A south american tank for discus and other species

[bettaMagenta]

I came across a reputable Discus source that suggests pairing them with Rams, citing they share a similar temperature range and, surprisingly, the Rams' presence can have a calming effect on the Discus.

[muddywave]

I've been dreaming of a Discus-only tank for ages, and I think I've found the perfect setup - a 250-gallon tank, roughly 6 feet by 30 inches by 30 inches. I'm thinking of starting with 3-5 Discus, maybe more.

For tankmates, I'm looking at bigger, peaceful fish that thrive in warmer temperatures and soft water. I was thinking 3-4 Angel fish or 3-4 Red Shoulder Severum's. A small school of Geos could work, and I'd love a fancy Pleco - a Royal would be amazing, but it'd get way too big in a 250-gallon tank.

I usually go for bright colors, but since my Discus will be a mix of yellow, orange, turquoise, and blue, I'm thinking of adding a school of active silver fish to balance it out. If the Severum's don't work out with the Discus or Angels, I could see swapping them out for a school of Tiger Stripe Silver dollars instead of a silver tetra.

Can you picture it? Any suggestions or substitutions would be great. The tank won't go online until next year, so I've got time to figure out the tankmates. I've already got the tank, but I still need to sort out the plumbing for frequent water changes, the filter system, and lighting. Thanks for any ideas.

That's a pretty cool idea - Rams could add a lot of visual interest and supposedly calm the Discus, which is a major plus. I'm still drawn to the Rummy Nose Tetras, though - they're so different from the Discus, it would be awesome to see a school of them swimming around. I think they'd complement the Discus really well, bringing a unique look to the tank that wouldn't compete with the Discus for attention.

[infold]

Whoa, you're really thinking of keeping Discus. I've always thought of them as the ultimate tropical aquarium fish, way out of my league. They're pricey, hard to find, and losing a $75 fish would break my heart. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have them, but I'm intimidated. Discus aren't for the faint of heart, you know. They're not fish for everyone, if you know what I mean.

[bettaMagenta]

I was reading something interesting today, that Rummy Nose Tetras are actually one of the most schooling tetras out there. I had a bit of a rough start with them in my South America tank - I ordered 6 from an average seller and unfortunately, all 6 didn't make it past 2 days. But I decided to give it another shot, and I ordered 8 more from a premium seller I'd gotten my African tetras from, and so far, all 8 are thriving on their 3rd day. They look incredible, swimming together in a tight group in my 55-gallon tank. I think a large school of them, like 25 or 30, would be stunning in the discus tank, adding a lot of visual appeal without too much bioload. And yeah, I'd have them in another tank too, but let's be real, no one else sees the tanks in my basement except me.