Discus Tank Companions

[bryan_caledon]

Hi there.....I'm new and this is my first posting. I'm sure this question comes up again and again.....but here it is again anyway:
Re: Tank Companions.
I have a 100 gallon tank which is currently home to 1 medium sized discus (I attached the picture), and 2 juveniles. Also there are about 7 black neon tetras, and 8 of some other type of tetra. (I don't even know what kind they are, but they have high black fins and a black spot with iridescent blue ring around it on their sides.) Also in the tank are 6 cory cats. Now over the next several months, I am planning on adding more discus. Probably about 5 or 6, and they'll be large! I've been fortunate enough to hook up with a local breeder with some beautiful fish. Any advice on any other tank companions with discus? Danios? Barbs? Anything like that? I'd really appreciate anything that anyone can offer me as a beginner with discus.

[M0oN]

Sounds like you've pretty much got the two proven companions figured out, discus don't like fast moving tank mates such as danio and barb's, they make them nervous.

Some people have used clown loaches with success, personally they made mine nervous, but the discus were new to the tank and young.

Angel fish can do well but it's debatable, if you don't get the ratio of angel fish to discus right then the angel fish will outcompete the discus for food.

I've currently got 10 discus and 4 angel fish in my 100 gallon and they're all doing just fine...

[bryan_caledon]

Well I do have some incredible angels in other tanks. 1 pair that's spawned 3x in one tank, and another pair that's spawned 4x in another, but they're rather large and one of the males in particular is very aggressive. He's with his female in a 20 gallon and I think I'll just leave the angelfish issue alone for now. I haven't had any successful spawns with them....but maybe someday. I'd also be afraid of some of the things I've heard about angels carrying infectious things to discus.

Besides all of that, my discus tank is under heavy renovation right at the moment as I'm taking about a month, over 8 water changes, to remove what was overall about 3" to 4" of gravel in order to create a bare-bottom tank. The three discus in there are all Asian imports, and seem to be very hardy. But in the process of learning, over the last 6 months or so, I've lost 5 domestically raised discus to various things. It's been sad, and it's been expensive.

I know, they say "if it ain't broken don't fix it", but I am sure I lost the other 5 domestically raised discus to water contamination from what was being carried in the gravel. Could have been the water too. We have a water softener, and I've only learned in the past couple of weeks how to bypass it. Our water source is actually spring water from the Niagara Escarpment. These Asian discus I have seem to like it well enough. We'll see how the others do in a couple of weeks when I start getting more.

I've posted a picture of one of my other discus.

[M0oN]

That's a very nice look'n red turq...

Take your time, get the discus established first and foremost, let them acclimate for about 6 months, then consider tank mates, it's best to try and grow them out on their own.