What kind of water are discus found in?
Discus are found in only one water type, blackwater. There are three kinds in South America, white, clear, and black. The white water is named for the heavy load of silt the river carries from the Andes Mountains. The Amazon proper is a white water river. Clear water is found in the highlands of Brasil and Guyana, and is where most South American river plants originate. Black water flows out of the rain forest and jungle. It is black because of the amount of decaying vegitation that falls from the trees. As the leaves decay, they the water very soft, soak up oxygen, and give off carbon dioxide, creating carbonic acid, giving blackwater a very low pH, usually between 5 and 6. The decaying plant matter also gives the water its dark tea color, for which it is named.
