Native to the Amazon River in South America, Discus fish belong to the Cichlidae family. They are peaceful and can grow up to 4.8-6 inches. Today we will talk about some good tankmates for discus. Without furthermore delay, let’s dive in.
Should I add tank mates for discus
Discus fish are peaceful. However, they have a strict demand for water conditions. Without ideal living conditions, discus fish will be suffering. Next, we will list some requirements:
- Minimum tank size: 55 gallons
- Ideal water temperature: 82-86℉
- pH level: 6.0-7.0
- Water hardness: 1-4°dKH
- Ammonia level: 0 ppm
- Nitrite level: 0 ppm
- Nitrate level: less than 20 ppm
Then, is it feasible to add tankmates for discus aquarium? The short and definitive answer is yes. However, you should avoid aggressive fish and rapid eaters. Because discus fish eat slowly. Furthermore, discus fish need a high water temperature between 82 and 86℉. Accordingly, tankmates for discus fish should also withstand high water temp. Additionally, discus fish are fond of living in groups. And a group of discus makes your tank colorful. As a result, you should ensure a suitable tank size and sufficient living space for them, for instance, 80 gallons fish tank(300L) is suitable for 5-6 discus only, and you should preserve more space for the tank mates.
Best discus tank mates
In general, peaceful and slow-moving fish are ideal tank mates for discus fish aquariums. For instance, rummy nose tetras, cardinal tetras, and clown loaches. And in this segment, we will cover some best discus fish tank mates.
1. Rummy Nose Tetra [Compatibility: high]
Rummy nose tetras are a great alternative for community tanks. Nonetheless, they are schooling fish. Thus, you’d better keep them in a group of six or more. Accordingly, you should be cautious about the tank size. An overpopulated tank would lead to health problems.
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Ideal water temperature |
64-82℉ |
 |
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Size |
1-1.5 inches |
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Temperament |
Peaceful |
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Diet |
Omnivores |
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Minimum tank size |
20 gallons |
2. Cardinal Tetra [Compatibility: moderate]
Cardinal tetras are hardy fish. Also, both cardinal tetra and discus fish require warm water. Holding a school of cardinal tetras with discus fish will make the aquarium more shimmering. And cardinal tetras are calm, and will not cause stress to discus.
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Ideal water temperature |
73-81℉ |
 |
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Size |
1.25 inches |
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Temperament |
Peaceful |
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Diet |
Omnivores |
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Minimum tank size |
10 gallons |
3. Neon Tetra [Compatibility: low]
Neon tetras are calm and peaceful. They can get along well with discus fish. Furthermore, it is best to keep neon tetras in a group of ten or more. Otherwise, leaving them alone would cause stress and loneliness, which is not good for neon tetras.
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Ideal water temperature |
72-78℉ |
 |
|
Size |
1.5 inches |
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Temperament |
Peaceful |
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Diet |
Omnivores |
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Minimum tank size |
10 gallons |
4. Siamese Algae Eater [Compatibility: high]
Siamese algae eaters are calm and peaceful, while they are also not territorial. They are bottom dwellers and a great algae eater. And they will not cause stress to discus fish.
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Ideal water temperature |
72-82℉ |
 |
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Size |
6 inches |
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Temperament |
Peaceful |
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Diet |
Omnivores |
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Minimum tank size |
30 gallons |
5. German Blue Ram Cichlids [Compatibility: high]
German blue ram cichlids are small and calm, which makes them ideal for discus fish aquariums. Nevertheless, they may be territorial. Accordingly, you should build hiding places in your tank by adding caves, aquatic plants, rocks, or other aquarium decorations.
|
Ideal water temperature |
84-86℉ |
 |
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Size |
2-2.5 inches |
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Temperament |
Peaceful |
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Diet |
Omnivores |
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Minimum tank size |
30 gallons |
6. Clown Loaches [Compatibility: high]
Featuring a docile and peaceful temperament, clown loaches are great tank mates for discus fish. Usually, they are active in the daytime and will hide away from light at night. Therefore, you’d better build hiding places for your tank. Add some aquatic plants, caves, rocks, or other aquarium decorations.
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Ideal water temperature |
75-87℉ |
 |
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Size |
6–12 inches |
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Temperament |
Peaceful |
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Diet |
Omnivores |
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Minimum tank size |
75 gallons |
7. Corydoras Catfish [Compatibility: moderate]
As we have mentioned above, discus fish prefer warm water temperatures. And the same goes for corydoras catfish. Besides that, corydoras catfish are docile, which will not bother discus fish. Commonly, they just stay at the bottom of fish tanks.
|
Ideal water temperature |
72-82℉ |
 |
|
Size |
1-4.7 inches |
|
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Temperament |
Peaceful |
|
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Diet |
Omnivores |
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Minimum tank size |
10 gallons |
8. White Cloud Mountain Minnow [Compatibility: moderate]
White Cloud Mountain Minnow is another alternative to tankmates for discus fish aquariums. Also, the fish is peaceful and calm. Nonetheless, it fancies cooler water temperatures, which may be a challenge to keep it with discus. But White Cloud Mountain Minnow is adaptable. Hence, just give it time to adapt to the living conditions.
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Ideal water temperature |
65-77℉ |
 |
|
Size |
1.5 inches |
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Temperament |
Peaceful |
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Diet |
Omnivores |
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|
Minimum tank size |
15 gallons |
What color light is best for discus
To begin with, let’s learn something about the lighting conditions for discus fish in their natural habitat. Discus fish are native to the Amazon River, where the rivers are covered with shades of tree leaves. Also, due to the organic chemicals contained in the water, the water is always dark. Consequently, wild discus fish are adapted to the low light environment. Hence, you should avoid too much light. In general, 1-1.5W per gallon is great. And just keep the dim light on for about 10–12 hours.
Commonly, full-spectrum lighting is best for discus fish. But never keep intense light, which will cause stress to your discus fish. Actually, a fish tank LED light is an excellent alternative. With high-quality LED lamp beads, the LED light has three primary colors. And it simulates natural light without flickering. Also, there is a clock on the controller. The light will automatically turn on or off when the time is up.
Nonetheless, what color light is best for discus? The cold white light of 5000-6000 Kelvin will bring out blue and turquoise colors, while the warm white light of 3000-4000 Kelvin can enhance red and orange colors. Blue light can be used at night, which mimics the color of moonlight. Green light might not the best option for discus. And it also causes algae to thrive but makes the aquatic plants more brilliant.
Reminder
After reading, have you know more about good tank mates for discus fish? In a word, the tank mates should have similar environmental needs. Also, peaceful and calm ones should be your priority choices. That’s it. For additional guidelines for discus fish care, you can go to Take Good Care of Discus Fish. Please leave a comment below if you have more suggestions about discus fish tank mates. Finally, thanks for your reading.
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