Unlike other normal household pets, fishes are much more fragile. The discus fish is geared more as a tool for visual enjoyment rather than being cuddly and playful, like a dog or cat. Aside from that, they need more looking after, providing them with an adequate environment where they can breed and live healthy. The rule in feeding discus fish is to not feed them more than 5 times a day and less than 3 times a day. You should also keep in mind that discus fish may acquire different kinds of diseases. They may have problems with parasitic worms. You can observe their healthy by taking a look at their feces. Clear or white feces are hints that your discus fish may have internal parasites and that they are unwell and need attention. Although discus fish are not that sensitive to water hardness, it will play an important role in keeping them healthy. The optimum hardness of water for discus fish to thrive in should be between 1dH and 8dH. This will be quite soft, which is perfect for discus fish to live in. Remember these tips and you can be sure that you will be able to get your discus fish to thrive in your aquarium. Your next option, and the most expensive one is going to an importer and getting an adult pair already, at this stage they may already be about 6 inches long. This is the surest way that you will be able to get a pair of discus fish of the opposite sex. The problem here is that if you don t know how to look at a discus fish to determine the sex, you may get duped. First of all, when buying a Discus Fish, you have to remember that a healthy Discus Fish should look healthy. Discus Fish that tends to stay on top of the tank or near the surface is a sure sign that they are sick. You should also look out for bloated gills as well as unusual spots. Also, be on the lookout for parasites hanging from the fish. It is highly recommended that as a discus fish owner, you need to use a reverse osmosis filtration unit inside the fish tank where you keep the discus fish. This is quite advantageous and will make it easier for you to maintain the quality of water but they are not really considered as a necessity. You have to remember that reverse osmosis filtration unit cost a lot of money.