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Researching the Discus, I've come to realize the topic of whether they could be raised in a community tank or should be kept in a dedicated tank is quite controversial.... So rather than continue to read articles on the subject, I decided that it would be best to jump right in and ask for actual experiences from real everyday fish hobbiests.... Do you keep your Discus in a community or dedicated tank? If community, what types of fish have you successfully maintained in the same aquarium? Are there any tips on how you acclimated your Discus to a community setting? Also out of curiousity, what type of foods do you include in their diet?
Thanks in advance for your input on this topic!
dreamweaver8891

To thine own self be true...

Hi Dreamweaver,
I keep a large breeding pair of Blue Turqoiuse Discus
in my 75 gallon Community tank.
To acclimate them I just did the usual acclimation,
float the bag for 2 hours replacing small amounts of water.
The tank is kept at 82F to accomodate all the fish, as some species I have are cooler water ones, the Discus dont seem to be bothered by the lower temp at all.
My ph is 6.6 and hardness is 60ppm or so, I keep it soft specifically for the Discus, none of the other fish seem to mind that at all.
As for diet, all my fish receive a widely varied diet, including all of the following foods:
Frozen Bloodworms and Mysis Shrimp
Snail Jello (Homemade rich in veggies and some salmon in it)
Big Als Staple Flake
Mysis Shrimp Flakes
Earthworm Flakes
Brine Shrimp Flakes
HBH 8 Veggie Flakes
Cyclop-eeze (hugely loved by all)
Veggie Wafers
Big Als Sinking Pellets for Bottom Feeders
Freeze Dried Tubifex
Fresh Veggies (Peas, Zuchinni, Carrot, Brussel Sprouts, etc)
Fresh Fruit (Pear core, orange slices)

As for fish I keep them with, I keep a good many fish with the Discus that arent supposedly good with Discus because they make the Discus shy or they scare them or blah blah. Ive never found this to be the case. Discus are BIG, strong, hardy cichlids with a good amount of Attitude themselves, more than capable of competing for food with any peaceful community fishes.
In my 75g I have the following fish:
2 Blue Discus
2 Angelfish (mated pair)
10 Danios (zebra and pearl)
7 Buenos Aires Tetras
1 Pristella and 1 Rummynose Tetra (leftovers)
2 Plecos (inspector L201 and Bristlenose)
1 Female Betta Plakat (soon to be 3)
1 SAE (will be adding another soon, lost one recently)
3 Yoyo Loaches
1 Polka Dot Loach
1 Queen Loach
1 Dojo Loach
4 Kuhli Loaches
1` Imitator Catfish
1 Raphael Catfish
2 USD Catfish
9 Assorted Cory Cats (most Aeneus bronze)
1 Rainbow Shark
4 Keyhole Cichlids
1 Bolivian Ram

I think thats about it. So yeah, pretty heavily stocked,
pretty heavily planted, with lots of filtration,
an Eheim 2217 (for up to 225g) and a Rena XP-2 (up to 75g).
I do water changes 35-40% every 10-14 days on average, sometimes more often.

Heres a pic of the Discus and the tank, the plants have grow a ton since this pic was taken in July of last year.





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I have kept mine in a community tank and they are doing fine. I have kept them with all the fish in my sig as well as a common pleco for a while(but I got rid of him for their reputation of sucking on discus), zebra danios, cardinals, twig catfish, many different kinds of corys, and a bristlenose pleco. Alot of peaceful fish will work as long as they aren't too spastic and can live in the discus's water parameters. I thought I lost the ghost shrimp to them but I see them pop up occasionally, I think wild caught ones will be more predatory towards them.

They weren't really acclimated to the community setting, they were put in with the current inhabitants. They were acclimated to the water, but that was about it.

As far as feeding goes they get frozen bloodworms, discus pellets, flakes, algea chips, and shrimp pellets. I have brine shrimp eggs that I haven't gotten around to hatch yet, as well as some guppies to breed some fry and see how well those are taken.

My tank is a 72 gallon that is moderately planted, has alot of filtration (eheim pro 2 and rena filstar xp3), about 1.3 watts per gallon, I also do ~40% water change every 7-14 days. While they were growing the water change was at least once a week, they do make alot of waste during this period but it eventually drops off.

