Turquoise Checkerboard Discus (Symphysodon sp.) — Domestic Strain

Turquoise Checkerboard Discus at a glance

The Turquoise Checkerboard Discus is a domestic colour strain of discus, a fish held in the highest regard by many fishkeepers and described by some as the ultimate freshwater tropical species. In the photograph, fine turquoise-blue lines break into short dashes across a warm orange-brown body, which is where the checkerboard name comes from. Each purchase supplies one live fish at the size you choose.

Discus are cichlids that originate from South America. They are social, they need warm, soft and very clean water, and they grow slowly into large adults. That makes them a fish to plan for rather than buy on impulse: the aquarium has to suit a group of adult discus, not one young fish. Give them the right set-up and a steady routine, and a settled group becomes the centrepiece of the room.

Is this discus right for you?

The Turquoise Checkerboard is a good choice if:

• you already keep, or are ready to set up, a large aquarium with a mature filter;
• you can hold the water at 26–30°C all year round, with a reliable heater;
• you can commit to a 50% partial water change every week and regular water testing;
• you want a group of discus as the main feature of the aquarium, not a single showpiece fish.

It is worth waiting if your aquarium is new, small or already well stocked, or if your tap water is far from soft. None of those rules discus out for good; each one simply needs solving before the fish arrive.

Its care is the same as for any other discus. What sets the Turquoise Checkerboard apart is its pattern, not its needs, so everything on this page applies to the whole group you keep, whichever colour forms it includes.

Sizes, sex and identity

This discus comes in six sizes: 5 cm (6.5 cm), 6 cm (7.5 cm), 7cm, 8cm, 9cm and 10cm. The size you select is the size supplied, not the adult size. Because discus grow slowly and adults can reach up to 20 cm across, even the largest choice here is a young fish with most of its growing still ahead of it. Every size is the same domestic strain; they differ only in how far each fish has grown so far. Stock moves between sizes, so the product page shows which ones you can order when you visit.

If you are building a group, buying the fish at a similar size means no single discus starts out much bigger than the rest. That matters because discus kept in too small a group will often be bullied by larger or more dominant fish.

It is difficult to sex discus unless they are in breeding condition, when the female’s ovipositor can be seen. Sex is guaranteed only when the selected option explicitly states male or female. This Turquoise Checkerboard Discus listing has no sex-guaranteed option.

FishBase lists three species in the genus Symphysodon. Domestic colour strains such as the Turquoise Checkerboard have been selectively bred for their appearance and are sold under their strain name. The exact species has not been identified, so the care advice here follows the genus Symphysodon and its care group.

The photograph shows one turquoise checkerboard discus beside bogwood and tall green plants over a sandy floor. Gallery images have been digitally enhanced to improve image quality. Natural colour, pattern, size and maturity can vary between live animals.

Planning a discus aquarium

Start with the aquarium, because it decides almost everything else. OATA advises buying an aquarium as large as possible, within reason, and allowing each adult discus 50 litres of water volume with plenty of floor space. On that basis, an aquarium of approximately 300 litres will house a shoal of six adults. The larger the aquarium, the more stable the temperature and water quality will be, and stability is exactly what discus need.

Water volume for your group

Work from the number of adult discus you intend to keep, using OATA’s 50 litres per adult:

These are volumes of water, not the nominal size printed on the tank. Substrate, wood, rock and equipment all take up space, so a tank sold as 300 litres holds less once it is furnished. OATA asks for plenty of floor space as well as volume, because a group of discus needs room to move around together.

Layout and furnishing

• Substrate: fine gravel or sand, so discus can feed naturally by “blowing” at the substrate.
• Cover: live plants to hide in, because discus can be shy, plus branches, wood and other ornaments.
• Open water: given their size and shape, leave open space where the group can swim together as they explore the aquarium.
• Lighting: OATA recommends overhead tank lighting.
• Filtration: whatever the size of the aquarium, a filter is always essential.

