Heckel Discus Wild

Family: Cichlidae

The Heckel Discus Symphysodon discus, also known as the Pompadour Fish and the Pineapple Fish, is an elegant, graceful cichlid. They were the first discus to be discovered and can be readily distinguished from other discus types by their three bold vertical bars. One bar runs through the eye and another through the caudal fin, but the most prominent bar runs down the center of the body. Other discus also have bars in their natural forms, but only the Heckel Discus displays a broad dark central bar.

In addition to the normal form, there are beautiful red colored specimens that are called Red Discus, Red Heckel Discus, Blue Heckel Discus, or Blue Head Discus. In this red form they are considered to be one of the most beautiful of all naturally occurring discus.

These fish have been identified since the mid part of the 19th century, making them one of the oldest residents of the aquairum hobby. The Heckel Discus was described in 1840 by Dr. Johann Jacob Heckel, and named for him. Altogether there are three acknowledged Discus species, including another longtime favorite the Green Discus Symphysodon aequifasciatus. Both of these species are found in the central and lower Amazon regions. There is also a third species, the Blue Discus or Brown Discus Symphysodon haraldi, that is recognized but awaiting further work to determine its identification and validation.

The Heckel Discus is a more delicate species than the other two and are the least popular due to their difficult care. They are also more difficult to breed, and so most of the available fish are generally wild caught.. Males breed more easily than females however, so they have been bred with other species to create a variety of hybrids. 

Heckel Discus are peaceful, shy cichlids. They do best in pairs or groups of pairs and should not be kept singly. This species comes from slightly warmer water than the other discus, though like the others they prefer a lightly planted aquarium with subdued lighting. Provide a soft substrate with some roots or rocks.

Discus can be rewarding to keep for experienced aquarists that are observant and diligent in providing care. The most commonly available discus are the tank bred varieties of Green Discus S. aequifasciatus. The tank bred specimens are much hardier than wild caught specimens and so require a bit less care. But many experienced aquarists considered the Heckel Discus to be more difficult to care for than even wild caught S. aequifasciatus. Because of this, it is recommended that they only be kept by experienced aquarists.