What fish can I keep with discus???

[Christian55]

What fish can I keep with discus???

[RuinerM3]

I'm currently keeping 3 angels, 2 apistos, 8 Corys, neon tetras, and a swordtail with mine. They get along perfect, the angels and discus cruise around the tank together. I know a lot of people keep Plecos with them also. There's definitely multiple threads on here regarding this topic.

[matt2426]

I keep german blue rams, cardinal tetras ,rummy nose tetras and a few l number plecos only a few types of fish can handle temperatures we keep our discus at you can also keep roseline sharks i know a few keep them with success hope this helps

[jmf3460]

There are tons of south American cichlids and dwarf Sa cichlids you can keep with them. A few I've kept with success are...guianacara stergiosi, laetacara doesiguera, laetacara curviceps, dicrossus filamentosus, cleithracara maronii, blue rams, Bolivian rams, corydoras

[shrinkwrap]

Avoid serpent tetras. I have then and they are so fast to food it bothers discus. I am doing it though. Also Siamese algae eaters. My albino plecos are breeding in there. Schooling fish are nice in a discus tank

[bluelagoon]

Maybe the best question is ,what do you want to keep with discus?There are too many of does and don'ts species.

[true2uroots]

I have mine with some rummy nose, cardinal tetras, sterbai cories, and a single male longfin super red Pleco. Everyone seems happy!

[pastry]

I have a striped raphael (temporarily to eat my out of control cherry shrimp population), lemon tetras, bn pleco & sailfin pleco ( and they had babies), Borellis, banjo catfish, halfbeak, hatchetfish,

[Sabrina]

Hello,
I keep Corydora Catfish with my discus, 3 albino and 3 peppered in my grow out tank and 6 bronze in my display tank. They seem to be fine but I know the temp is to high for them really. I kept albino cories with my discus for 10 months previously and never lost one, didn't have any problems, and they grew huge. I have never been able to find the sterbai cories locally here, I would probably have to have them ordered in as I live in a small town, apparently they are the better kind to have with discus. Cories do a great job of cleaning up after feeding time, and they are cute fish.
I tried Neon's, but my baby discus chased them all over the tank nipping at them lol So there was no way I was trying them with my adult discus!
With the Pleco, I personally wouldn't have those fish in with discus, a lot of people have found them attached to the side of their discus eating the discus slime coat!
The Cardinal tetras, I seen a post here this morning that an adult discus had one stuck in its mouth! Temp wise they are compatible with discus but I bet those poor little fish live in constant fear.

[Adam S]

With the Pleco, I personally wouldn't have those fish in with discus, a lot of people have found them attached to the side of their discus eating the discus slime coat!

Those stories should be considered isolated incidents. Most well-fed plecos aren't going to bother anything if the owner actually feeds them (glass buildup and scraps aren't always enough). I'm sure an occasional "mean" fish pops up, but it isn't in a pleco's nature to attack something as big as a discus.

The larger concern with plecos is the disproportionate amount of waste they are capable of producing. No big deal in bare bottom or species tanks, but probably not ideal in a pretty show tank with plants/substrate.

[Sabrina]

Hi Adam

Thank you for clearing that up, I had just heard of it happening more than once with the pleco fish and discus. I however am not game enough to take the chance..

[shrinkwrap]

I have a 210 gallon planted discus tank with many plecos that have never bothered my discus. I feed them daily.

[shrinkwrap]

I have a striped raphael (temporarily to eat my out of control cherry shrimp population), lemon tetras, bn pleco & sailfin pleco ( and they had babies), Borellis, banjo catfish, halfbeak, hatchetfish,

Pastry, I'm surprised you can breed cherry shrimp with discus. My discus ate Amano shrimp.

[JamesW]

Pastry, I'm surprised you can breed cherry shrimp with discus. My discus ate Amano shrimp.

Same with me, I feed my discus mysis shrimp and as soon I put a RCS up from my sump into the display it is all out hunting mode! How heavily planted is your tank? Was it overrun with RCS before the discus were introduced?

[Discluv]

As far as corydoras species being exposed to temperatures above 82 degrees, the list of species is very short.
That is, I might add, if you want to have them live to their full potential- normal life-span, desired weight, and breeding potential.
Sadly, many aquarists just strive for the 'acceptable' but not the temperature that would allow a given fish their full potential. You will see this acceptance by the fish-keeper when they state, despite given evidence to the contrary from experts, that their fish are "fine" or okay at the higher temperature.

That said, corydoras sp. that are endemic to higher temperatures, the same that discus require are: c. adolphii, c. duplicareous, c. sterbei, c. grosso.

Cichlids that can take higher temperatures: most ( with some exceptions) geophagus species, altum angels, bolivian and german rams.

Characins. Most American characins ( there are some African varieties that will take the higher temps, but are rare and expensive) require temperatures between 72-78 degrees to reach full-potential. Fish endemic to temperatures of discus: Rummynose and Cardinals.