A useful way to picture the layout is a planted, wooded background with a clear stage in front of it. The fish retreat into the planting when they feel unsure and come out into the open water as they settle.

Mature the aquarium first

Discus should go into an aquarium whose filter is already mature, never a newly filled tank. Our guide to setting up and maturing a first tropical aquarium explains how to build up the filter bacteria before any fish arrive. The same steps apply to a discus aquarium; the difference is scale, and the standard of water quality you need to hold once the fish are in.

Before you order: a checklist

• An aquarium with enough water volume for the adult group you plan to keep.
• A mature filter, with ammonia and nitrite both reading zero.
• A heater and thermometer able to hold the water at 26–30°C.
• Test kits for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and hardness.
• Tap water conditioner, a siphon and a bucket kept only for the aquarium.
• Dried discus granules or pellets and a supply of frozen foods.

Water quality and chemistry

OATA’s discus care sheet is clear that discus need more specific water parameters than many other fish. Clean, warm, soft and slightly acidic water is the optimum for all discus, and the best way to keep it that way is regular partial water changes. Tank-bred discus can tolerate harder water than their wild counterparts, but that tolerance does not change the target.

These values are OATA’s guidance for discus as a group, not a tailored optimum for this colour strain. The most reliable way to settle new fish is therefore to find out the conditions they have been kept in and replicate them in your aquarium as closely as you can. Ask about the water before you buy, and set your aquarium up to match it before the fish arrive.

Why ammonia and nitrite must read zero

Fish release ammonia into the water, and ammonia is toxic. As the RSPCA’s guidance on aquarium filtration explains, a working biological filter grows beneficial bacteria that break waste down naturally: ammonia is converted to nitrite, which is also toxic, and then eventually to nitrate, which is safer. No fish should be kept without a well set up and maintained filter, and for discus that filter has to keep pace with a group of large, well-fed fish.

Nitrate is the end product of that process, and it builds up between water changes. OATA sets the limit for discus at 20 mg per litre, and large, regular water changes are what keep it below that level.

Holding the temperature

Keep the aquarium steadily within 26–30°C, day and night. In a UK home that means a reliable heater sized for the aquarium and a thermometer you check every day. Check it again after each water change, because a large volume of new water can pull the temperature down if it goes in too cool.

What soft, slightly acidic water means

pH describes how acidic or alkaline water is, with 7 as neutral, so OATA’s 6.0–7.5 for discus runs from slightly acidic to just above neutral. General hardness (GH) mainly reflects dissolved calcium and magnesium, while carbonate hardness (KH) is the water’s buffering capacity, which helps hold pH steady. OATA gives soft to medium values for both: 4–12°dH general hardness and 3–10°dKH carbonate hardness. Very soft water with little buffering can let pH move more easily, which is another reason to test regularly rather than occasionally.

Testing and comparing your water

Test the water regularly, at least once a week, so that ammonia and nitrite never have the chance to build up unnoticed. If you are not sure which tests matter most or how to read them, our guide to aquarium water parameters explains what to test and why. You can then compare your own results with the discus values using our water parameter matcher.

Test your tap water as well as your aquarium water. If your tap water sits well outside the discus values, plan how you will prepare water for weekly changes before you buy the fish, because a 50% change of unsuitable water undoes everything else you have done.

A weekly maintenance routine

Discus reward a predictable routine. OATA strongly recommends a partial water change of 50% at least once every week. That is a large change, and it is the heart of discus care: regular partial water changes are how you keep the water clean, warm, soft and slightly acidic.

Each week

1. Test the aquarium for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate before you start.
2. Use a siphon to remove solid waste from the substrate while you drain about half of the water. If you use sand, stir the open areas regularly so waste does not build up in dead spots.
3. Treat the replacement water with tap water conditioner to remove any harmful chlorine or chloramine before it goes into the aquarium.
4. Bring the new water close to the aquarium temperature before adding it, so a large change does not pull the temperature below the discus range.
5. Check the filter for blockages. If it needs cleaning, rinse the media lightly in the tank water you have just removed. Do not run it under the tap, because any chlorine or chloramine present may kill the beneficial bacteria living in the media.

