# Discus tankmates



## cicklid (Feb 15, 2011)

I have a electric blue discus now in a 40 gallon show (only about 2inchs)with 4 rainbowsbosmani I believe its spelled,4 rosaline sharks,7cardinal tetras,a bristolnosed pleco,5corys,and very soon 7more rubyeyed tetras. My question is should I lose the tetras for bolivian rams,because I heard discus are slow eaters who take in their food all day. Is it true they will not be able to compete for food with more voracious eaters leaving them weak and more likely to be stressed losing color and sulking.


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## cicklid (Feb 15, 2011)

I am sorry rummynosed tetras,alsofeeding spirulina flakes,discus sinking granules,and bloodworms once or twice a week


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

get either get rid of the discus or get a bigger tank and get 5 more discus


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## cicklid (Feb 15, 2011)

I know a bigger tank is needed I didn't just go out and buy a fish and throw it in a tank I researchedo and have a 125 gallon coming6ftlong,but I was also told by friends and read in some articles 1alone or more than 5 was a good rule of thumb,but what to do with my tankmates and maybe some different suggestions for some better tankmates


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

you shouldnt keep discus by themself -.- but since youve read articles i assume you know what youre doing so ill stop offering my advice


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## shef (Oct 3, 2004)

Never do one alone, they are much happier in groups. One alone will be very skittish, won't eat well and will likely die. Tankmates would have to be pretty mellow, cardinals, rummy nose tetras, cories. No Jack dempsies for sure! Get at least 5, more if you can, please don't just get one!


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

shef said:


> Never do one alone, they are much happier in groups. One alone will be very skittish, won't eat well and will likely die. Tankmates would have to be pretty mellow, cardinals, rummy nose tetras, cories. No Jack dempsies for sure! Get at least 5, more if you can, please don't just get one!


noone mentioned a jack dempsy?


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## shef (Oct 3, 2004)

oh geez, sorry, apparently I'm half asleep, I saw electric blue and somehow though dempsey, not discus. I haven't heard or electric blue discus. My apologies


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

o its fine i was wondering where you got the jd from lol i was like maybe its my name...


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## cicklid (Feb 15, 2011)

Not a jack dempsey a discus color morph, I havecardinalsand now rummynosed tetras and today I ampicking up my 125 so should I traded in my rosaline sharks and how many bristolnosed plecos should be good for a 125?how many corys?


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## MickRC3 (Aug 9, 2010)

Discus perfer temps over 80F while Rosaline Sharks are best kept under 78F.


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## cicklid (Feb 15, 2011)

Thank you for some more info,do you thimk.the rainbows are suitable tankmates?Any help is appreciated.My 6ft 100gallon tank is cycling now,in a little less than A month the discus will be getting 5 more to help him settle down,this one was a rescue


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

forgive me for being blunt but why "rescue" a fish you know nothing about?


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## cicklid (Feb 15, 2011)

Well like I said I did research them,and I askef about tankmates not the fish,so plz if yout not going to be helpful dont reply


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

i cant be helpful if you dont listen -.- DISCUS SHOULDNT BE KEPT SOLO! especially at as small as 2 inch. chances are its already stunt....


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## cicklid (Feb 15, 2011)

my lfs manager had given me a good deal on the discus it had been there for weeks with no takers,he told me the discus was kept with a juvie red devil,two flowerhorns,and some cons. When it was brought in it was near death he nursed it back to heath,but he didnt want someone to buy it and do the same thing to it, I was trading in my rams and angels so with a cycled tank with plenty of cover and some drift wood(i know the discus love those.tannins)to give him his own tank so with the trades I stared off with the rainbows and rosaline sharks(i didnt research them after I did I posted my qeustion) a week later I added the discus and then cardinal tetras and lastly rummynosed tetras. Sorry for the length of my post just giving some back story.


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## cicklid (Feb 15, 2011)

I have said as fast as the bigger tank cycles I will be adding 5or more new friends,but I do have a qeustion should I stick with one color morph or could I put pigeon blood,the yellow vatiant (forget the name),or any other of color morohs


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

its up to you to put whatever discus you want. its your tank. young discus shouldnt have any tank mates no matter what the tankmate is. if it was at a lfs for long enough to be "nursed" back to "health" its been there long enough to have problems.


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## cicklid (Feb 15, 2011)

I meant for schooling purposes all color variants will school thanks for input


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## gutted (Mar 7, 2012)

are you ready to have them in a bare bottom, do 50%+ water changes every day and feed them beefheart 3-5 times a day (which gets very expensive). after i read that about discus i knew that id never own any. beautiful cichlid but way too much work for me. discus are delicate fish and juvenile discus are even worse.


