Discus in a 47 gallon?

[Caliban07]

Is it possible to keep discus in a tank this size? If so, how many. I know they can be finicky will water chemistry. My ph is 7.6 and the water is described as very soft with a hardness of 2.2 clarke.

It would be filtered with the juwel rio internal filter and a fluval 205.


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[Fishy Smell]

This one has caused debate on here quite a bit. I say, yes you can. I kept one with a Angel and some smaller cichlids, dithers etc in a tank of around that size until very recently (in fact I traded mine at the end of last week). The reason I traded was because the Discus was quite shy and didn't seem in it's comfort zone, because as others on here have quite rightly pointed out, they are best in a group. But, the same could be said for Angelfish, but my single is pretty active and confident. So it could depend on the fish to an extent. So yes, I've partially successfully done it, but one on its own is not ideal.
I think with just a few corys (Sterbai perhaps), 5 or 6 hatchets or chunky tetras you might get away with 4 Discus at a push, but better trying a couple, which would be better than my one.
The important advice otherwise is to over filter, keep the water at 28c and don't have anything which will outcompete for food.
I would agree that probably the best way to keep them would be a 75 gallon with 6 of them and some tetras, hatchets and corys.

My PH is the same as yours, but I'm not sure about hardness. Best bet would be to buy from your best local place and ask about the conditions and feeding currently. Try your local Maidenhead Aquatics, there is sure to be one up there somewhere.

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[Caliban07]

Thanks fishy smell. I know they require a group and I'm under the impression they should be able to adapt to most ph levels but i don't want to be 'pushing it' or 'getting away with it' if you know what I mean. I want them to be comfortable.

It's my gf. She says the firemouths are too boring but they are in the dining room where there is little interaction and they are still quite young. I've explained to her that they will colour up once they mature. I have 8 at the moment and will be removing all but a pair if I get a match.

Maybe I could add some apistos as they stay small and can be quite colourful.

I quite like kribensis too but I'm not sure if they will work with apistogramma or even which apistos work well together. I know she always looks at the discus when we go in the fish shops


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[Caliban07]

Just realised kribs originate from Africa....apistos looks probable. What other smaller SA/CA cichlids are there that can be kept together? Except ramerizi


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[Fishy Smell]

I've generally found the apistos to be pretty delicate. The hardiest one by far is the cockatoo cichlid, you could probably go with 2 males and 4 females in a tank that size, obviously without the fm's. Best in a 2:1 ratio you see, but the females are a bit drab. Talking about boring fish, I actually find the Discus to be pretty boring once you get past the lovely colours because they do very little. They just tend to hover together. They are more of an 'ornamental' fish than a pet. The firemouths are ok, but not as colourful as a lot of the similar sized / temperament.
I would strongly recommend the cryptoheros family, convict, Sajica, Panamensis etc. they are small growing, entertaining and quite colourful. The problem is if you get breeding pairs it will all kick off. Maybe go for one sex of different types. The Rainbow cichlids are colourful and not too aggressive.
If it was my tank, I'd probably keep your favourite Firemouth, and add a female con for blue, a Rainbow for yellow and if you could get a Panamensis one of those for a bit of red. You could perhaps house 5 cichlids of a sensible range of sizes 3-6" in that tank. If you've never been to Maidenhead Aquatics before I strongly recommend it. Phone the different ones in your area and see who has the best range in terms of your taste. Good luck anyway.



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[Freakgecko91]

I've generally found the apistos to be pretty delicate. The hardiest one by far is the cockatoo cichlid, you could probably go with 2 males and 4 females in a tank that size, obviously without the fm's. Best in a 2:1 ratio you see, but the females are a bit drab. Talking about boring fish, I actually find the Discus to be pretty boring once you get past the lovely colours because they do very little. They just tend to hover together. They are more of an 'ornamental' fish than a pet. The firemouths are ok, but not as colourful as a lot of the similar sized / temperament.
I would strongly recommend the cryptoheros family, convict, Sajica, Panamensis etc. they are small growing, entertaining and quite colourful. The problem is if you get breeding pairs it will all kick off. Maybe go for one sex of different types. The Rainbow cichlids are colourful and not too aggressive.
If it was my tank, I'd probably keep your favourite Firemouth, and add a female con for blue, a Rainbow for yellow and if you could get a Panamensis one of those for a bit of red. You could perhaps house 5 cichlids of a sensible range of sizes 3-6" in that tank. If you've never been to Maidenhead Aquatics before I strongly recommend it. Phone the different ones in your area and see who has the best range in terms of your taste. Good luck anyway.



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Just an fyi, convicts are amatitlania nigrofasciata, they're not in cryptoheros


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[Fishy Smell]

Well they used to be. Frankly if you are just here to nit pick, I wouldn't bother.


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[Fishy Smell]

I meant to say, that if you do decide to go with a number of new cichlids get them all together, because territories won't have been formed.


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[Caliban07]

I meant to say, that if you do decide to go with a number of new cichlids get them all together, because territories won't have been formed.


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Thanks fishy smell. I thought the exact same thing about the discus too lol. I don't really like the idea of having separate species. I like to watch how they interact together as a collective. I may just keep hold of the firemouths for a while to see if they pair or go with some apistos although now I am aware they can be quite sensitive I will take extra care although I am already pretty vigilant with maintenance.


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[Fishy Smell]

I can see why, a group of apistos would look good and be fun to watch, if you can get success with them. As I say, the cockatoo's are actually quite hardy.


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[Fishy Smell]

Or you could get some of these cool guys, but they're not always easy to keep either...


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[Caliban07]

We will see how things pan out for now. Thanks


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