discus with tropicals?

[brycemc]

Hey i was wondering if i can put discus in with my non-cichlid tropicals? i heard theyre community cichlids like angels. i have 2 angels, 2 bgk, few tetras, 2 silver sharks, 2 small bristlenose catfish, 2 kuhli loaches, 2 pearl guarmies and 2 eeltail catfish. will they get along okay?
thanks

[anonapersona]

First you have the higher temps the discus need. I think 81 is a minimum, 83 is better. Many fish do not like that high temp.

Then, the catfish probably hunt at night and will disturb the discus sleeping. Ditto the knife if that is what the bgk is. The angels are aggressive eaters and I'm not sure about the rest but almost anything is a better eater than a discus. The discus are likely to hang in the background, scared stiff, not eat, turn black and die, or just jump out and die.

Discus are much better alone, that is, in a group of 5 or 6 minimum with no other types of fish, or maybe with the few corie catfish that are OK at higher temps and a few tetras that will not bother them.

[brycemc]

okay thanks, any ideas for fish that would be compatible? im looking for bigger fish.

[mooman]

No personal experience with discus (just what i've read and learned from NK), but I would say that is quite a motley crew you've got in there. Way to much activity for discus. Unless the tank is 100+ gallons, I doubt you have room for the bioload that 3+ discus would add. I'm sure NK will offer his .02 also.

[NatakuTseng]

Don't even try it with that tank.

Angels can work, but like all other fish kept with discus (including discus from separate sources) they can carry parasites/diseases which are devastating to Discus, huge risk, not one I would reccomend for a first time around.
Tetras doesn't say much, you could have Exodons or you could have Pencilfish
2 black ghost knives? Hope not unless you have a 180gal
Silver Sharks, no way, again 180gal is what you should have
Bristlenoses, yep they work
Kuhlis, they work
Pearl gourami, nope not a chance
Eeltail catfish, not a chance either

More importantly, like I said, 180gal is at least what I hope you have, if not, your already extremely overstocked, and you should rethink your fish choices. Discus should not be considered at this time, especially not with your first go around, First time Discus keepers, should use bare bottom tanks, and get young adults or adult fish, in a species tank to learn the behaviors of the fish and simply see if you can even keep them and give them the care they require.

[sumthin fishy]

Also with the bgks, they should not be together in one tank. The electrical current given off by one will disorient the other. That is unless you have a large enough tank to house both of them to thier adult size, and still have enough room for them to stay well away from eachother. Do you have problems with all those bottom feeders getting beat up by the knives?

[brycemc]

okay thanks ppl. nah the bgks dont really take notice of the other fish, jus swim past them, occasisionally one of the tetras will nip the larger bgks tail. and sometimes he tries 2 bite anyone whos hanging around his home.
thanks again