Discus fish. How do you keep them?

Hi all
About two months ago I got some angle fish. Some died but a few survive and they seem to be doing OK. They are active and eat like pigs! But now I wondering if it is possible to try to keep some discus fish aswell? Or is it very difficult to keep them? Can I put them with my angle fish or would it cause trouble? If I need to get another tank for them, how big does the tank ought to be more or less? What do I feed them? If I am right they should have some acidic water... I have a 90 cm tank with angles ( not sure if they will be happy with them) another 90 cm tank with guppies and two gouramis ( and I think this would def, not the tank for them. Then I have a third 90 cm tank with rummy noses, x-rays, black widows and a huge bristle nose catfish (I am not sure if the discus would be happy in that tank.) I don`t want the discus to be unhappy and I don`t want my other fish to get stressed or worse eaten!

 

Hi.


You should not keep discus with angels. Firstly, angels are very competitive for food and may out compete the discus. Secondly, it is reported that angels may carry parasites that will affect the discus. With all that I have said, many people have kept them together with know problems. If it were me I would not.

You are correct discus enjoy soft water however will be fine in ph up to 7.5. It is only when they are breeding that ph should be kept low. I keep mine at about 6.4.

The tank with the tetras will be my first choice for the discus. I would remove the large catfish I think you said is in the tank. Discus should be kept in groups so 6 or more are recommended.

Discus also enjoy higher temps 30d so other fish must be able to cope with the heat. There are many experienced guys here that will help. @Marco @altim and a few others.

Hope this helps.

 

Sorry @Altum as well

 

How many angelfish do you have? What are their sizes? Have they paired up? Is your tank planted ? I'm not an expert on discus, but I think the short answer is NO (angelfish and discus) just by taking into account that angelfish and discus have different temperaments. Both species should be kept in groups. I'm not sure of the specifications of your set-up, but a 90cm is not large enough to keep a group of discus (6+).

You also mentioned "happy". Angelfish and discus naturally live in waters that are planted. Some may debate as to weather the fish we buy/ source have ever experienced their natural habitat. I strongly believe that even if they haven't, we should still provide fish with an environment that closely resembles their natural one.

 

Hi Rooivlerkie

I will try and keep it short and sweet!

90cm is way to small,smallet i would go is 1.2m,but 1.5m would be much better!!
For a start you need at least 6 discus,the babies would need lots of feeding up to 10 times a day,so bare bottom tanks is the best because you need to get rid of all the left over food at least every second day!
40% water changes every week
Water temp 30
Ph under 7 is good,but you need to keep it stable without adding to much ph buffers!so if you can keep it at 6.8 or 7 it would be better than to let the ph jump between 4.5 and 6!
For a start,rather try and keep them on their own,can add some sterbia corries and ancistrus!maybe some cardinals
You need a good filter,a sump is not a must,but if you cAn it would be great!
To keep them healthy you need a wide variaty of food with plenty of vitamins!
Adult discus need at least 40l of water per fish

Discus is not that hard to keep,but you need to feed well,keep water warm and stable,and do regular water changes with pre treated water that is the same temp as the tank!
Might be a bit harder work than just keeping guppies,but it can be very rewarding!

Make sure you read up allot on them befor you buy healthy stock somewhere,dont just jump into it!

Charles

 

Ok thanks for all the help