Yellow Melon Discus

The yellow melon discus (Symphysodon sp.) is a solid-colour line carrying an even pale yellow to soft gold over the whole body with little or no patterning, which is where the fruit comparison comes from. Colour is usually softer and creamier than the deeper gold lines, and it strengthens as the fish matures. Discus are laterally compressed cichlids from the warm, unhurried tributaries of the Amazon basin.

Aquarium care

• Tall tank with room to turn; height matters more than footprint length.
• Warm water at the upper end of the tropical range, held steady.
• Frequent partial water changes; pale fish show poor condition plainly.
• Keep a group of five or more, or a settled pair.
• Discus granules, frozen bloodworm and beefheart preparations.
• A darker substrate and background make the pale body stand out.

A good option for a keeper who wants something quiet and clean-looking rather than heavily patterned. Cardinal tetras, rummy nose tetras and sterbai corydoras all suit the warmth; fast feeders and fin-nippers do not belong in the same tank.

Stock rotates with each shipment, and livestock is sold for local pickup at our Lethbridge store. The current list is in the discus collection.