THE INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON THE GROWTH AND SURVIVAL OF DISCUS FISH (Symphysodon spp.)

Discus fish (Symphysodon spp.) are one of the popular freshwater ornamental fish with their beautiful colors. Environmental factors play an important role in the growth and survival of discus fish. This study aimed to examine the influence of environmental factors, namely water temperature, water quality, and feed availability, on the growth and survival of discus fish. The study was conducted using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with a 3×2×2 factorial arrangement and three replications. Parameters measured included body length, body weight, and survival rate (SR), as well as water quality parameters (temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, hardness, and conductivity). Data were analyzed using factorial ANOVA followed by Tukey HSD test. The results showed that water temperature, water quality, and feed availability had highly significant effects (P<0.05) on the growth and survival of discus fish. The optimal water temperature for discus fish growth was 30 °C, yielding an average body length of 6.8 ± 0.6 cm and body weight of 18.2 ± 1.7 g. Aquarium water quality resulted in better growth and survival compared to tap water. Ad libitum feed availability produced the highest growth with an average body length of 6.7 ± 0.6 cm and body weight of 18.1 ± 1.7 g.