bubbles1 Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 Hi What fish can go in a tank with Discus? I have a 1meter tank and it has guppys, veiltail swordtails, a platty and a gourami. will a discus go in this tank? Are they as hard to care for as they make out on the net? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 Hi, what sized tank? They are not that hard to keep when they are mature - for someone starting off its better to pay more and get decent sized discus, a minimum of 8cm which should cost in the vicinity of $80 each, rather than get smaller ones which need daily large water changes and are more prone to disease and sickness (well thats my opinion anyway). It also depends on whether its a bare bottom tank or a planted tank. You really need a minimum of 50 litres water per mature discus and at least 4 discus or a breeding pair. Discus are peaceful fish and hang in the mid - upper levels of the tank so as long as you don't put them in with fish that zip around creating havoc you should be okay. Best tank mates imo are cardinals, harlequins, neons (that sort of fish). I also have bn, sterbai corys and rams in with mine. The other thing to consider with tank mates are the tank temperatures which should be around 28-30 degrees for discus as some fish can't handle this temperature. I find with the neons and harlequins that their life span is somewhat reduced due to the higher temperature which speeds up their metabolism. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 Cardinals Rummy noses Hatchets Rams Cories Apistos small fancy plecos red phantom tetras black phantom tetras etc etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubbles1 Posted January 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 The tank is 1.20m long, 50cm high, 40cm deep and. Has 220 Litres of water in it. Planted with real plants, stones and plane ornament. Temperature is 26 degrees. All fish quite placid, except for the male swordtail. He can be a bit stroppy, especially when the female has babies. The platys, guppys, and swordtail all have babies - all the time! In fact I have another 55 litre tank just for those...currently 33 in it...small at this stage. Might need more tanks when they grow up! Thank you for your information so far, very interesting, as I am just learning this fish keeping stuff. Ape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 You will most probably find that your tank is not going to be big enough for the number of discus you will require to keep the peace in your tank unless you look at getting a proven pair which can be expensive. The discus will eat the fry from swordtails and guppies the moment they pop out. What sort of filtration do you have on your tank? Where are you located - you can add it by clicking on the user control panel at the top right hand of this page Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubbles1 Posted January 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 The tank has a Unimax professional FZKN 150 Aquael carbon filter. Seems to do the trick...though i do check for ammonia, PH levels. Do a partial water change once a week. Still learning about how to keep the balance correct. Seems to be quite complicated! Ape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 sounds like you have a reasonable grasp on looking after your aquarium Discus prefer lower pH levels but with any fish it is better to have the pH remain stable and they will adapt than to have it fluctuating and be using pH up and pH down. The fluctuations are a lot harder on them than the pH level being slightly out of their comfort range. This doesn't affect them too much and unless you are trying to breed them it is not anything to worry about. A good idea to check the ammonia levels occasionally before water changes. It just gives you an indication that all is well with your tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfishybuisness Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 wat type of discus are you wanting , cos i have some discus if your interested? that arent the realy expensive fancy ones great for a beginner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubbles1 Posted January 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 I am still researching the type of discus I want...haven't made a decision yet. What sort do you have? Are they very big? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Hi, I see you are asking about the size of discus. They normally grow about 1cm for each month of their life until about 12months if looked after well. Most discus finish up about 10cm in size but there are some around at 12-15cm. If a discus is stunted its eyes will look too big for the body. I don't believe you can select the size a discus will grow to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfishybuisness Posted January 14, 2011 Report Share Posted January 14, 2011 mine are red turqs, good for beginners, and yeah i agree with adrienne dont buy stunted fish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brennos Posted January 14, 2011 Report Share Posted January 14, 2011 I have 2x Bristlenoses 3x Rams 13x Cardinal Tetras. All good for the last 6 months or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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