A few questions about putting fish together

[macy]

Ok, I just purchased a 55 gallon tank and stand. I dont plan on putting any fish in it for another couple of months because #1 I dont know what EXACTLY I want yet, and #2 I'll be moving here in a couple weeks and dont want to have to take the tank down and set it back up again. Here is what I have thought of though. I know for sure I want 1 black ghost knife fish, so now I am picking fish that I like and will go with it. I like the discus, so I thought maybe a couple of these and a couple tetras? I've been searching around and cant find a lot of info on putting these 3 fish together. So my question is...

If i got a black ghost knife fish, how many Discus and Tetras would I need to fill up the tank but not over crowd it?

and....

I've noticed that bare bottom tanks seem to be better for Discus, but I dont think that would work with a black ghost knife fish would it? So what be a good choice for the bottom?

and....

What would be a good choice for the rest of the tank, taking into consideration the selected fish? plants? open spaces? hiding places?

Thanks!

[CAGE-RATTLER]

The ghost knife is a predator and will eat your tetras if they are small and knife is big. They may also nibble on the discus at night.

I have the Black African Knife and they are the most docile of the knife fish and i still dont trust him.

I loost 6 small tetras and 3 rummy nose after getting the knife.

I have 5 red serpae tetras and they've done ok with it.

I also have a bichir (dinosaur eel) and im not sure which of the two had the sushi dinners.

[White Worm]

wow,, macy,, where do we start,, these will be just some ideas,,

1st I dont know much about the ghost knife but discus dont do well with tank mates because most fresh water fish are very aggressive especially at feeding time and discus dont do well if they have to compete for food. They also dont care for alot of quick movements, they get spooked and stressed easily. Tetras are fine but go with something like cardinals because they can handle the higher temps. There is nothing more pleasing than a tank of just discus,,JMO.

2nd 5-7 discus would be fine for a 55g (1 average fish 2"- 4" to 10g is the norm) If you start out with 2"-3" you will be fine just keep in mind that discus require lots of water changes. Some do 80%+ daily. You can also throw in a school of 10-15 tetras. The discus will soon out grow our tank, start pairing and then you will have breeders which you will want to move to seperate tanks,,,,trust me,,,, you will. Start with good quality discus and dont try to mess with ones bought at the lfs down the street. Most dont have any idea what they are doing. Buy from quality breeder, preferably local. You will see many great breeders here on simply.

3rd Bare Bottom is soooo much better for discus health and easier to tend, JMO. No places for crud to collect and believe me,,,when you have gravel and you think you do enough vacuuming,,,you dont!. I took all gravel out of my 85g, 75g and 35g.

4th As far as decor, plastic plants for some feeling of normalcy (is that a word?) Some put in driftwood. I would not put anything in there that they can hide behind, in or under when they are first introduced to the tank. They will tend to hide and become dependant on hiding places and stay somewhat shy. Leave lots of room, open spaces and they will tend to become brave and more independant, less shy and will come right to you when it is feeding time.

One last thing,,,if you still want to put some kind of substrate down for looks, use larger size gravel and only one thin layer so it can be moved around easily when vacuuming. It will save you so much stress in the long run.

These are just some things i have learned from being on simply and i'm sure that some of the experts will chime in and add their advice. Good luck and keep us informed and welcome. Mike

[macy]

Thanks guys! I'll definitly rethink my fish choices now!