55 gal stocking question - discus, gourami exp. advice needed!

[janky]

So far everyone on this site has been incredibly helpful, so i figured I'd toss out my plans for our larger tank and get some feedback and/or advice.

I'm fishless cycling a 55 gal now, and plan to do some light to moderate planting once that's done.

Ultimately, I'd like to have some discus and gouramis occupying the tank, along with a good-sized pleco.
The discus seem like a hard fish to find tankmates for, as their preferred water conditions are pretty strict. The gouramis seemed to be ok with the temperature and water conditions - If I kept the temp around 80-81 they should be fine.. but the plecos all seemed to prefer a temp in the range of 75-79. I don't wanna boil the poor lil guys.

Although I did read a couple people on here had no problems keeping plecos with discus in similar conditions.

I'm definitely not lazy, and doing tons of research prior to stocking the tank, so I don't mind staying attentive to my fish and keeping up on water changes..

Recommendations? Advice? Anyone had luck with discus and other breeds/plecos? School preference? Size requirements?

Thanks in advance!

 

[janky]

I also wouldnt mind having a couple angels or rams, but I wouldn't be heart-broken if they weren't compatible in this scenario.

 

[fishyperson3010]

So far everyone on this site has been incredibly helpful, so i figured I'd toss out my plans for our larger tank and get some feedback and/or advice.

I'm fishless cycling a 55 gal now, and plan to do some light to moderate planting once that's done.

Ultimately, I'd like to have some discus and gouramis occupying the tank, along with a good-sized pleco.
The discus seem like a hard fish to find tankmates for, as their preferred water conditions are pretty strict. The gouramis seemed to be ok with the temperature and water conditions - If I kept the temp around 80-81 they should be fine.. but the plecos all seemed to prefer a temp in the range of 75-79. I don't wanna boil the poor lil guys.

Although I did read a couple people on here had no problems keeping plecos with discus in similar conditions.

I'm definitely not lazy, and doing tons of research prior to stocking the tank, so I don't mind staying attentive to my fish and keeping up on water changes..

Recommendations? Advice? Anyone had luck with discus and other breeds/plecos? School preference? Size requirements?

Thanks in advance!

I think discus would be to big for that tank as they are schoolers

 

[janky]

for a 55 gallon???
Even if I got 5 of them that's only about 30 gallons. 5 fish at 6 inches (going by the "1 gallon per inch of fish" rule)
Even say 40 gal to be generous; and that'd give them buddies to school with...

 

[paytertot]

I have discus in my 55 along with angels and rope fish and kuhlis and tetras. I had a pleco at one point but he got too big for the tank.

 

[janky]

I have discus in my 55 along with angels and rope fish and kuhlis and tetras. I had a pleco at one point but he got too big for the tank.

Awesome! How many did you have?? Good to know they will get along with a multitude of fish. Did the other breeds have issues with the water conditions?

How big did the pleco get, btw? What is "too big" for a pleco in a 55 gal? I was thinking one that gets maybe 7-8 inches, no bigger.

 

[paytertot]

I'd recommend a bristlenose pleco, do NOT get a common because they get very big. I have 7 discus and 4 angels. I keep the water at 84.5 degrees and the ph is 7.6 but I don't pay attention to it, stable ph is better than "ideal".

 

[fishyperson3010]

for a 55 gallon???
Even if I got 5 of them that's only about 30 gallons. 5 fish at 6 inches (going by the "1 gallon per inch of fish" rule)
Even say 40 gal to be generous; and that'd give them buddies to school with...

The 1 gallon per inch of fish rule is a load of rubbish. If its true that means that you can fit a 10" fish in a 10 gallon tank which is obviously untrue.

 

[paytertot]

The rule is one inch of fish for small bodied fish

 

[tropical-fish]

I have 5 discus with some black neon tetras, corys, and polkadot loaches in a 75 gal. From my research the rule with discus is 1 fish per 10 gal. With 55 gal being the smallest size tank as they need to be kept in a group of at least 5.

I would give the plecs a miss. There are reports of them attacking discus. Although it does work out for some but I wouldn't risk it.

 

[janky]

What would you recommend for a 55 gal stock then? The other option I considered was cichlids, but again.. they don't really go with anything but maybe 1-2 other cichlids... or a small handful of dwarf-ish ones.

Ideally I'd just do 3-4 discus with some angels, a school of tetra, and a pleco.

I dunno, starting to seem like the 55 is too small. Maybe I sell it and wait until I have money to get a bigger tank.

