FindingNemo Posted May 6, 2005 Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 Hi all, about 20 years ago i had a tropical setup and have just decided to restart all over again. Now i've noticed a huge variety change in fish from 20 years ago and a huge increase in colours available. I want to have a community tank and was wondering if Discus are suitable for a community tank? as i really like the look of the Blue Discus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kazz Posted May 6, 2005 Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 Welcome to the site. I have a communtiy tank with discus and all the fish get along extremely well. I have mainly tetras and a few dwarf gourami and two bristlenose. I have been told you have to be careful what you put with them and angles are a definite nono due to worm problems. I'm no expert but there are others here that are very helpful including some discus breeders. Good luck with you new setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FindingNemo Posted May 6, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 Thanks for that Kazz you've been a great help. Shame about the Angels though because i think they make a tank. Be interested to hear from others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelley Posted May 7, 2005 Report Share Posted May 7, 2005 I don't have any discus (or angels) myself just yet but would quite like to get a couple of discus for my main community tank. My mother loves discus and has had them in the past and has just got some again now. She read up and has put some blue rams with them as they are supposed to be complimentary tank mates. Of the reading she and i have done it has been suggested that discus stay in a species only tank...however in the past mum has successfully had discus in community tanks and they look great...the other shapes and colours really seem to set them off. As for angels. I have decided to have a tank for the more anti social fish. I have one only sherpae tetra....and plan getting more...and 3 only black widows....which i LOVE...but they are not very friendly to other fish...and make my fighters life hell. so once my tanks are sorted i will have MORE of these fish....in a tank of their own...and shall get some angels for THAT tank. Originally i was just going to let them live their natural lives then not replace them but i really do love those black widows and i think it could be an awesome tank colour wise with a few neons thrown in and maybe some golden barbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FindingNemo Posted May 9, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2005 I put 2 smaller Discus in the tank and they seem happy and content. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke* Posted May 9, 2005 Report Share Posted May 9, 2005 I know people don't like to hear it but discus 'prefer' to be by themselves - like most fish. They also like 0 nitrate which usually means lots of water changes. They also like to be in groups of at least 5-6. www.simplydiscus.com some more tips for starting out and basic discus requirements. goodluck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livebearer_breeder Posted May 10, 2005 Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 discus 'prefer' to be by themselves - like most fish. They also like to be in groups of at least 5-6. Bit of a contridiction isnt it?? Shae Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted May 10, 2005 Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 By 'themselves' he means just discus, not other species. Not a single fish on its own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livebearer_breeder Posted May 10, 2005 Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 ahh, see my bad. Shae Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
me love fishy Posted May 14, 2005 Report Share Posted May 14, 2005 Hi just reading this topic, are discus and angels really not compatible together? Shame if so. I am setting up a new 4ft tank and wanted to get both. And if not which would be more compatible with other community fish including smaller fish like neons and larger ones like gouramis? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelley Posted May 14, 2005 Report Share Posted May 14, 2005 I would think the discus would be more compatable than the angels. Currently I have neither....and like both....so will be getting the angels for my 'stroppy buggers' tank....and maybe adding discus (eventually) to my main tank. I know discus prefer their own company but when I re-set my tank up (once it comes back from the glass repairer) I plan on putting in a LOT of plants. My mother kept discus in a commuinty tank and they were very happy certainly a very peaceful fish. I have been put off angels by their reputation though from what I read here it depends on the individual fish....and I think this is true enough too as when visiting the lfs recently i saw a young discus giving his/her discus tank mates hell! and I have never seen that before from a discus. I particularly like the siamese fighting fish too and have found they can actually be quite a timid fish after receiving a few nips from some tiny bullies (*growls at the sherpae tetras and black widows*). My stroppy tank will have the fin nippers...which are pretty little fish.....and a few angels when i get it set up the way i want it. In all of my tanks I plan on providing plenty of hidey holes for fish needing respite from unwanted attention from other fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
me love fishy Posted May 14, 2005 Report Share Posted May 14, 2005 Thanks Shelley I would rather have discus than angels as I like the look of them better, I have also heard that angels and neons don't really go together, so might avoid angels altogether as I do want neons, of some kind. I have got a male siamese fighting fish in my small tank, this is my third one and I really like them. I have found that they can be shy at first (who wouldn't be after being kept in a tiny glass tank with only gravel as in the lfs and now in a much bigger tank with others and plants!!) But after a week or two they really come into their own. I have actually found them to be very friendly and had one that would let me stroke it and would come to the front when I called out to it. Maybe it was just greedy and wanted a feed :lol: But I think they are pretty cool and no more territorial than others, generally peaceful but won't take any crap from any other fish. My current one is such cool colours, almost mauve. Anyway cheers for the advice regarding angels and discus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted May 14, 2005 Report Share Posted May 14, 2005 Get cardinals instead. They're bigger and better looking than neons. Angels aren't a problem with them, as exampled by one of my 4ft tanks: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FindingNemo Posted May 14, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2005 I now have 8 Discus for the social atmosphere. So now i have in a community tank with the Discus,some Gourami a dozen Neons and a Siamese Fighter. Everyones happy and theres been no fin nipping yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
me love fishy Posted May 14, 2005 Report Share Posted May 14, 2005 Cool tank hummingbird Thanks for the advice about cardinals instead of neons, maybe angels aren't out of the picture altogether, but will have to see still really, really want discus, so may have to bypass the angels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelley Posted May 15, 2005 Report Share Posted May 15, 2005 I really like the sound of FindingNemo's tank....that sounds like a beautiful mix of fish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FindingNemo Posted May 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2005 I've tried to take some pics but i dont have a great cam. So lets see if i can get them to show up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FindingNemo Posted May 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2005 Ok then that seemed to work. However its not that dark in the tank. Here's the Siamese Fighter that seems to have fallen in love with a Golden Gourami. I may have to get him a couple of girlfriends. (He's trying to wrap his tail around every fish in the tank) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BK Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 Hows the discus going. Should be showing good colours now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FindingNemo Posted July 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 The original Discus are all showing lots of blue in there fins and on there faces, Ive also added an Orange and a Blue Diamond that are in full colour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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