All in all they are a very pretty fish with alot of different strains to please anyones eye. I have found them to be pretty hardy as long as things are kept constant and water quality is good.

What does that mean, Bob? "Till the cows come home." Where have the cows been?

Can Discus be kept as community fishes?

This simple sounding question opens up the vast can of worms known as "what is a community?". Sit back, because this is going to be a long post.

First of all, let's look at the wild. In a typical wild setting, for example, a large lake somewhere in Central or South America, which I have chosen because it will probably contain many aquarium favourites among its fauna, there will be, literally, billions of organisms present. This count will include the teeming masses of bacteria and single-celled eukaryotes (life forms whose cells have a nucleus - which is lacking in bacteria), and the smaller multi-celled invertebrates that all contribute to the food web in that lake. Now, in that lake, bigger creatures will, in the main, consume some of the smaller creatures. So, rotifers and flagellates will eat bacteria and single-celled algae, tiny crustaceans will feed on the rotifers, and fish fry will feed on the tiny crustaceans, and so forth. Although individual creatures may end up in the stomach of another, if we take snapshots of the lake over time, the statistical populations of those creatures will, evolutionary effects being ignored for the moment, remain stable over a long period. This highly simplified view also, of course, ignores catastrophic interventions such as the volcano to the north suddenly erupting, or plate tectonics turning the lake, via a series of earthquakes, into part of the nearby sea. But, leaving such factors out, the populations will generally remain stable over time. Any instabilities will tend to be corrected - a sudden increase in crustaceans, for example, will result in a following increase in small fish to eat them, and after a few oscillations of the population cycles, numbers will eventually settle back to around the pre-boom values. Indeed, this behaviour of such a system can be, and has been, modelled on computer - the sophisticated reader can even spend time writing his or her own simulations and playing with them, if so desired.

Now, to all intents and purposes, we can consider this lake to be a community of organisms. There are, of course, much more rigorous, formal scientific definitions of 'community' that can be applied, but for the time being, they are beyond the scope of this post. I shall, however, direct the inquisitive to research them! But, taking this more prosaic layman's view as the prevailing one, we can regard any large assemblage of organisms from different species, coexisting in a statistically stable fashion, as a community.

Now we come to the aquarium. Practical restrictions mean that an aquarium will never be anything other than an approximation to our hypothetical large lake. Water volume (i.e., our ability to build an aquarium big enough, and manage the ensuing contents) is the biggest limitation on our ability to mimic Nature - the best that most of us will ever achieve, even when striving assiduously to mimic Nature, will be a small-scale simulacrum thereof. One with a restricted set of species, in a restricted volume of water, and subject to a host of other practical constraints.

But, even within these restrictions, there are trememdous possibilities. There are, after all, over 20,000 fish species to choose from. And many of these are well within the remit of the home aquarist. This now naturally leads to the question of what species we put into the aquarium - these species, their natural requirements, feeding habits and behaviour, will create additional constraints upon what is possible, but the choices open will still be extremely numerous. And so, the best answer to the question "What is a community aquarium" is this - it is an assemblage of fishes, chosen by the aquarist according to certain criteria, that coexist with minimum disharmony.

This answer may sound as though it contains its own 'escape clause' built-in, but a look at some examples of harmonious and disharmonious arrangements will soon make the above answer fall neatly into place. Take my own main aquarium - I designed this to be a little piece of South American river in the living room, and after the initial setting-up, it has been so, with odd changes of species here and there, for nine years. Its current inmates comprise Cardinal & Lemon Tetras, Beckford's Pencil Fish, Panda Corys and Otocinclus. All small, peaceful, schooling fish (well, the Otocinclus are moderately gregarious) that coexist without fights. Likewise, an assortment of Melanochromis Cichlids in an aquarium decorated with rock assemblages, designed to mimic a small piece of Lake Malawi, also counts as a community aquarium. So does a 'mix and match' aquarium with South American Characins, small Asian Barbs and Rasboras, a team of Corys and half a dozen Platies. These will generally get on fine, provided they have sufficient space, clean water and quality food (which of course applies to all fish). And, for those with the space, a big aquarium with Dempseys, Jaguar Cichlids and Green Terrors also comprises a 'community aquarium', although in this case one stocked with some tough bruisers, and one in which the phrase 'harmonious coexistence' will always be a relative term! In the case of a marine aquarium, a reasonable arrangement would consist of a dozen Electric-Blue Damsels (in these numbers, schooling behaviour takes over from territoriality if space is sufficient), several Cardinal Fishes and a Strawberry Gramma. Or, space permitting, an alternative arrangement comprising a Lionfish, a Pantherfish and a big Queen Triggerfish (again, these are pretty tough bruisers, and need a LOT of space).

