Rainbow shark with discus?

MaiaDee

MaiaDee

AC Members
Jun 14, 2012
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Payson, AZ
Real Name
Maia
We took the plunge and got the 55g. Love it! Yes, I'm letting it cycle before throwing anything in :)

Couldn't let the opportunity to go the Petco and Petsmart go to waste and of course I ended up with another fish. A rainbow shark. Love him! Very awesome fish.

So, we're considering making the 55g a discus tank. I understand they need water of 84-86F. Can the Rainbow live with them? I read an archived forum on here that said it should be fine as long as the shark can hide, but they never mentioned the higher temp. Will that be a problem for little Charlie?

If he can't live with the discus, who can tolerate the warmer water with them?

Thanks!!
 
I wouldn't. Rainbow shark are pretty boisterous fish, they seem like they could spook the discus. They can be territorial and also seem to be pigs when it comes to food. The warm temps aren't ideal but I'd say the biggest issue is the temperament...

Traditional tankmates include cardinals, hatchetfish, German blue rams, certain Corydoras (not sure exactly which off the top of my head)
 
NO.
My male Rainbow is now 3 years old and just as active and annoying as ever! He just can't help himself and annoys every fish he can!
 
Lillyan said:
He just can't help himself and annoys every fish he can!
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LOL! That is too funny. Reminds me of some children I know :)

Right now, he is in my 30 (OK, 29 long) and is pretty much just checking everything out. He's roughly about 3" right now and has been in the tank about 4 hours. So far no issues, he looked at the neon tetras and swam away. I'm surprised that he hasn't been hiding, cuz I read they tend to do that, but he has not sought out any caves.

The only problem so far is a bit of minor chasing. But it's Chairman Mao (Chinese algae eater) that is chasing Charlie (Rainbow). Chairman Mao's time in the tank is limited. He'll be rehomed very soon.

I read that that the Rainbows can suddenly just turn aggressive, but wouldn't the discus be able to hold their own against him? Would he just stress out the discus too much?
 
BTW: I appreciate you both helping me out with giving me what you think. I'd be fine if I need to leave him in the 29, but it's pretty full at the moment and I know he'll get kinda big, compared to my tetras and danios. I can move my cories to the bigger tank, and maybe the Columbian Red and Blues. Do you think the Columbians would be ok with a bit more heat? Their current tank is sitting at 80F right now because my house is pretty warm.

Do you think Chairman Mao would work with discus or would he be too aggressive also?
 
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I wouldn't keep either the shark or the CAE with discus although I haven't done it. Nor would I keep either in a 29g. Discus are shy but big cichlids, a 55g is a bit small for a group of 6, the minimum unless you have a true pair (then their "cichlidness" will come out when they breed).

IME a shark needs a 4ft tank to really stretch his fins, they're topedo shaped for a reason. Our red tailed & rainbows really don't get along with most other bottom feeders like corys & most loaches. The best tank mates seemed to be 2+ inch schoolers, biggish gouramis (blue or pearl IME) or mild but not shy cichlids like firemouths or acaras. Pretty fish that can become more crabby as they age.

Discus with their high temp needs, somewhat shy nature & slow feeding style need special tanks focused on them, not a real "community" fish. I'd suggest you wait until you can really devote yourself to their care & not try to make them fit into an existing tank & mates.
 
fishorama said:
I wouldn't keep either the shark or the CAE with discus although I haven't done it. Nor would I keep either in a 29g. Discus are shy but big cichlids, a 55g is a bit small for a group of 6, the minimum unless you have a true pair (then their "cichlidness" will come out when they breed).

IME a shark needs a 4ft tank to really stretch his fins, they're topedo shaped for a reason. Our red tailed & rainbows really don't get along with most other bottom feeders like corys & most loaches. The best tank mates seemed to be 2+ inch schoolers, biggish gouramis (blue or pearl IME) or mild but not shy cichlids like firemouths or acaras. Pretty fish that can become more crabby as they age.

Discus with their high temp needs, somewhat shy nature & slow feeding style need special tanks focused on them, not a real "community" fish. I'd suggest you wait until you can really devote yourself to their care & not try to make them fit into an existing tank & mates.
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Thanks for your thoughts, fishorama. I've resigned myself that neither the CAE nor shark will go into the discus tank. I've decided on a small group of cories to help keep the bottom debris minimal. The CAE must be rehomed, although for the moment, all is peaceful in the community tank. I did a bit of rearranging after putting in the shark to disrupt any territory issues, but I know he still must go and soon. I'm considering taking him back to where I got him and giving them the what for over the terrible and untrue info they gave me concerning him.

BTW: any one here want a CAE? Free? :)

I'm not sure I understand why the rainbow shark would need 4ft of tank. He'll only get to 6 inches at best, so I'm confused about that.

The 55g will be the discus tank, I was just hoping that the CAE could go there so I could keep him and thought the shark would just look cool with them, but I'm not going risk stressing the discus simply for my viewing pleasure :)
 
Definitely not...lol. Do the discus by themselves with the corys :) make sure the corys' color(s) don't take away from the discus though.

:cheers:
 
Before you jump right into discus-keeping, you want to know how to avoid the pitfalls experienced, and the common mistakes made by many new discus-keepers, so may I suggest you first have a read through my 'Beginner's Guide to Getting Started with Discus' (first sticky) and the thread I started, titled -' DISCUS- 6 Cardinal Rules for Newbies' - both located here in the Cichlids section, Angel Fish & Discus sub-section.

I respectfully feel they will help you to get off on the right foot to begin with, and be successful keeping these beautiful fish.
Once you have done that, please do some research to ensure you are placing the right type of compatible tankmates in with the discus, and those species which can also do well at the higher discus temps.
All the best to you in this project - and please remember to call on me if I can be of help at any time.
 
My shark was a nutcase, then he calmed down and only protected his cave. Now I've moved him to yet another new tank and he is non-stop zooming around again, nibbling on things, harassing random fish and he was even trying to breed with my BGK. I was trying to get a video of that last one for one of my threads, but it seems he's loosing interest.
My guy is 3yrs, I'd say 1yr he was active, 2yrs he was shy, reclusive and only protected his turf. Now he's 3 and all over the place and active like any other fishy.

He can be erratic in his movements and mood and that's not safe for calm fish. I don't know how fast Discus can swim and for how long, but the little shark is like a marathon runner.
 
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