Restarted Tank

[ifarrell93]

Finally after months of emptiness my 46 gallon tank has life in it.(had to empty it out when all my fish died for unknown reasons.)

i finally got on with my plans for live plants and would like to know what people think of the fish already in my tank, and any suggestions for future tank mates.

Currently i have:

1) a 2.5ish inch blue turquoise discus
2) x5 blue rams (still trying to sex but most of them seem to be male)
3) a spotted cory cat
4) a dwarf clown pleco
5) 2 dwarf gouramies
6) a red tailed shark


I was considering getting a second discus or a ghost knife fish and a Raphael cat also but if you think iv'e hit the limit tell me

 

[minnnt]

Thats a poor stocklist really mate... First of all your tank isn't really big enough for Discus and Gourami's and a Red Tailed Shark aren't ideal tank mates for Discus either.

The Rams and Discus go well though. I would recommend a 300 litre tank as a minimum for Discus though and they need to be kept in a group of at least 4 i believe.

 

[swanseastilo]

My Shark and gourami don't bother with each other

 

[minnnt]

My Shark and gourami don't bother with each other

I'm not doubting the compatability of the Gourami and the RTBS, but they're poor choices for a Discus setup imo.

 

[swanseastilo]

My Shark and gourami don't bother with each other

I'm not doubting the compatability of the Gourami and the RTBS, but they're poor choices for a Discus setup imo.

Fair enough.

 

[lilfishie]

minnt is right not ideal stocking, to add to his comment the cory also needs a group of 6+ and sand substrate to thrive

 

[ifarrell93]

well so far my shark and gouramies have been leaving my discus alone. as for tank size... i'll deal with that when that actually becomes a problem. I've heard that discus grow fairly slowly so if it makes it to that size i'll find something to do about it (although i have heard that 40 gallons is fine for discus. but for right now i have a totally different problem. i spotted the first snail. the invasion has begun!!

 

[lilfishie]

Snails are not a problem if kept under control.

I think you should return the discus, its not fair keeping him in a small tank and alone when they need company of there own kind same goes for the cory, but thats just me

 

[minnnt]

The problem you face is that discus need friends, and your tank cannot offer that at the moment. And the fact that you will deal with that when it happens is a bad one as a small tank will stunt growth.

 

[dbanner]

I wanted discus but i have a 46 gal to so had to give them a miss anything out there that i could get as an alternative? As in similar shape and colours? Thanks

 

[ifarrell93]

i also heard that the rule with discus is 8 to 10 gallons per adult discus. If i were to get another discus, by that rule i would be fine. Not ideal but fine

 

[minnnt]

i also heard that the rule with discus is 8 to 10 gallons per adult discus. If i were to get another discus, by that rule i would be fine. Not ideal but fine

But you have to have a minimum sized tank to start with. You couldn't keep a discus in a 40-50 litre tank now could you?! That is basically what you are saying.

I wanted discus but i have a 46 gal to so had to give them a miss anything out there that i could get as an alternative? As in similar shape and colours? Thanks

If you have a tank that is around 18" high then Angels would be an ideal fish for your tank. The regular Scalare variant will be fine. You can source some very nice colours now a days, the blues are simply stunning.

 

[ifarrell93]

i didn't mean it that way that would be absurd but according to this website here i do meet the minimum standard for discus. i might not be able to get the full group of 6 but a pair might be possible.

minnt is right not ideal stocking, to add to his comment the cory also needs a group of 6+ and sand substrate to thrive

Define "need" any cory i ever had did fine in pairs with gravel

 

[minnnt]

The link is broken mate. Discus can attain a fair size and a 46 gallon tank is simply not big enough. I'm not just saying it to upset you, just to be fair to the fish you would be better off keeping them in a 300+ litre tank with fairly placid tankmates. Rams and Cory's make ideal tankmates, but the Gourami and RTBS are poor choices. Both can be extremely aggressive and sharks love attacking fish with big bodies such as Angels and Discus from my experience. They should also be kept in a group to see their natural behaviour and instincts of shoaling. There is no doubt that the fish would survive in your tank, but they run the risk of not being happy and becoming stunted due to the lack of the space they need.

Cory's are also a shoaling sociable species which do best if kept in a group of 6+. This also helps them demonstrate their natural behaviour and instinct. A single Cory will be a very sad Cory. They should also be kept on a sand substrate to minimise the risk of damage to their mouths and barbels that gravel can cause. This can lead to infection, disease and ultimately death. They sift through the top layer of the sand to scavenge for food, something which they can't do with a gravel base.

 

[soybean]

i didn't mean it that way that would be absurd but according to this website here i do meet the minimum standard for discus. i might not be able to get the full group of 6 but a pair might be possible.

minnt is right not ideal stocking, to add to his comment the cory also needs a group of 6+ and sand substrate to thrive

Define "need" any cory i ever had did fine in pairs with gravel

You haven't even got a pair, you've got one. Basic research on other sites than this forum will tell you they're shoaling fish. At least add two more. Gravel is fine as long as it's smooth but they do love sand.

Discus are also shoalers and your tank isn't big enough for them. Simple as that.

I say this politely - you seem to have decided that your stocking is fine despite asking for advice/opinion on it, so why ask?