Restocking my 55.

Stidham

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Jan 17, 2004
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I'd like to restock my 55.

It's been up about 2 years now. I'm going to give most of my fish in the tank to my son. They will go nicely in his 60 gal cube.

This is what the tank looks like now.
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I want to go with an all sand bottom, some driftwood. As for fish. My wife wants me to go with bigger fish. I was thinking discus. I've loved them for years but always wussed out because they were so expensive. I'd like a pair of discus, A couple of angels, a school of 5 or 6 corys for clean up, a pair of blue rams, and maybe a school of neons or maybe bozemani (sp?) rainbows instead of the angels.

Opinions?

Thanks,
Dave
 
Discus and Angel are not always the best of companions. Discus are very beautiful and Angels are quite elegant and inquizative (especially with the outisde!)

See my Sig, but I keep Corys, Angels and Boesemani's in my 90G with great sucess. I also have a pair of GBRs

Neons may not last too long with Angels however...but Rainbows are very active and may not be best suited for the more docile Discus?
 
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Discus should also be kept in groups of 4 or more as they are a shoaling fish. Angels can be kept with them but are often to active for the discus to be happy.
 
Angels will likely outcompete the Discus for food, so they aren't good tankmates.

Also the high temperatures that Discus need aren't good for alot of fish. Rainbows prefer a lower temp than Discus, so I wouldn't keep them together.

Rams are fine with Discus and Sterbai Cories are the only ones I can think of that are fine in high temps. Some other fish to look into are Rummynose tetras and Cardinal tetras.
 
Definetly if you want discus, they need to be kept in groups of no less then 4-5 and more if possible. Any less then that and they will just waste away. They require perfect water conditions with almost daily large water changes of 60-75%. Temps need to be in the range of 84-88 degrees on the farenheight scale. I would skip the rainbows with discus since their water requirements are so different from each other and the rainbows will more then likely stress out the discus since they are too active for the discus. Discus stress out and die over almost anything especially in the beginning. Once they are fully established for months in their environment, they are very hardy fish as long as they are given all the necessary care needed to maintain their perfect water conditions.Angels can or cannot workout with the discus. It just depends.

Marinemom
 
but Rainbows are very active and may not be best suited for the more docile Discus?
Correct. Tetras, apistos, angels, rams, cories and plecos are a few fine tankmates provided all requirements are closely similar to discus most especially the temperature. Plenty of cories tend to become lethargic in high temps. Your best bet would be Corydoras sterbai. As far as tetras are concerned, rummies and cardinals are your options. Plenty others will simply die from the high temperature.
 
Angels will likely outcompete the Discus for food, so they aren't good tankmates.
It is down to the species and individual personality. Just because plenty of scalare angels tend to outcompete them doesn't make them necessarily bad tankmates for discus.
Also the high temperatures that Discus need aren't good for alot of fish. Rainbows prefer a lower temp than Discus, so I wouldn't keep them together.

Rams are fine with Discus and Sterbai Cories are the only ones I can think of that are fine in high temps. Some other fish to look into are Rummynose tetras and Cardinal tetras.
The rest I agree with. Funny how I posted without reading your post first yet I was surprised we have thought the same.:)
 
i like the stocking ideas.

If it were my tank i'd get

4-5 Discus
2 GBRs
16 Rummynose tetras
6 Sterbai Cories

I'd skip out on the angels all together unless you had your heart set on them.
Keep in mind with discus you'll be putting in longer hours for WCs.

Best of luck.
 
Thanks for all the responses. I'm feeling my wussiness starting up again :) I just afraid of the spending a couple hundred $$$ on discus and then them all dying because I got too busy with the rest of life to do water changes like I should.

I like the idea of a shoal of rummy noses, a shoal of cardinals, maybe some hatchfish, a pair of GBR's, some corys and a couple of angels as centerpiece fish.

Thanks again.

Dave
 
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