can discus eat frozen daphnia?

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Darego
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 3:43 pm

can discus eat frozen daphnia?

Post by Darego »

I've been feeding my Discus frozen bloodworms and beef heart, but I wanna mix it up. Can they eat frozen daphnia? My tank's a 75-gallon with 6 Discus, all around 4 inches, and I do 50% water changes twice a week. Temp's at 86°F, pH 6.8. Just curious if daphnia's safe or if it's gonna mess with their digestion.
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jade
Posts: 64
Joined: Thu Jan 13, 2022 4:03 pm

Re: can discus eat frozen daphnia?

Post by jade »

Frozen daphnia's totally fine for Discus, but it's not super nutrient-dense compared to other foods. I've used it as a treat in my 120-gallon, paired with Hikari pellets. My crew's older, though, like 6–7 inches. If yours are younger, maybe cut it with some high-protein stuff. Also, watch for bloating if they go ham on it.
Lavida
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Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 3:33 pm

Re: can discus eat frozen daphnia?

Post by Lavida »

Yo, my Discus go nuts for daphnia, but I only drop it in like once a week. Got a 55-gallon with sand substrate and driftwood, temp at 84°F. They're chill with it, no weird vibes. Just thaw it proper, yeah? Don't wanna dump ice cubes in there.
spance
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Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2022 11:27 pm

Re: can discus eat frozen daphnia?

Post by spance »

Lavida wrote: Sat Aug 16, 2025 5:21 am Yo, my Discus go nuts for daphnia, but I only drop it in like once a week. Got a 55-gallon with sand substrate and driftwood, temp at 84°F. They're chill with it, no weird vibes. Just thaw it proper, yeah? Don't wanna dump ice cubes in there.
Exactly this. Thawing's key. I use a shot glass of tank water to defrost it first. Also, daphnia's great for flushing their systems—kinda like a laxative. My 90-gallon's got Discus paired with Cardinals, and everyone's healthy.
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melodic
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Re: can discus eat frozen daphnia?

Post by melodic »

Aight, so daphnia's cool, but what if my Discus straight-up ignore it? Got a 65-gallon, planted, CO2 injected. They're picky as heck, only wanna eat live blackworms. Tankmates are rummynose tetras. Should I bother trying daphnia or nah?
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Mindew
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Joined: Mon Jun 17, 2024 2:08 pm

Re: can discus eat frozen daphnia?

Post by Mindew »

I've never tried daphnia with my Discus. Running a 40-gallon breeder, sponge filter, no tankmates. They're juveniles, about 2.5 inches. Mostly on flakes and freeze-dried tubifex. Should I switch to frozen daphnia for variety?
Veloce
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2024 4:00 pm

Re: can discus eat frozen daphnia?

Post by Veloce »

Mindew wrote: Sat Aug 16, 2025 6:54 am I've never tried daphnia with my Discus. Running a 40-gallon breeder, sponge filter, no tankmates. They're juveniles, about 2.5 inches. Mostly on flakes and freeze-dried tubifex. Should I switch to frozen daphnia for variety?
Nah, stick with what's working for now. Juveniles need more protein. Maybe introduce daphnia later when they're bigger. My 50-gallon's got adults, and even then, it's a side dish, not the main course.
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SeaAqua
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Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2024 1:42 pm

Re: can discus eat frozen daphnia?

Post by SeaAqua »

Daphnia's legit, but it's like feeding 'em popcorn—fills 'em up without much nutrition. My 180-gallon's got a mix of Discus and angelfish, and I rotate between daphnia, brine shrimp, and homemade beef heart mix. Key is variety. Oh, and always check the expiration on frozen foods. Sketchy daphnia's a no-go.
Darego
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Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 3:43 pm

Re: can discus eat frozen daphnia?

Post by Darego »

Thanks for the tips, y'all. Gonna grab some daphnia this weekend and see how they react. I'll report back if they start acting weird.
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