discus price range is $28.00 – $65.00
White Diamond Discus:
- Origin – Amazonian Basin, South America.
- Sizes – 2.0 to 4.0 inches.
- Colour/pattern – bright white color.
- White Diamond Discus price range is $32.99 – $74.99
Dark Green Fineline Snakeskin Discus:
- Origin – Amazonian Basin of South America.
- Sizes – 2.5 to 6.5 inches.
- Colour/pattern – metallic Ocean Green hue color and pattern like a snake.
- Dark Green Fineline Snakeskin Discus price range is $38.00 – $165.00
Blue Diamond Discus:
- Origin – Amazon River.
- Sizes – 3.0 to 6.5 inches.
- Colour/pattern – lively chatoyant blue without any striations.
- Blue Diamond Discus price range is $42.00 – $135.00
Classic Blue Scorpion Discus:
- Origin – Amazon River.
- Sizes – 2.0 to 6.5 inches.
- Colour/pattern – solid color with mild spots and stripes.
- Classic Blue Scorpion Discus price range is $42.00 – $175.00
Brilliant Blue Discus:
- Origin – Amazon Basin.
- Sizes – 3.0 to 6.5 inches.
- Colour/pattern – metallic blue color with thick stripes.
- Brilliant Blue Discus price range is $45.00 – $145.00
Red Marlboro Discus:
- Origin – Amazon River.
- Sizes – 2.0 to 4.0 inches.
- Colour/pattern – yellow and red.
- Red Marlboro Discus price range is $47.79 – $85.00
Yellow White Discus:
- Origin – Amazon River.
- Sizes – 3.5 to 4.0 inches.
- Colour/pattern – orange hue over the yellow and white coral head.
- Yellow White Discus price is $48.
White Dragon Discus:
- Origin – Amazon Basin.
- Sizes – 2.0 to 3.5 inches.
- Colour/pattern – pearl white.
- White Dragon Discus price range is $55.00 – $75.00
Snow Leopard Discus:
- Origin – Amazon Basin.
- Sizes – 3.0 to 6.5 inches.
- Colour/pattern – pale pink, light-red leopard specks, translucent pink anal fins.
- Snow Leopard Discus price range is $55.00 – $148.00
Golden Crystal Discus:
- Origin – Amazon Basin.
- Sizes – 3.5 to 6.0 inches.
- Colour/pattern – pale abdominal area, orange or deep purple hues to the edge.
- Golden Crystal Discus price range is $65.00 – $138.00
Super Red Melon Discus:
- Origin – Amazon River.
- Sizes – 3.0 to 6.5 inches.
- Colour/pattern – red and orange with no striations or specks.
- Super Red Melon Discus price range is $65.00 – $165.00
Albino Golden Discus:
- Origin – Amazon River.
- Sizes – 2.5 to 5.5 inches.
- Colour/pattern – shades of orange-yellow, red, and white.
- Albino Golden Discus price range is $75.00 – $148.00
Golden Leopard Snakeskin Discus:
- Origin – Amazon River.
- Sizes – 4.0 to 6.5 inches.
- Colour/pattern – gold color with burnt orange, red and ochre specks.
- Golden Leopard Snakeskin Discus price range is $75.00 – $175.00
Albino Platinum Discus:
- Origin – Amazon Basin.
- Sizes – 2.5 to 5.0 inches.
- Colour/pattern – white color with iridescent pink on dorsal and ventral fins.
- Albino Platinum Discus price range is $88.00 – $148.00
Golden Marlboro Discus:
- Origin – Amazon River.
- Sizes – 5.0 to 5.5 inches.
- Colour/pattern – yellow gold color with white specks.
- Golden Marlboro Discus price range is $90.
Super Pigeon Snakeskin Discus:
- Yellow base: Origin – Amazon Basin.
- Sizes – 5.0 to 5.5 inches.
- Colour/pattern – orange, blue, red, and yellow specks.
- Super Pigeon Snakeskin Discus price range is $95.00 – $158.00
Albino Leopard Discus:
- Origin – Amazon River.
- Sizes – 4.0 inches.
- Colour/pattern – ranging from white to slightly yellow with leopard-like specks.
- Albino Leopard Discus price is $99.75
Leopard-Skin Discus:
- Origin – Amazon River.
- Sizes – 2.0 to 4.0 inches.
- Colour/pattern – red color striated with specks.
- Leopard-Skin Discus price is $123.99
Albino Red Spotted Green:
- Origin – Amazon River.
- Sizes – 3.0 to 6.0 inches.
- Colour/pattern – marshmallow white.
- Albino Red Spotted Green price range is $125.00 – $175.00
Albino Snakeskin Discus:
- Origin – Amazon River.
- Pattern – Red with a hint of pink hue and red coral.
- Sizes – 4.0 to 5.5 inches.
- Albino Snakeskin Discus price range is $155.00 – $185.00
Albino Leopard Snakeskin Discus:
- Origin – Amazon River.
- Sizes – 4.0 to 5.5 inches.
- Colour/pattern – leopard-like specks.
- Albino Leopard Snakeskin Discus price range is $155.00 – $185.00
Red Turquoise Discus:
- Origin – Amazon River.
- Sizes – 5.0 to 6.0 inches.
- Colour/pattern – scarlet stripes on a chatoyant greenish-blue background.
- Red Turquoise Discus price range is $440.00 – $540.00.
Conclusion
Discus fishes are ornamental, and they are expensive because of a variety of reasons which include size, origin, quality, among others.
Prices for discus fishes depend a lot on the size, for instance, average discus price for small fry is $25 – $30 while for bigger discus fishes, it is about $150. Discus low price is between $17 and $25.
There are various stores offering Discus for sale, and there you will find some of the Discus best prices.
where can i purchase some of these expensive discus in the usa that will ship overnight,also give me the names of these suppliers. thank you.
Wish me luck as I am going to venture into this wonderful fish to breed
Thanks for the info. But my wife got me a 29 gallon tank. I’m going to try 4 small discus. Wish I had a bigger tank but we live in a small apt.