Rainbow Fish

[em_witt]

I have a 75 gal and I want discus. I was thinking about australian rainbow fish as they are $0.99 or turquoise rainbows as they are $3.50. Can they be compatible together?

 

[Clynnking]

Yup! The rainbows will get along fine. I have 3 australius, 5 turquoise and at least 4 other varieties of rainbows- all get along great. The australius stay smaller than the turquoise. When I first got my turquoise (lacutris) they were not very colorful but feed them well, give them good water quality and a little time and they will be beautiful. One thing I will say is that the rainbows do like to be in schools. I had the 3 australius in a tank where they were the only rainbows and they were kinda of aggressive but once I added them in with the larger rainbows they got over it!
Rainbows are wonderful fish!

 

[em_witt]

Yup! The rainbows will get along fine. I have 3 australius, 5 turquoise and at least 4 other varieties of rainbows- all get along great. The australius stay smaller than the turquoise. When I first got my turquoise (lacutris) they were not very colorful but feed them well, give them good water quality and a little time and they will be beautiful. One thing I will say is that the rainbows do like to be in schools. I had the 3 australius in a tank where they were the only rainbows and they were kinda of aggressive but once I added them in with the larger rainbows they got over it!
Rainbows are wonderful fish!

Can I keep rainbows with discus though?

 

[Gish]

I have not kept discus but from what I've read and from my own observation at the lfs, they are slow moving fish which may get spooked by the fast moving rainbows. Also rainbow like bubbles and current which discus may not.

 

[Clynnking]

Sorry, have never kept discus but know they will cost alot more than rainbows!

 

[Rivercats]

People have kept them together but Cardinal and Rummy nose tetras, rams, and cory cats are best as they too can tolerate the higher water temps Discus need (84F). But with cory's you have to check which ones do well in higher temps as some do not. Discus need alot of special care in regards to water. You have to be committed to doing at least bi-weekly WC's, good diet, and they are messy eaters which adds to the issue of keeping their water clean. Also if you want to plant a discus tank there are only certain plants that tolerate the higher water temp also.