Topic: hey All need advice/help with solving a myth

[Alex]

As most of you know i am really into my discus and am so tempted to buy them. but due to money and a new house to deal with i settled for my second fav angelfish.

i have read many books and articles on discus and i was looking to mix them my angels. but i have heard many stories on them NOT! to be mixed ect. ect. but is this a myth? many people have mixed them and say there fine with each other. i read furthere and further into this dilema and then i come accross a statement saying ( I can remember where i read this) but it said that the reason behind not being able to mix is because the angelfish as most who keep/kept angels know they are voracious eaters. so if i ensured that the discus got fed as well as the angels then will that 'solve' the problem? or is there a more defiitive reason as to not keep them together and if i can keep them is there anyfish that i MUST not keep them with? such as loaches ect ect.

all help big or small is welcome and thankful for.

alex

[jones57742]

Alex:

Sounds like you are contemplating a community tank.

IMHO the problem which you will encounter, as I did, is temperature.

Most community fish do not like the high temperature required for discus.

With respect to angels in a community tank I have not had any problems which I know of.

You will need to verify that the water parameters of any community fish which you purchase are compatible with angels.

TR

[Maddy mad man]

I have kept discus with angels at a temp of 30 c no probs.

Discus can compete with angels for food - if there is a prob then change the way you feed. 

It isnt advisable to keep the two togerther becaused the angels can carry a  disease which can be passed onto the discus

[Alex]

i have heardsomething similar to the diesease thing now is that 100% true? can u notice the discus catching the diesease and is it treatable? and what does it look like?

and my temp in my tank atm is about 28 to 29 anyway so i think theere ok.


alex

[Stormbringer]

Hi Alex
Ive heard Angels carry a virus they are immune to but pass it onto Discus with catastrophic results  , but as i say ive heard of it , hope that helps mate

[Alex]

So that means its a 100% true then or no?

alex

[Stormbringer]

Im sorry i dont know Alex
but i would ask myself this , is it worth trying ?
meaning if it is true and price of Discus would you risk it ?
ive read it on net and ive read it in magazines  whether its true dont know mate

[Maddy mad man]

Its true

[Alex]

is there any info. article that explains all this in some sort of research/ experiment that i could poss have a look at?

alex

[Ezekial]

I've read in some places that you can't keep the two for a couple of reasons.  One is the pH differences.  Apparently discus are one of the few fish that really require an out of the ordinary pH, somewhere in the 5-6 range while Angels would have difficulty even at 6.0.  They do better in 7-8 pH. 

The second reason is "discus disease" which is passed on by Angelfish quite readily apparently.  I have heard different opinions on this one though.  Not on whether it is true, it is, but rather on whether it's as much of a risk as it used to be.  Some believe that with so many discus and angelfish produced commercially now that this disease isn't much of an issue and is more of an issue with wild fish.  I really don't know.  Google "angelfish and discus" and you will likely get plenty of articles and forum responses. 

My opinion.......Discus are too expensive for my tastes to take any risks at all.  If there is even a slight risk Angelfish could cause the complete eradication of hundreds of dollars of discus the angelfish would never see the inside of my tank.  If Discus cost $5 a fish I'd take the risk but at $40-$100 a fish (at least around here) ask yourself "Is it worth the risk".  Only you can make that decision.  Me?  I'm so cheap I may not even consider the risk worth it at $5 a fish, but that's just me. 

[Water Monkey]

I've kept discus with angels and i keep in mind the following:

1. If its your first time to keep discus, dont mix them with any other tank mates until your confident enough to deal with any problems that may arise while your still learning. (My first time was a costly disaster)
2. They might have a difficult time competing with angels when it comes to food, if you have juviniles (discus), wait a few months, grow them out a little bit until the time that they are no longer that nervous when you approach the tank and you have spent a reasonable time observing each and everyone eats well and all your discus are growing at the same rate (differences in growth rate should be minimal).
3. Make sure you have a big tank to keep discus and angels together.
4. Make sure you quarantine the angels or any other tank mates you plan to add. Get them from someone you know well enough and has a good reputation in keeping them.
5. Discus can be teritorial since your adding angels on a latter date please make sure you check the tank more freaquently in the first few days for any signs of aggression coming from the discus (though rarely, it can happen).
6. Minimum of 3 discus in one tank (4-5 would be better).

I think those myths are in actuallity experiences of people who have kept these beautiful fishes. Experiences vary depending on different situations we have encountered and how we handled them. The pointers I mentioned above are the ones I encountered during the years that I have kept them, and you may notice that some of them are the basics of fish keeping.

Goodluck.      

[Maddy mad man]

I used to keep my angels and discus at a PH of 5.0 and temp of 30 C without probs at all and good growth rates and colouration.  The angels shoaled and the discus shoaled independant of each other. I was turning over 20* the tank volume with filters and water changing 50% twice a week.  Fed - 3 times per day.  Nitrates always <10ppm. 

[jones57742]

Folks:

Discus are very, very pretty fish.

My previous post was based upon a true community tank and not just one with angels and discus.

My water parameters are no problem* for discus due the quantity of biological and mechanical media in my filtration process as well as RO/DI for WC water.

I easily have room in my tank for four or five adult discus.

I keep my tank temperature at 78F(25.6C) which is a common temperature for my community fish.

Will discus grow and be happy fish under these conditions?

TR

*My tank is becoming heavily planted again and I am using dry ferts which implies concentrations of nitrates (less than 10), phosphate, potassium and iron as well as micronutrients.

[Alex]

i have the tank space i was just wondering if there is anyfish that cant go with themn such as red sharks an loachs and the such.

my tank is 3 foot deep which is deep enough. and my filtration is adequete but plans are to improve it with 3 fluidized bed filters to replace the biological filtration in the 3 canisters and to place loads of mechanical media inside instead.

i have a red shark and 3 skunk loaches. are these compatible. i am planning of reducing my layout to have more plants and wood and less terracotta pots.

alex

[Maddy mad man]

Dont know too much about skunk loaches but i am assuming they are bottom dwellers which shouldnt trouble the discus, ... however the temp and PH may trouble the skunks.

Wouldnt put a shark with them as discus can be easily spooked and a fast moving potential nipper will unsettle them.  Discus are quite gregarious, gentle, clam and relaxed IME and are troubled by other mid and upper swimmers