Keeping the same day and the same order each week makes the routine easy to hold and makes changes in the fish easier to spot. It also gives you a regular moment to look at every discus closely, which is the best early warning you have.

Keeping the routine sustainable

Half the water every week is a real commitment in a large aquarium, so think about the practical side before you buy. A long siphon hose, a way of treating and warming a large volume of replacement water, and a set time in the week all help. If the routine is hard to keep up, the water quality will drift, and discus need it to stay stable.

Feeding discus

In the wild, discus are generally carnivores and eat aquatic invertebrates. In the aquarium, OATA recommends a diet built on specialised discus foods with frozen or live foods added:

• Staple: dried discus granules or pellets, fed at least once a day so the fish receive adequate vitamins.
• Variety: frozen or live foods, in particular beef heart, bloodworm and special discus mixes.
• Portion: only what the fish can eat within a few minutes.
• Frequency: discus have a relatively small stomach, so they appreciate two to three smaller feeds spread through the day.

Overfeeding undoes the work of your water changes. Uneaten food breaks down and releases toxic waste into the water, so if food is still lying on the bottom after a few minutes, feed less next time and siphon out what is left.

An example feeding day

One way to put that advice into practice for a group is three small feeds:

Adjust the portions so each feed is cleared within a few minutes. If you can only manage two feeds on some days, keep them small rather than making up the difference with one large meal.

Feeding a group

In a group, watch every fish at feeding time rather than the food. A discus that stops showing interest in food or starts to lose body condition needs attention: both are on OATA’s list of changes to watch for, and feeding time is when you will see them first.

Behaviour and daily life

Discus spend their day as a group. Expect them to explore the open water together, drift back into the planting and wood when something unsettles them, and pick over the floor of the aquarium, feeding naturally by “blowing” at the fine gravel or sand. They are not as aggressive as some of their close cichlid relatives, but they can be shy.

Confidence comes from company. Discus use smaller “dither” fish as a sign that there are no predators nearby, and a group of their own kind is the foundation of a settled tank. A discus that spends most of its time hiding, turns darker or paler than usual, or stops coming forward at feeding time is telling you something has changed, and the first step is always to test the water.

Arrival day and settling in

Get the aquarium ready before the delivery date: the water should already be within 26–30°C, ammonia and nitrite should read zero, and you should know the parcel will be met. Having the water tests and a clean bucket to hand saves time when the parcel arrives.

Every order is hand-packed by our team. Fish are hand-bagged in pure oxygen and packed in an insulated poly box, with a heat pack when the weather calls for it, and a licensed live-animal courier delivers the parcel with tracking. We email you the tracking number and your confirmed delivery date so you know when to be in. On the day, follow these steps in order:

1. Make sure someone is at the delivery address to receive the parcel, because live fish cannot be left unattended.
2. Before you open anything, start a continuous unboxing video with the parcel still sealed and the outer box visible, and keep filming in one take until the fish can be seen still inside the sealed bag.
3. Open and inspect the parcel on the same day it arrives.
4. Acclimatise slowly: float the bag in your aquarium for 20–30 minutes before releasing the fish.
5. Never pour the bag water into your tank.
6. If anything has gone wrong, contact us the same day, with WhatsApp the fastest route, and send your order number and the unboxing video so we can arrange a replacement or refund.

Those conditions are part of our Live Arrival Guarantee. Read the full delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee policy before you order so you know exactly what to expect.

Adding discus to your aquarium

Before any fish go in, make sure the aquarium is an appropriate size for the number of discus you want to keep, and check that ammonia and nitrite are both at zero. Then increase the number of fish only slowly. The beneficial bacteria in a matured filter need to grow every time more fish are added and feeding increases.

