Discus
Discus is a peaceful freshwater fish that needs a tank of at least 50 gallons (189 L), water at 82-88°F (28-31°C) and a pH of 5.5-6.5.
Also searched as: discus, discus fish
Quick facts
Requires pristine water quality and warm temperatures. Not beginner-friendly.
| Minimum tank | 50 gallons (189 L) |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 82-88°F (28-31°C) |
| pH | 5.5-6.5 |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Swim level | Middle |
| Group size | 4 or more together |
| Tank type | Freshwater |
Good tank mates
Ranked by water overlap and temperament, using the same checks as the MyAquaLog compatibility tool.
- Kuhli Loachmin tank 15 gal
Temperature overlap 82-86°F, pH overlap 5.5-6.5. Both species are peaceful.
- Striped Raphael Catfishmin tank 35 gal
Temperature overlap 82-86°F, pH overlap 5.8-6.5. Both species are peaceful.
- Blue Phantom Plecomin tank 30 gal
Temperature overlap 82-86°F, pH overlap 6-6.5. Both species are peaceful.
- Moonlight Gouramimin tank 30 gal
Temperature overlap 82-86°F, pH overlap 6-6.5. Both species are peaceful.
- Snakeskin Gouramimin tank 30 gal
Temperature overlap 82-86°F, pH overlap 6-6.5. Both species are peaceful.
- Snowball Plecomin tank 30 gal
Temperature overlap 82-86°F, pH overlap 6-6.5. Both species are peaceful.
- Zebra Plecomin tank 30 gal
Temperature overlap 82-86°F, pH overlap 6-6.5. Both species are peaceful.
- Clown Loachmin tank 100 gal
Temperature overlap 82-86°F, pH overlap 6-6.5. Both species are peaceful.
Avoid with
Pairings that fail the temperament, water-overlap or known-conflict checks.
- Goldfishmin tank 20 gal
No temperature overlap (82-88°F vs 65-72°F).
- Oscar Fishmin tank 55 gal
Aggressive species will harass or eat peaceful fish; no temperature overlap (82-88°F vs 74-81°F).
- Green Terrormin tank 50 gal
Aggressive species will harass or eat peaceful fish; no temperature overlap (82-88°F vs 68-77°F).
- Rainbow Sharkmin tank 50 gal
Aggressive species will harass or eat peaceful fish; no temperature overlap (82-88°F vs 72-79°F).
- African Cichlids (Mbuna)min tank 55 gal
Aggressive species will harass or eat peaceful fish; temperature overlap 82°F is too narrow; no pH overlap (5.5-6.5 vs 7.8-8.6).
Discus pairing checks
One-to-one checks against other popular species, with the reasons for each verdict.
- Amano Shrimp no
- Angelfish with caution
- Betta Fish no
- Bristlenose Pleco no
- Cardinal Tetra no
- Cherry Shrimp no
- Corydoras Catfish no
- Dwarf Gourami no
- Goldfish no
- Guppy no
- Harlequin Rasbora no
- Kuhli Loach yes
- Molly Fish no
- Mystery Snail no
- Neon Tetra no
- Nerite Snail no
- Oscar Fish no
- Otocinclus no
- Platy no
- Plecostomus no
- Rummy Nose Tetra no
- Siamese Algae Eater no
Check your own tank
These lists compare one species against the rest of the database. Your stock list, tank size and bioload change the answer, so log your own tank.
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