Newbie question on compatibility

[Extier]

Hi everyone. I am new to keeping discus. I have 3 baby discus and am currently keeping them in a 55 gallon tank with some guppies. While these discus are still young... is it okay to keep them in a tank with guppies?

[Carol_Roberts]

I don't keep anything in discus tanks but discus.

[Howie_W]

Hi Extier,

Your best off growing out Discus by themselves. You'll have best results starting with a higher number of juveniles ( 6 or more fish).



Howie

[shaunn]

I have mixed and match Discus with a few other species in my time, but I have been very unsuccessful getting guppies to survive in the same environment as Discus. I don't know if its the temperature or lower pH requirements, but I have had no luck.

The reason I wanted the guppies there in the first place was to generate live baby guppy food. My guppies never spawned... they were pregnant, but never spawned, and then died over a course of 3 months.

I have no clue why... guppies are the easiest fish I have ever kept. Keep us updated on this thread how they do.

Even though I do have a mixed tank, in the future I will be setting up Discus only tanks.

[Cosmo]

I'm like Carol, nothing but Discus in with my Discus.

Did try the guppie thing many long years ago for the same reason schaun did.. for live food. Same bad results though and I suspect it's the water temp and acidity. Poor guppies just hid in a corner and slowly died off :(

As Howie says 6+ is better than 3 since Discus are schooling fish. What you'll find is that eventually if not sooner the weakest of the 3 will be bullied into a stress related disease and tend to waste away.. with a 55 you should be ok with 6 fish so long as you have sufficient filtration.

Jim