Stocking too many fish, or stocking too quickly, can cause “new tank syndrome”: there are not enough nitrifying bacteria to cope with the extra waste, ammonia and nitrite rise to unhealthy levels, and fish may become ill or die. With discus the sensible plan is to treat the group as the core of the aquarium, have the filter fully matured before it arrives, and add any companions gradually afterwards, testing ammonia and nitrite as you go.

Health checks and what to watch for

Healthy fish have clear, bright eyes, undamaged fins, intact scales, no ulcerations or bumps and appropriate swimming behaviour. Every fish varies slightly in behaviour and appearance, so get to know your group and watch for changes in:

• Swimming: hanging at the surface, sitting on the bottom or swimming erratically.
• Colour: turning darker or paler than normal.
• Temperament: more aggression, or more hiding, than usual.
• Breathing: gill covers moving faster or slower than normal.
• Appearance: white spots or fluffy growths, or loss of fins or scales.
• Condition: an increase or decrease in body weight.
• Feeding: eating less, or showing no interest in food.

If you are concerned about the health of any fish, test your water quality first. Then contact us for further guidance, with your test results to hand.

Keep a simple record

A notebook or phone note with the date, your test results, the size of each water change and anything unusual you noticed makes gradual changes much easier to see. When a fish starts to eat less or changes colour, a record of the previous few weeks often shows what changed first.

Long-term care

A young discus is a long-term commitment. Discus can live for many years in a well-matured set-up with good water quality, and they are slow growers, so the aquarium you plan now needs to suit the same fish when they are adults up to 20 cm across.

The first weeks

Keep the first weeks after arrival calm and predictable. Feed small portions, watch every fish eat, and test ammonia and nitrite more often than once a week while the filter adjusts to the extra fish and food. Hold off adding anything else until those readings have stayed at zero, because the filter bacteria need time to catch up every time more fish are added and feeding increases.

As the group grows

As the group grows, the demands on the aquarium grow with it: more food goes in, more waste comes out, and the filter and your weekly water change are doing more work. Keep testing weekly, and treat any rise in ammonia or nitrite as a sign the aquarium is at its limit rather than something to tolerate.

Discus are sometimes kept as an established breeding pair. It is difficult to tell males and females apart until they are in breeding condition, and a pair is not something you can reliably put together by picking two young fish.

Keeping discus in a group

Discus are shoaling fish. OATA advises keeping them in groups of at least five in the home aquarium, and says that more is better. They are social fish, and those kept singly or in too small groups will often become stressed or bullied by larger or more dominant fish.

The only exception OATA gives is a pair: it is sometimes possible to keep two discus in a set-up provided they are an already established breeding pair. For anyone starting out with young fish, that means a group.

Building the group

• Plan the group size first and choose the aquarium to fit it, using about 50 litres of water per adult.
• Buy the fish at a similar size, so none starts well ahead of the others.
• Remember that each purchase is one fish, so a group of five means five fish.
• Keep the discus as the focus of the aquarium, with any other fish chosen around them.

Mixing colour forms

There are many different colour variations of discus, all selectively bred, and OATA’s group advice applies to discus in general rather than to one colour form. You can browse our discus collection if you are planning a group, keeping the same numbers and space in mind whichever colours you choose.

Choosing tank mates

Because a discus aquarium is built around discus needs, only a handful of other species will be suitable companions. OATA names four kinds:

• Medium-sized tetras.
• Corydoras.
• Plecos.
• Dwarf cichlids.

Adding some of these can help discus feel more confident. Discus use smaller “dither” fish as a signal that there are no predators nearby, so a calm group of companions moving about the aquarium can make shy discus more willing to come out into the open.

What every companion must manage

Fish that need cooler or harder water than the discus range do not belong in this aquarium, however peaceful they are. Check each companion against the discus water values before buying it, and keep numbers modest so the aquarium stays comfortably within its filtration.

