Mixing Wild Discus With Hybrids At Wattley Discus

My clients here at Wattley Discus have been telling me that they hear through online forums that wild discus should not be mixed with hybrids. For years my faithful clients who know about our discus fish for sale, have mixed wilds and hybrids and have completely enjoyed the beauty which both have to offer with no adverse effects.

It should be perfectly clear that at one time all discus came from the Amazon and later when they were bred in captivity, they morphed into the beautiful varieties we have today. I have kept the wild discus and the hybrids together and have not seen any erratic behavior between the two. In my hatchery they are kept in the same systems together.

If anyone tells you not to mix any other discus with theirs, it could be a marketing ploy for you to only purchase their discus. It would also send off bells and whistles in my head making me wonder if their fish were inferior because they are unable  to adapt with anyone else’s fish or perhaps they simply do not know the secret to introducing them to each other.

How to Introduce Wild Discus with Hybrids

Before setting new fish free in your aquarium, always quarantine them and make sure you know where your discus are coming from, because wild discus and domestic discus have different immune systems.  The wilds have been exposed to many different bacteria and parasites than the hybrids.  It is possible that some parasites that may not be harmful to one may be fatal to the other.  

Another way to take advantage of your existing tank is to add a sponge filter.  After a few weeks you will have an established bacteria colony and the sponge can be transferred to your quarantine tank, introducing your wild discus to the new environment they will soon be living in.  Quarantining is a basic common practice that should help you achieve a healthy and thriving environment when your fish are introduced.

Enjoy your discus.

Gabe Posada