How Discus are Caught in the Wild.
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To catch wild Discus fish in the wild, exporters will use a bright light at night to attract the fish. Then, they slowly draw a net around them. River guides know the best areas of the river and the parts of the river that are structured to allow the best use of the nets. There are two methods that are generally illegal but are still being used by some unscrupulous collectors. In one method they use mild explosives such as M-80s that will shock the fish and make them float to the top and then the fish are easily collected and then they put them in containment structures to allow them to recuperate. Another illegal method is to use high voltage electricity in very short bursts to once again shock the fish and then they are collected from the top of the water and then collected to recuperate in pools (containment structures). These containment structures are designed to keep the Discus contained but also to allow free flow of river water through waters in which the Discus are kept. Both methods end up in a high percentage of the fish, not just Discus, dying.
These wild Discus are often caught from pristine forest pools where they have had no contact with chemical medications or common aquarium pathogens, making them suitable for aquariums without use of antibiotics. Wild caught Discus usually have immunity from Discus Plague. These Wild Caught Discus fish will typically have a stronger immune system than tank raised Discus. On the negative side, some of them will often have parasite(s) and/or worms, usually requiring isolation and treatment before export.
In the wild, Discus fish are found in South America, particularly around the Amazon. They thrive in clean water, often swimming in small Blackwater rivers, lakes, and pools. Their natural habitat includes submerged tree roots, decayed wood, vegetation, and aquatic grasses, where they hide from predators.
