How Old and How Big do Discus Get?
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**Discus Age and Size**
Discus in an aquarium will typically live around 8 years, but some can live to 10 years old. There is some evidence that keeping the temperature at the low end of the range for Discus at around 80 degrees will slightly increase their longevity.
In a 120 gallon or smaller tank, Discus will typically grow to 6-7 inches. In a larger tank that is very clean and when you feed them properly three times a day with high protein food like beef heart flake, they can grow to around 8 inches. Having some current will also have the slight effect of them growing larger. Despite some misinformation on the internet, males and female will usually grow to approximately the same size. It is not uncommon for wild Discus to grow to 9-10 inches. I have heard stories and even seen pictures of wild Discus that a reported to be 12 inches, but I have never seen one with an actual ruler next to it, so I cannot verify if that is correct.
