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Thread: Discus Tank Mates

  1. #1
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    Default Discus Tank Mates

    We were thinking of starting a thread where we could compile info about discus tank mates. This is a place to refer general questions about which fish do well with discus.
    If you have had a community tank, please choose one fish that has worked well for you and discuss it in detail. Some topics might be their description, origin, the temperatures they can survive, how they interact with discus, food, behavior, and problems you've had. Basically anything that you think will help someone choose the right fish and to keep them alive.
    Also, if you want, please choose one fish that hasn't worked for you. Talk about what happened; did it bother the discus, was it eaten, or maybe cooked at discus temps.
    The idea is to help people choose the tank mates without repeating ourselves or worse, them repeating our mistakes (maybe we can save some fish lives). At some point, the info may be condensed or repackaged, let me know if that would be a problem.
    Thanks in advance for your participation.

  2. #2
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    Default Re:Discus Tank Mates

    Great Idea Ralph. Ok here is mine.
    Before I got into Discus I kept s/A Dwarfs, I've had tha A, Cacatoides, M Ramerezi and lately a pair of Nanacara Anomela. There are loads of dwarf cichlids, and most will thrive in Discus water. The ones I had a problem with where the bolivian rams. I know other discus keeper who haven't had problems with these fish but the one's I had kept dieing. All I sugest is find a s/a cichlid, find out where it is from and if it's from relativley the same area as Discus, they will be ok. My Anomelas are doin great.

  3. #3
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    Default Re:Discus Tank Mates

    Silver Hatchets - There are actually two similar looking fish sold as Silvers (Gasteroplelecus sternicla (Common Hatchet) and Thoracpcharax securisis (True Silver Hatchet)). They are almost identical though and even school together. Hatchets, from the Amazon Basin, are a very shiny silver color and about 1 & 1/2 inches (3 to 4 cm) long. They are easy to recognize with their bowed out chest area. Hatchets school at the surface and are very calm generally. They have very little interaction with the discus.
    In the wild, they eat flies, mosquitos, etc. but they do well on flake food. They will eat frozen bloodworms but my hatchets like to check their food out before eating and by that time, the discus have made the worms disappear.
    My hatchets have survived temps of 90 to 92 degrees F. in case you have to turn up the heat for infections. They are very sensitive to water quality though, even more so than discus (if you can believe that). I use them like a canary in a mine, they are the first sign that I might have a problem.
    The only thing I am concerned about is that they are more active at night, they don't seem to bother the discus though.

    Stay away from the Marbled Hatchets though. They are from nearer the headwaters and survive at lower temperatures (72 - 76 dregrees F). There is also a subspecies called Marthae, with the same problem.

  4. #4
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    Default Re:Discus Tank Mates

    don't you have to keep tight cover glasses on the tanks with those too? A bit jumpy aren't they? And theDiscus can't fit them into their mouths. hehe

  5. #5
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    Default Re:Discus Tank Mates

    Hi Ralph,

    Hope you don't mind me adding to your post. I have hatchets in the past and they are surface fishes and tend to jump. So for those that do not have a tank cover, this fish is not recommended unless you like them crispy and dried.

    I haven't experience this yet, but have read often on Simply that a bristle nose pleco is a handy fish to have with Discus. They work as great scavenger and algae controller. I know its hearsay but since I have heard nothing but good thing about this fish I would recommend him. I am also planning to get one for my own tank to help control algae bloom. I'll update you guys on this situation should this they be a bad combo for Discus.


    Cheers,

    Chi.

  6. #6
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    Default Re:Discus Tank Mates

    You are right, I've never seen mine fly (though they can I guess) but I keep the lid on my tank for the discus anyways. Thanks for reminding me.

  7. #7
    Registered Member ronrca's Avatar
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    Default Re:Discus Tank Mates

    In my 90G planted community tank, I have kept the famous 10 cardinals, 4 dwarf rainbows, 1 honey gourami, 2 ottos, 2 sae's, 2 german blue rams!

    All of them I have kept with success with discus! Never any problems.
    Parameters:
    Temp-86-88 (sometimes in the summer up to 90)
    ph-7.4

    It is fasinating watching the medium moving school of cardinals with their red and blue strips swimming the lenght of the tank. So gracefully and beautiful. The quick rainbows with their silver scales flashing rainbow color (hence the name) as they dart around chasing each other. The ever curious rams slowly picking their ways around the tank, minding their own business (until feeding time that is). The otos I hardly see and the fat sae likes to hide from me ;D! Of course, the discus watching the whole scene like kings of the aquarium, gracefully floating around (waiting for their next meal Im sure). All in all, life in the community is pleasant and peaceful! Well......until feeding time. Then the water churns from all the fish darting back and forth trying to get a piece of food.

