Would this be a bad idea?

[Cowillaggn]

Hi,
As some of you know, I have a 185 gal. tank with a 35 gal. sump and 2 UV canister filters. I do 30% water changes 3 times a week, but the tank stays very clean even when I went on vaccation for 3 weeks and was unable to have someone do them for that time. I also have 2 small stingrays (6-7" each) and a baby arowana (7-8") with my 2 four inch discus.

My problem is, the two discus can't establish a good heretical system because they are both evenly matched and very determined. They are beating each other up pretty badly.

I had 2 thoughts about solutions.
#1 since discus are such great parents, maybe I could get a larger adult to maybe break up the fighting? or would it just destroy the 2 smaller ones?

#2 Get a few more 4"ers. If so, how many?

[Harriett]

You have a lot of tank. You could get anywhere up to another 8-14 4" discus and be just fine. At the 1 adult discus/10 gal rule, you do the math--do count in the other inhabitants in the tank.. I tend to understock so I have the extra water as leverage if there is a problem. And I just like the fish to have a luxurious amount of swimming area.
Remember, you also need a QT tank large enough to accomodate what ever you bring in. Discus are schooling fish and unless they are a mated pair, 2 or 3 discus will just tear each other up. They need to be in groups of at least 6 in my experience for harmony in the tank and the top limit is only related to the size of the tank and your preferences.
best of luck. how big are those rays going to get?
Harriett

[Cowillaggn]

Ok,
So the rays can hypothetically get up to 14" each, So I'm going to say that each ray and the baby arowana get 40-50 gallons a piece, so that leaves me with about 70 gallons for discus, with 20 of that already used. Do you think I could get 4 or 5 more?

[Harriett]

Definitely. Although fascinated, I have no ray experience, but from what others have posted, be watchful of them as they grow larger and definitely watch the arrowana's behavior....many say you are asking for it if you keep larger arowanas with discus, to be honest.
Good luck on your project, keep us in the loop!
Remember to QT those new discus for a good 6 weeks to be safe.
Best regards,
Harriett

[Cowillaggn]

Great. I'm ordering 4-5 little guys right now. thanks for the help :)

[exv152]

Two or three is the worst number. I find the ideal number is 8 juveniles with lots of swimming space. Not sure if the arowana is a good idea long term, especially as it grows older.

[Cowillaggn]

Right, the arowana is definantly not long term in that tank. I have 4 comming in on saturday, and maybe one or two more soon :jester: