fish compatibility

[Coralife205]

Ok, what are some good fish to go with the discus? like algea eating fish. whats better, otos, or SAE?? the thing is, i dont want to get a lot of either, cuse i want to focus on a big shoal of cardinals 20-30... and i know i want corrys (like 5) to help keep the botom of the tank clean and to get any extra food. itel be a planted tank. i want to understock the tank cause im reading all of thease things about over stocking a tank with discus will kill them...something like that.

[mareshow]

i have a Queen Arabesque pleco and a clown pleco with mine and they are totally oblivious to them, i also had rams with them for a time and once again left them alone. i have been told before that discus will usually show aggressiveness to each other before other species. put it this way if you want to risk putting a $100+ discus with a $15 fish its up to you the cardinals are probably a bad idea (cichlids like to "taste" things smaller than their mouths)

[Coralife205]

i thought cardinals were a great tank mate or discus. alot of tanks have them together. especly on the AGA aquascapeing contest

[DiscusOnly]

Cardinals are perfectly fine with discus. Just don't get them too small. The only real problem with cardinals or neon is that you have to watch the high temps.

On my planted tank, I have a school of rummy and black neon. I also have 2 busy nose and 2 snowball pleco. There is also a 12" albino sailfin. My 2 loach clean the bottom up pretty well. Ottos are pretty cheap so you can probably get 8-10. I also have a dozen or so shrimp and crayfish.

Just do some planning and take your time. The fun should be in the "process". A nice healthy discus tank is just the reward.

[Jhhnn]

With mature discus, you want the "jumbo" sized tetras, otherwise they're just snacks...

Any of the plecos or bristlenoses make good tankmates, depending on the temperament of the individual fish. Any that swim up and rasp the sides of your discus have to go... larger specimens being potentially more dangerous...

Higher stocking and feeding levels just have to be supported with more and larger water changes, better general husbandry. Which sounds peachy and all, but often becomes tiresome if you haven't invested in the means to do so easily- aging barrel(s), heater(s), tubing, air pumps, water pumps- ways to quickly and easily prep the water, clean, drain and fill the tank(s). Once tedium sets in, laxity follows, and the welfare of tank inhabitants goes to hell in a handbasket...

High stocking levels also mean you're pretty much chained to the oars- leaving town for more than a weekend becomes difficult, as it's tough to find somebody who'll do the chores while you're gone...

It's all about understanding what you're getting into, and the law of unintended consequences...