At this point, it shouldn't be too difficult for the more experienced aquarists to provide examples of disharmonious assemblages. Put Neon Tetras in with half a dozen adult Dempseys, for example, and the Neons will quickly become an expensive lunch for the adult Dempseys. While size-wise, the Demspeys might theoretically coexist with some of the bigger Melanochromis from Lake Malawi, the big difference in water chemistry between their natural habitats rules out that partnership. And just because two fish come from the same waters doesn't guarantee compatibility - Angelfish Pterophyllum scalare and Neon Tetras might both be South American, and prefer soft, slightly acidic water, but again, big Angelfish will snack upon the poor Neons without experiencing too many pangs of conscience. And while Neolamprologus shell-dwellers might live in the same lake as Boulengerochromis microlepis, no way could you keep those two together in the aquarium for long - the Boulengerochromis would quickly reach a size where the shell-dwellers ended up as lunch, and in any case, the Boulengerochromis would need a swimming pool to themselves before long, as they reach three feet in length in the wild. In the marine aquarium, putting your Electric-Blue Damsel shoal in with an adult Lionfish is an expensive way of feeding the Lionfish, and there are precious few fish that can be kept in any aquarium, even a huge one, alongside a Balistapus undulatus Triggerfish, because these have a truly vicious reputation as adults.

So the above answer still holds. A community aquarium is what you decide it will be. But, the onus is on YOU to make wise choices. Research your fish species choices first. Will they all live happily in the same water? Will they coexist without fighting? Do any of them have special needs that should be taken into account, but which will still permit them to live in my desired community? For example, most Corys are fairly hardy, and go well in any aquarium containing small South American Characins and Otocinclus such as mine. But, Panda Corys are delicate in some respects - they don't like being cooked (temperature MUST be below 26°C, and preferably nearer 22°C or 23°C for general maintenance) and absolutely HATE a gunk-filled gravel bed. You can put Pandas in a community aquarium, but if it's a mature one, make sure that the gravel bed is subject to thorough gravel vacs before putting the Panda Corys in! And, while they may be South American, extreme acidity will kill them off like flies. While many livebearers (old favourites such as Guppies, Mollies and the like) have for years been spoken of as 'community' fish, they too have preferences, and failure to take account of them will lead to shortened lifespans and other woes. Many Poeciliid liverbearers prefer warm water (Mollies especially will expire if suddenly chilled), ideally more hard and alkaline than many of the South American Characins they are often ill-assortedly housed with, and in the case of Mollies in particular, they actually prefer brackish water. Oh, and don't forget the addition of lots of vegetable matter in the Poeciliid diet too! Bear in mind too that while those liverbearers that are still fairly close genetically to their original wild cousins will be reasonably hardy, some of the fancy strains will be anything but, just as the 'typical' male Betta found in a fish shop will be a good deal more robust than a show-quality double-tail melano black line-bred over 70 generations by a show Betta specialist. Mixing and matching pairs of Tetras of diverse species is probably not a good idea either - cut down on the species count, and give each species a shoal of six or more.

So, where is all this leading you with your Dicsus?

The answer is this. Look at the wild situation. In the wild, Discus share their native waters with a variety of other fishes. It would be remarkable indeed if they didn't, given the size of the Amazon River system and the diversity of fishes contained therein! This alone should tell the aquarist that it is possible, in theory at least, to maintain an aquarium in which Discus share their environment with other fishes.

