What's your opinion?

[David]

Look at my sig to see my tank specs. Before adding any more fish, I want to make sure I'm not making any mistakes. (for those of you too lazy to scroll down to my sig) currently in my tank I have 1 betta, 3 clown loaches, and 1 discus. I am planning to still add 1 or 2 discus, 2 rams, 2 otos, and a small school of cardinals (5-6). Am I fine with this or is this overstocking. Oh yeah and I will be getting a 75 gallon soon for my 3 clown loaches in which I will also keep an oscar or 2. Opinions, criticisms? If I really have to, I could go with only 1 more discus. and maybe thin down my school of cardinals a bit. Suggestions? Oh yeah and my betta is moving to my 5 gallon soon.

 

[SandMan8388]

Sorry dude. Can't mix Rams with Discus. Discus are too dosile. The Rams will pick on them or kill them. Discus are too expensive of a fish (at least for me) to experiment with, they will die very easily.

 

[yhbae]

I'm no expert in discus, but I had blue rams before. Blue rams were very peaceful too - they didn't pick on any others before. If they spawn, that's another story.

In fact, blue rams require very similar water parameters, and that was my main reason for getting them (so that can I eventually get into discus, but I lost intrest in them...).

My bigger concern is keeping discus itself - don't you need more than one? Also, aren't they really sensitive and picky? I hear they demand really frequent water changes and very high quality food. If you are keeping up with this, good for you.

 

[fishdudein]

I'm no discus expert, but I love to read, so this is not personal experience on my part, just the general gist of what I have read. Discus are very social oriented fish, and do best in large tanks in groups of their own kind. Most of the leading authorities (Jack Wattley, etc.) discourage mixing them with any other fish. However, many people do, and it seems that those that have the best luck are the ones that mix them with small, peaceful types of fish (neon or cardinal tetras, corydoras catfish). Your clown loaches are going to drive the discus crazy with all their constant activity. A stressed fish soon becomes ill. Discus also require warmer water than most tropicals (I'm thinking 80-82 F, may be off a little), and need large and frequent water changes.

The fish you have picked are all great fish. Like I said , the discus really need their own tank, the rams would do great in a heavily planted tank, and the clowns would do great in any tank large enough that they could "play" in. Don't know about mixing the oscars with the clowns, depending on sizes it might work out OK for a while, but if it were me I would leave the clowns as the centerpiece fish. Wouldn't put more than one adult oscar in a 75 either.

Hope this helps!

 

[David]

Thanks for the input, all of you, but I really don't need to know how to take care of discus. I have been reading about them for months before I even bought the tank. I know they like a companion, but I am first making sure I can keep 1 healthy before I add more. The clown loaches don't bother the discus at all; they generally keep to themselves either resting during the day or rooting around in the gravel. The discus just floats around lazily keeping an eye out on things. I've never heard that discus can't be kept with rams... I might not risk it then. I guess I'll go for a couple of cories or rainbows instead, or yet another discus. Anymore info? I've read on this very forum that some people have had sucess with keeping clowns and oscars together, and there probably wouldn't be a problem if there was a school of clowns and just one oscar... am I right?

 

[gixer]

David.

Don't take this the wrong way.

The reason everyone keeps telling you that your lone discus is a bad idea is because IT IS..period.

You are asking for advice but not taking it. You have been offered great advice many times on this forum by experienced fish keepers and you choose to ignore it and the attitude that you seem to have is "i know best"..

People are obviously concerend about your lonely discus.

I kept out of your last post after my initial comments are you really annoyed me.

Do you want advice? or do you think you know best?

Like i said...don't take this the wrong way..but try listening to the sound advice you have been given on numerous posts.

 

[CFC]

If you think you know best stop asking questions and if you have researched discus like you say then surely you should know what kind of fish are suitable to use as tankmates?