 

[tropical-fish]

I would go with 5 discus and 4 or 5 sterbai corys to clean up after them. A shoal of 5 or 6 small tetras could be ok since they are low bio load fish. But that would be the max I'd put in there.

55 is not a small tank. It's just a matter of getting the stock right.

 

[janky]

I would go with 5 discus and 4 or 5 sterbai corys to clean up after them. A shoal of 5 or 6 small tetras could be ok since they are low bio load fish. But that would be the max I'd put in there.

55 is not a small tank. It's just a matter of getting the stock right.

Thank you!
My girlfriend and I are working on this tank together.. and when we initially bought it we were like "OMG THATS HUGE" but now everyone's like "nah, you need 75+ gal"
Good to know we still have options!!!

We initially planned on 3-4 discus, since we do have a bit of a budget. We were thinking of just setting the tank up with a pair and adding a couple more later as we go, but the more I investigate the more it seems like they'd do better with all 4 right off the bat. We have some time left on the cycle to put together our $$ and see where we're at.

The tetra I have is an x-ray tetra - he's by himself in a 12 gal tank, so we wanted to move him into the big one with a school of prob 6-8 more like him.

I'd still really like a good-sized pleco, but it seems like quite a risk to take with expensive fish. I've heard of people keeping them both, but when the majority says "no", it makes me not wanna chance it lol...

 

[fishyperson3010]

Thank you!
My girlfriend and I are working on this tank together.. and when we initially bought it we were like "OMG THATS HUGE" but now everyone's like "nah, you need 75+ gal"
Good to know we still have options!!!

We initially planned on 3-4 discus, since we do have a bit of a budget. We were thinking of just setting the tank up with a pair and adding a couple more later as we go, but the more I investigate the more it seems like they'd do better with all 4 right off the bat. We have some time left on the cycle to put together our $$ and see where we're at.

The tetra I have is an x-ray tetra - he's by himself in a 12 gal tank, so we wanted to move him into the big one with a school of prob 6-8 more like him.

I'd still really like a good-sized pleco, but it seems like quite a risk to take with expensive fish. I've heard of people keeping them both, but when the majority says "no", it makes me not wanna chance it lol...

How about you get otos instead of the pleco but be Prepared to lose some as they aren't the hardiest fish and don't add them for about 9 months down the line

 

[DirtyMechanic]

I got 8 discus, 4 clown loaches, 11 neon tetra and a common pleco all together. And i dont have any issues really. the pleco can kinda attack the discus. but as long as they have room to flee they dont have a issue. Just get them all when they are young and i dont see them being a problem.

 

[janky]

How about you get otos instead of the pleco but be Prepared to lose some as they aren't the hardiest fish and don't add them for about 9 months down the line

That sounds difficult, risky, and like it would take forever

I got 8 discus, 4 clown loaches, 11 neon tetra and a common pleco all together. And i dont have any issues really. the pleco can kinda attack the discus. but as long as they have room to flee they dont have a issue. Just get them all when they are young and i dont see them being a problem.

Awesome! Yeah, some other members here claimed to have pleco with discus. I guess it's just a risk. I suppose if the pleco was smaller it'd be fine? Either way, I like the idea of discus and tetras so I can rehome my lonely guy in the big tank and get him some buddies to school with.

How big is your tank with 8 discus and that pleco??

 

[DirtyMechanic]

It's a 55 but not everyone is full grown I go 2 discus that look pretty much full grow. 2 more right behind them. One medium 1 slightly smaller and 2 about 3 inches. Loaches are 2.5-3.5. Pleco is a hair under 6 inches which I think I'm going to get rid of him for a either two other ones that don't grow to 12 cm or maybe one that grows to 15 cm. depends on what I can fine here. Kind a limited on what I can have/find in okinawa here. Oh and 11 tetra. Had 12 but one seemed sick/I'll/ age? So I had to pull him out. I think in the next year I'll be losing the neons one by one due to age.

 

[Maltimomma]

I was looking at discus in my lfs a few day ago. The owner said I could have 4 in a 30 gallon tall she showed me. It was a pretty tank, but 4 seemed like to much for that tank.

 

[paytertot]

I was looking at discus in my lfs a few day ago. The owner said I could have 4 in a 30 gallon tall she showed me. It was a pretty tank, but 4 seemed like to much for that tank.

I wouldn't put discus in anything smaller than a 55

 

[DirtyMechanic]

I wouldn't put discus in anything smaller than a 55

I might put a mating pair in a 20b. but thats about it. 55 is about the min you should have them in.