Discus and Angels?

[reptile dude007]

When I was two or three my family had a huge 250 gallon fish tank in the living room full of discus and Angel fish. The pet shop said it was ok (Never lessen to the pet shop) but I just wanted to see if it is true that you can have a few Discus with Angels.

[Lady Hobbs]

Discus like warmer temps than angelfish and I would expect to see a lot of aggression trying to mix them. A lot of fish can go together without problems as juvies but not as adults.

[smaug]

As Lady said ,the temp diff would be a problem,that and angels are nasty buggers ,if they can bully they will.Discus have a milder temperment.I know its done ,but I wouldnt.

[Fishguy2727]

In a large enough tank that is setup properly it is a possibility.

I don't think the temp is as much of an issue. They are from the same waters, Amazonia. Many people treat discus like they are from some remote and isolated lake that is much warmer than any other body of water. The truth is they are from the Amazon, home to MANY different species who can all thrive in the same water. Discus are fine in 82F, just like angels. Many keep discus in warmer temps, at least while young, to maximize growth or powerfeed.

Some people cite cross-infection of certain parasites as an issue, but this is really an issue of putting any two fish together (even the same species), they have to have it to spread it. Proper quarantine and purchasing healthy stock to begin with should prevent any problems.

[Algenco]

I agree with fishguy, they get along fine together and can tolerate the same temps, and as already stated the only concern would be Angels introducing disease or parasites

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

There is actually not a problem with this mix at all. The tank does need to be large enough and you need to be sure to feed them in such a way to insure the Discus are not out-competed for the food. The parasite issue is no more of an issue with this mix than it is with any others. The idea of a parasite that Angels are immune to and that Discus are susceptible to is nothing short of a myth. As a mater of fact, there is one area in the Amazon where you will even find a species of angel and a species of Discus inhabiting the same waters. Water temperature is no concern at all.

[reptile dude007]

Ok. Would a planted 55 be good?

[Fishguy2727]

I wouldn't do it in a 55. If a pair forms then you would have problems. Even without a pair since each likes to school a 55 is minimum for either in my opinion, not really ideal for both though.

[dean30bb]

i dont think it would be a good idea i have seen it done before but the temp is different and the Ph is different i dont think its a good idea

[Fishguy2727]

Temp and pH match perfectly, they are both from Amazonia in the wild.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Agreed. Temperature and pH are in no way a problem with this mix.

[Red]

Triple agree, I would say nothing less then a 125 for this setup. I would go about a 150 for this due to the aggression of a pair, of the angels. It would be cool to see though.

[reptile dude007]

Ok. I'm just trying to figure out what would go nicely with a pair of angels. Would tetras herta' angel if the angel eats one? I know I am going to have a breeding group of guppies in there to help feed my frogs that are in a different tank and a turtle that I am getting that will be in a different tank. This is what I am thinking

10 Tetras
10 guppies (6 females 3 males)
2 Cory cats
2 Angel Fish
1 Chinese algae eater
And the occasional Blue mystery snail to feed to my BLue tongue skink.

[dean30bb]

ive always kept my angels at 26 degrease celcius and my discus at 30 but i spose its not much of a difference but also the people that i no that have kept them together have had troubles with PH and disease but i dunno cas ive never tryed them together

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

10 Tetras Either up this to 12 and have 2 different species, or keep it at 10 and have them all the same species. Best to avoid Neons.
10 guppies (6 females 3 males)
2 Cory cats Needs to be at least 6 since they a schooling fish.
2 Angel Fish
1 Chinese algae eater not a good choice at all. Much too aggressive when they get larger. A better choice would be 6 Otos or a Bristlenose Pleco.
And the occasional Blue mystery snail to feed to my BLue tongue skink.

I put my comments in red.

[reptile dude007]

Would all that be ok in a 55? The nearest fish shop in 20 miles away. There used to be one 3/4 of a mile from my house. How much are they usely? How big do Otos and Bristlenose Pleco's get?

[reptile dude007]

Also whats a Pleco. Are they related to plecostomis? Also I would like to add 6 tiger barbs becuase I have 1 and I am looking to get 5 more.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Not to that tank. Tiger Barbs and Angels are a terrible mix.

There are over 700 species of Plecostomus. Bristlenose plecos account for about 70 of those species. Most Bristlenose Plecos do not get any larger than 5-7 inches.

[reptile dude007]

Ok. Can 6 tigers be in a 20 gallon?

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

You can, I wouldn't put anything else in there though.

[reptile dude007]

I just got off the phone with the store. They only carry Common Plecos. But they did get a shipment of Pitbull Pleco's in. How are these guys? From what I got off the Internet they stay relatively small.

[reptile dude007]

Just got a call back. They just sold them.