Who Gives A Fish Forums

Thinking about adding some Danios to my 75-gallon Discus tank. Heard they're fast, but not sure if they'll stress my fish. Water's at 84°F, pH 6.5, with sand substrate and driftwood. Anyone tried this combo?

Yep, Danios can work if the tank's big enough. They're zippy but usually don't mess with Discus. Just watch the temp—Danios prefer it cooler, around 78°F. My crew's been chill together for months, no issues.

Coastal wrote: ↑Sat Sep 06, 2025 1:25 am Yep, Danios can work if the tank's big enough. They're zippy but usually don't mess with Discus. Just watch the temp—Danios prefer it cooler, around 78°F. My crew's been chill together for months, no issues.

Agreed, but Danios might outcompete Discus for food. I'd recommend target feeding your Discus with sinking pellets. My tank's heavily planted, which helps slow the Danios down during meals.

I've kept Zebra Danios with Discus in a 100-gallon for a year. Key is plenty of hiding spots—Java fern and Anubias worked for me. Also, Danios are less aggressive than Tetras, so that's a plus.

My Discus seemed sketched out by the Danios at first, but they got used to them. Just make sure your filtration's solid—I run a Fluval FX6 with weekly 30% water changes. No nipping so far!

Kinda depends on the Danio species. Giant Danios might be too much, but the smaller types are usually fine. My Leopard Danios just zoom around the top while the Discus do their thing below.

Never had issues with Danios bothering Discus, but my tank's heavily scaped. Plenty of line-of-sight breaks with tall plants like Vallisneria. Also, Danios help clean up leftover flakes.

slimfox wrote: ↑Sat Sep 06, 2025 9:18 am Kinda depends on the Danio species. Giant Danios might be too much, but the smaller types are usually fine. My Leopard Danios just zoom around the top while the Discus do their thing below.

Spot on. I'd avoid Celestial Pearl Danios though—they're too delicate for the warm water Discus need. Stick to hardier species like Zebras.

From my experience, Danios are fine tankmates if introduced properly. Acclimate them slowly to the higher temp over a week. My Discus didn't even notice the new additions after day three. Just keep the group small—six Danios max in a 75-gallon.

It's doable, but not ideal. Danios are like hyperactive roommates—they won't hurt your Discus but might annoy them. If your fish are already shy, maybe skip it. My show Discus prefer calmer company like Corydoras.