    When considering buying new fish for the community, I always research a couple of weeks before buying to ensure I do not create chaos! When buying, I usually watch the fish intently, seeing how they interact with each other.

  8. #8
    Platinum Member Ryan's Avatar
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    Default Re:Discus Tank Mates

    Rams and checkerboard cichlids are a good addition to larger tanks where the fish can have their own space. Checkerboards are tiny cichlids and do well in warm, soft water with low-to-neutral pH. I haven't tried other dwarfs before.

    Most peaceful tetras work well as long as the discus can't make snacks out of them. These include lemon tetras, rummynose, serpae (sometimes), black neons (larger than regular neons), and cardinals.

    Corydoras cats work great with discus, as do Otocinclus most of the time (although some people have reported their Otos trying to attach to the discus).

    Dwarf gouramis, especially the honey dwarfs mentioned in a previous posts, also seem to do well as they are passive community fish and mostly keep to themselves, even though they are from a different part of the world. Female bettas work well with angels, so I assume they'd do well with discus too as long as they weren't too small (discus might make lunch of them if they see an opportunity).

    Festivums are another fun cichlid that might do okay with discus if kept in a large tank. They tend to like being kept in small groups and are pretty peaceful fish. Anyone ever try discus with keyhole cichlids?

    Angelfish and discus is a huge debate. All I will say is that it CAN be done successfully, you just have to know what you are doing and be careful.

    Ryan

  9. #9
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    Default Re:Discus Tank Mates

    I have a couple small Peppered Cories in my Discus tank. They do an awesome job of keeping the bottom clean and will eat anything I put in there for the Discus. They love Blackworms, flake food and Discus pellets alike. Whenever I feed the Discus the Cories come out to eat also. They don't interact with the Discus at all but I feel this is a good thing. They stay on the bottom and keep things clean.

    Also a few weeks before adding the Dicus to my planted tank I bought a dozen Cardinal Tetras and put them in. They all survived and I still have not lost a single one. I have never bought a dozen Cardinals for any tank and not lost any so I figure it as a good sign. I think the Cardinals are the perfect companions for Discus as long as they are big enough to not get eaten. A good sized shoal of Cardinals is a beautiful sight but they are small enough to not take away from the Discus. I think the Discus need to remain the centerpiece of the tank and the Cardinals compliment them perfectly.

  10. #10
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    Default Re:Discus Tank Mates

    Just one comment regarding Cories. They are indeed useful scavengers in a Discus tank, but if I'm correct (and please correct me if I'm not) cories are sensitive to salt so when doing salt treatment, please remove the Cories.


    Cheers,

    Chi.

  11. #11

    Default Re:Discus Tank Mates

    i haven't had any problems with 1-2 tbs/10 gallons with the cories in the tank. you are right though, they are sensitive to salt so i wouldn't recommend adding any more than 1-2 tbs /10.

  12. #12

    Default Re:Discus Tank Mates

    also, i have some black neons in with my discus and cories and they completely leave the discus alone and the discus seem oblivious of them. i think the black neons are in heaven with such frequent feedings. they're so fat! lol

  13. #13

    Default Re:Discus Tank Mates

    I have Corydoras Elegans which are doing great in high temperatures (90F), but two died during a salt treatment (<1%).

    I also had Checkerboards, but removed the male after it terrorized six 4" discus for weeks. He had his territory smack down the middle of the tank and would attack anything that came out of the corners. My discus couldn't eat anything without having to withstand blows from the tiny checkerboard. The two females that are left are doing fine though.

    A school of 9 black neons are swimming happily among the discus and pick all the smart parts of food that drift away during a feeding frenzy. I chose black neons, because I find cardinals and normal neons too common.

  14. #14
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    Default Re:Discus Tank Mates

    I also think the cardinal school and rams are good. but around here healthy cardinals are imossible to find

  15. #15
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    Default Re:Discus Tank Mates

    In my planted 75g I keep a bit of everything. I only have one huge Discus because any others I have ever put in there have been beaten to submission by him. But in with him I have:
    cardinals
    rummy nose
    glo-light tetras
    bushy & clown plecos
    ottocinclus
    hatchet
    rams
    cories
    2 blueberry tetras (i used to help cycle the tank 3 yrs ago)
    I think that might be about it.
    I keep it at 84-85 F and a ph of 6.5

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