Tank Mates For Discus Fish

There are many types of tropical fish that can go well with discus. One type of fish that creates problems is bottom feeders. If bottom feeders are in the aquarium the discus will not eat off the bottom. Discus like to leisurely graze on the bottom but will not do this if bottom feeders are present. The prime consideration is to choose fish that are not aggressive and that do well in the warmer, softer water required for discus. This eliminates gold fish, live bearers, African Cichlids and aggressive South and Central American Cichlids such as Oscars, Convict Cichlids and Jack Dempsey types.

Bottom feeders should be avoided as they will make the discus nervous, especially at feeding time when the discus eat off the bottom. As they grab for their food, they will keep an eye out for whatever is lurking nearby and may actually miss their bite due to this distraction. Hobbyist will erroneously assume the discus has vision problems. Cordy cats and clown fish are really active and are notorious for this.

Keepers of African Cichlids often provide "dither" fish in the aquarium because they seldom see the cichlids, who prefer to hang out in caves. Dither fish are not necessary for discus fish. They are a schooling fish and will swim together in a group. Placing one or two discus into a community tank full of various tropical fish will not be the best scenario for the discus. While they do not require a species only tank, another consideration is do you want to expose the discus to possible disease and parasites over the addition of a two dollar fish to their aquarium?

Common plecos should not be kept with discus. Although they are herbivores, at night when the discus are asleep they can graze on the slime coat of the discus creating trauma and even death. The fancy type plecos are okay, however, you will rarely see them during the day and they will not keep algae growth eliminated. To keep algae control down, the bristle nose ancistrus is excellent. They do not bother the discus at all. They are sometimes called bushy nose or bristle nose, due to the bristles that appear on adult males.

Most tetras can be kept with discus although the cardinal tetra is actually suited for the discus environment. Stores like to push neon tetras, which look similar, however, neon tetras require much cooler water temperatures than discus. When a fish is kept in unsuitable conditions, they may appear to be fine, but do suffer from some degree of stress. Eventually this can create serious problems. Rams are commonly kept with discus.

On the more exotic side of things I have seen sting rays kept with discus. Angel fish are commonly kept with discus. I personally would not do it but many hobbyists do. Angels are fast eaters and can devour a meal before the discus can get in on the action. At the end of the day most fish almost look comical when swimming next to a full grown adult discus. They have a very commanding presence that is hard to compete with on a serious level. Discus fish are a personable schooling type fish and they are content to belong to a school of their own kind, having their family as tank mates. Once you have observed their schooling behavior and all it’s complexities, other type fish don't quite measure up.