Ultimately, compatibility comes down to the personality of the individual fish. The intended tank mate’s adult size comes into play next, as that will dictate what tank you need to accommodate them.įinally, note the typical behaviors of the species and remember that these are trends in that breed’s behavior. Some species may be close in requirements but keeping fish at the extremes of their tolerance range is never optimal for their health. Water requirements are the first limiting factor, as many freshwater species either cannot survive or will not thrive in the warm waters loved by the discus. When selecting a tank mate, pay attention to the fish’s behavior, adult size, and water parameter requirements. However, the final sight of these lovely fish and their tank mates exploring their surroundings will be worth the work! The discus tank mates include the Neon Tetra, Rummy Nose Tetra and Ember Tetras which are beautiful and easy to care for. Putting together a discus tank takes planning, preparation, and a little bit of research. Introducing the discus to the tank second may help the fish to acclimate. While they have a reputation for aggression, it is usually confined to the school and does not extend to others in an aquarium.Īlthough with cichlids, that is always something to keep an eye on. This freshwater cichlid is easy-to-care-for schooling fish.Īngels grow up to six inches in length (15 cm) and come in a variety of color forms. Given below is a list of such aquarium fish. There are areas where the conditions overlap, so cycle your tank before adding your fish and set the water is in those zones. Certain types of fish are more compatible with discus, and are ideal as tank mates to the former. Minimum Tank Size: 80 gallons for a small schoolĪngelfish come from the same area as the discus and enjoy similar, but not identical water conditions. The following species have the best odds of pairing well with your discus. Friendly/non-aggressive community fish that are big enough to not be seen as snacks should do well with discus. Peaceful bottom feeders that occupy a different level of the water column.Schooling or dither fish, which help your discus feel secure 12 Awesome Discus Tank Mates 1 Cardinal Tetras Care level: Moderate Max Size of fish: 2 inches Temperature range: 73-81 degrees Fahrenheit PH range: 5-6 Cardinal Tetras make good Discus tank mates because they not only share some common treatment characteristics but also are peaceful fish.In addition to environmental compatibility, look for the following when seeking a tank mate for your discus:
While species from other regions can survive in these higher temperatures, the environmental conditions may shorten their lifespan. Overall, there are plenty of compatible species. Information in good faith without guarantee.Discus Compatibility Water Parameters The toughest part of choosing tank mates for the discus is finding fish compatible with its water parametersĭiscus need a higher water temperature than most, in the range of 80 to 85☏ (27-29☌), with a pH level between 6 and 7 and a hardness around 2 dKH.Īs a result, fish from the same part of the world are the easiest choice as they live in similar conditions. Adrie has compiled the following list of fish that he considers as suitable companions for Discus. The pleco needs to be a smaller breed and that will not latch onto. Remember also that tank mates should undergo a period of quarantine and observation prior to mixing with your Discus - many folk will not do this and have no issues, but you must be aware that bacterial compatibility issues are a very real risk.Īdrie Baumann won the 2013 Live Aquascaping World Championship and works very closely with the Stendker hatchery in Germany. A discus can live with a pleco, however, there are some criteria that first need to be met. It is very important when selecting companion species for you Discus that you do not compromise the Discus's water requirements at all, so select only species that will be happy with a water temperature of 28-30 C and will tolerate your local pH and hardness etc.įish that are not too boisterous, and fish that will not hog all the food are those to consider - a prudent aquarist will research their chosen species before buying them and the Internet is ideal for this, so coupled with the advice of your retailer, getting it "wrong" is minimised. Some fish keepers will house their Discus in a species only set up without, or just a few area selected species of tank mates, however in a domestic living room people like to keep what catches their eye in the shop rather than a dedicate biotope aquarium. Cardinal tetras are a popular tank mate for discus tanks, but dont get so many that they outcompete the discus for food.
0 kommentar(er)
