Discus Life Span

[Alapaap]

Hi

What is the life span of discus? How many years/months discus reach max size?

Thanks in advance

[Merrilyn]

Hi Alapaap and a very warm welcome to the forum.

I have personally had discus live to 12 years, but I'm sure there are other fish around older than that.

On average, I'd say they live to 10 years.

Maturity is reached between 12 and 18 months when I guess they have reached full size, but my older fish just seem to get a little larger and become thicker as they age.

[Littlefish]

A bit like me - larger in the gut and thicker in the head...

Fred :lol:

[nicholas76]

A bit like me - larger in the gut and thicker in the head...

Fred :lol:

LMAO - nice one

:lol:

[electric molecular]

LOL good one, Littlefish! :lol:

[Lee BT]

Dear Fred,

That was a classic!
Bigger in the gut maybe but thicker in the head?
Should not be, judging from the wits .........
Anyway, I am a bit surprise about the average age of discus quoted here.
In another forum popular with Malaysian, they seems to be of the opinion that discus life span is about 4 years.
Due to the tropical climate here?

Cheers!

BT Lee

[Littlefish]

Gee, I don't know, BT. Discus here are kept at pretty high temperatures.

Do the fish mature quicker over there than the 12 - 18 months quoted by Ladyred? I'm no discus expert, though. A few of the other forum members have experience keeping/breeding discus in Singapore and Malaysia.

Any opinions, Kev? Andrew? Others?

Fred :|

[Proteus]

I have a few Discus that are well over 4yrs old, and know of some fish kept by a friend who has had the same fish for just over 9 years.

So, unless there is an issue with the water conditions, I would say 4yrs is still a young fish.

[Merrilyn]

I wonder if they are referring to breeding life of the fish. Maximum productive breeding life of discus is between the ages of 18 months and 4 years.