Common mistakes to avoid

• A single showpiece discus: kept alone, a discus will often become stressed or bullied.
• Two young fish in the hope of a pair: discus are hard to sex until they are in breeding condition, and only an established breeding pair suits being kept as two.
• Companions first, discus later: the aquarium has to be built around discus needs, so choose the discus group first and fit any companions around it.
• Stocking everything at once: adding too many fish too quickly can overwhelm the filter bacteria and cause new tank syndrome.
• Plants that cannot take the heat: live plants for cover need to cope with water held at 26–30°C, so check each one before planting.

Questions about keeping discus

How big do Turquoise Checkerboard Discus get?

Discus are slow growers, but OATA’s discus care sheet notes that adults can reach up to 20 cm across. Plan the aquarium, the filtration and the group around fish of that size, not around the size they are when they arrive.

What size aquarium do Turquoise Checkerboard Discus need?

OATA advises allowing each adult discus 50 litres of water volume with plenty of floor space, and says an aquarium of approximately 300 litres will house a shoal of six adults. Within reason, buy the largest aquarium you can, because a bigger volume keeps temperature and water quality more stable.

How many discus should be kept together?

Keep discus in a group of at least five, and more is better. They are social fish, and those kept singly or in too small groups will often become stressed or bullied by larger or more dominant fish. Two can sometimes share an aquarium if they are already an established breeding pair.

Is the Turquoise Checkerboard Discus a good fish for beginners?

We rate it as a fish for advanced keepers. Discus have specialised care requirements, need more specific water parameters than many other fish and do best with a 50% partial water change at least once every week, so they suit keepers who already run a stable, well-maintained aquarium.

What do discus eat?

In the wild, discus are generally carnivores that eat aquatic invertebrates. Feed a specialised dried discus granule or pellet at least once a day for vitamins, and add frozen or live foods such as beef heart, bloodworm and discus mixes. Give only what they eat within a few minutes, split into two to three smaller feeds through the day.

What temperature and pH does a Turquoise Checkerboard Discus need?

OATA’s discus care sheet gives 26–30°C, pH 6.0–7.5, soft to medium general hardness of 4–12°dH and carbonate hardness of 3–10°dKH, with ammonia and nitrite at zero and nitrate no higher than 20 mg per litre. These figures cover discus as a group, so aim to match the water the fish have been kept in.

Are discus aggressive towards other fish?

Discus, including this Symphysodon sp. colour strain, are not as aggressive as some of their close cichlid relatives, and they can be shy. Keep enough of them: a discus kept alone or in too small a group will often become stressed or bullied by larger or more dominant fish.

What fish can live with Turquoise Checkerboard Discus?

Only a handful of species suit a discus aquarium. OATA names medium-sized tetras, Corydoras, plecos and dwarf cichlids, and notes that smaller dither fish can help discus feel more confident. Any companion must suit the same warm, soft, slightly acidic water.

How do Turquoise Checkerboard Discus arrive alive in the UK?

Each fish is hand-bagged in pure oxygen and packed in an insulated poly box, with a heat pack when the weather calls for it, then carried by a licensed live-animal courier with tracking. Someone must be at the address to receive the parcel. Start one continuous unboxing video while the parcel is still sealed and keep filming until the fish are shown still in the bag, because our Live Arrival Guarantee needs that video and a same-day inspection. Then float the bag for 20–30 minutes before releasing the fish, and never pour the bag water into your tank.

Sources and further reading

The care guidance on this page draws on these public sources:

• FishBase: species list for the genus Symphysodon, for the genus identity of discus.
• Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association (OATA): How to look after discus, for water values, aquarium size, group size, feeding, maintenance, health signs and compatibility.
• RSPCA: fish environment and aquarium filtration, for filtration and the nitrogen cycle.
• Tropical Fish Co delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee policy, linked in the arrival section, for packing, courier and claim steps.