However, because Discus are known to be fishes with specialised requirements (and stringent attention to water quality), the choice of companions that are going to share the aquarium with the Discus have to be chosen with particular care. Not only because the fishes that cohabit the aquarium with the Discus should be compatible from a water chemistry standpoint (and if the intention at some point is to breed the Discus, this means soft, acidic water, possibly peat filtered into the bargain), but compatible from a temperament standpoint. Given that Discus are Cichlids after all, it is unwise to place temptation before them by supplying them with companions small enough to swallow, as Discus will, like any other Cichlid, thank you for your generosity in this regard. Likewise, their companions should not be hyperactive fishes that give the aquarist a facial tic watching them - such companions will probably unnerve the Discus. We can also rule out overly territorial and aggressive fishes, so that means no Convicts (!), and we can also rule out notorious fin-nippers such as Tiger Barbs, that would harass the Discus unduly.

Among the arrangements I have seen working include Discus with large shoals of Cardinal and Rummy-Nosed Tetras (Liverpool Museum used to have a fine example of this, but most aquarists would be unable to emulate their 1,000 gallon setup!), and - wait for it - Discus with Angelfish. This latter arrangement CAN work, but needs extra care and prior planning to pull off successfully. Bear in mind that you're putting two species of Cichlid together in this case, and that both can exhibit territorial behaviour when the need arises (though of course some way removed from the histrionics of Green Terrors et al). The principal requirement for this arrangement to work is space - LOTS of it. Provide the fishes in a Discus/Angelfish mix with 150 gallons and upwards, and the result can be a spectacle of serenity that would please the Dalai Lama himself. In a smaller aquarium than 150 gallons, however, it is likely to be a delicate balancing act, and preparation for rehousing the Angelfish should be made if harmony does not ensue.

Take care also that the large acreage of flat body surface on the flanks, coupled with the fishes' naturally sedate progress through the water, means that Discus are at special risk if mixed with certain Loricariid catfishes. Small ones such as Otocinclus should be compatible, but some of the bulkier and more boisterous Plecs should be avoided, as the Discus are likely to come under attack in the confines of an aquarium from some Plec species. Remember that not all Plecs are exclusively vegetarian, and some species are in addition fairly aggressive (though usually this is focused upon rival conspecifics).

Likewise, do NOT make the mistake of assuming that other South American fish species will automatically be compatible - I can think of one pairing immediately that would be disastrous for the Discus, and that would be to place them in with some Leporinus Characoids, which are themselves large, bad tempered, sneakily aggressive and would tear the Discus to shreds in fiarly short order in the confines of an aquarium.

So, at the end of this long post, yes, you CAN keep Discus as 'community fishes', but in this case, the word 'community' requires careful definition - and a LOT of prior planning on your part.



Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Thanks to one and all for your input... GREATLY appreciated!
Skimmed back on the residents in my Aquarium... as my profile clearly shows! Returned barbs, sharks, african knife fish, rainbows and a few others --- and frankly, my tank has definitely become more peaceful and serene instead of the rush, rush, rush - busy, busy, busy activity as was the mainstay before....
Prior to completing my return of the other fish, I received quite a blow - Came home one day to discover one (of the two recently purchased) of my discus dead! Due to the fact that this particular discus had remained VERY timid the entire time - hiding, not eating, not regaining all of his coloring - while the other entered the tank robustly, I thought perhaps he'd been sick when I purchased him... HOWEVER, I arrived home from work about a day afterward and found one of my sharks busily pestering and nipping at the remaining Discus!!!!! Needless to say ALL of the sharks were removed IMMEDIATELY! ... Now before any of you think that I'm blaming the sharks - for acting like sharks - PLEASE DON'T! I realize that I had not lived up to a fishkeeper's responsbility by not doing enough research before purchasing my Discus.... As I had decided to try raising Discus, I should have gathered up the potential conflicting fish and taken them to my lfs PRIOR to bringing the Discus home! Monitoring my aquarium now makes it appear as if I might have possibly found the right mix.... but only time will tell.... Thanks for your input!

To thine own self be true...