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## cicklid (Feb 15, 2011)

Have 6 assorted discus coming soon 7 altogether


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

Ill see you in the health and disease section soon


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

jd lover said:


> Ill see you in the health and disease section soon


ok... so that crosses a line or two...

sigh.

personally I've never had an issue with a solo Discus... I would have stayed at that if I were in the shoes of the OP, but now that you've got a group of young Discus coming it's time to setup a proper Discus grow out tank. I may not agree with JDLover's opinions and delivery, but it is the 'technically' correct advice. Best to at least consider it.


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

yea kinda blunt and may have been mean but he has been ignoring all the advice and i disagree with lone discus for the sole reason that they are schooling fish and a solo is never a good idea. doesnt mean it can be done but at a young age its diffinitely better to keep a group as they learn to compete for food and its important that they eat all they can in the first few months.


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## kaphil (Aug 3, 2006)

gutted said:


> are you ready to have them in a bare bottom, do 50%+ water changes every day and feed them beefheart 3-5 times a day (which gets very expensive). after i read that about discus i knew that id never own any. beautiful cichlid but way too much work for me. discus are delicate fish and juvenile discus are even worse.


I respectfully disagree. While it obviously makes cleaning easier I don't think bare bottom is necessarily needed, you don't normally need to do 50% water changes every day, and many discus keepers would advise against feeding that much beefheart, it being a totally unnatural food for discus. Yes they can be delicate, but really that needs to be kept in perspective, a key determinant being whether the discus are wild or tank bred. Nor do I see why they need to be parboiled. I currently have a single discus in a SA community tank and it is fine. I've have had other single specimens. Yes I'm sure I miss out on the interactions that come from having a group, but so be it. The discus is perfectly healthy and I don't have to worry about the group bullying.
Personally I think some of the advice given about discus is OTT. To the OP, I say if you have the knowledge to maintain a healthy aquarium for SA fish, and your water parameters are all fine, I don't see why you should change much from what you are already doing to accommodate discus.


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

theres a healthy fish and a thriving fish


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## cicklid (Feb 15, 2011)

I have read everything jdlover has said in different profiles and articles ,and I did take some of his advice,but the way jdlover keeps coming across rubs me the wrong way.


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

i have been known to come across as mean but im really just a blunt guy. generally im more nicer to those to atleast consider the advice theyre given oppose to those that ask for advice and wait for what they want to hear.

bassically the bottom line for a newbie discus keeper is this:

high protein diet
clean water 
no tankmates for juvies
and get a group of atleast 6 to start with

with newbie i tend to give basic advice. in fish keep along with everything else there a numeral ways to achieve success. i tend to give the basic as thats whats easy and more enjoyable and after a hobbyist has gain some experience they can feel free to experiment with what works and what dont.


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## cicklid (Feb 15, 2011)

Update,not a single discus lost or sick water parameters perfect,using drift wood and peat moss to soften water,have a few live plants for nitrate control,and doing daily water changes


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

no such thing as perfect parmeters. anyone who say this i just assume they didnt test their water. like i said before there are numeral ways to be successful but a begginer should stick to the basic. chances are your discus are already stunt....


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## cicklid (Feb 15, 2011)

Well this is why I stopped posting here,you have nothing better to do than harrass people


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

Don't let one person who is trying to get their point across to you by their own ways/means of doing it, deter you away from this place. Block them if you feel the need. But JD is kind of right... and kind of wrong.. there are at times... prefect conditions, but most of the time, there is always SOMETHING that isn't perfect.


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

im not harrassing you you just choose to ignor advice and claim your fish are fine. they maybe alive but that doesnt mean theyre thriving. if paremeter are perfect why dont you post the numbers? if it was truely perfect you would have posted numbers. that what everyone does. also i have read your other posts, imo you just choose to ignor all advice you get so im done. good luck with your discus but please when you fail dont tell everyone discus are hard to kept. this is how the myth started in the first place.


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

i would also like to apologize to everyone including the op for my harsness. i dont mean anything by it but when i give advice i only want to help you to succeed and help you the best i can. it does anger me when someone ask for advice and not even consider the options that are on the table. i truely wish the op the best of luck, i will try to help you farther but i cant unless you atleast consider what im say.


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

jd lover said:


> i would also like to apologize to everyone including the op for my harsness. i dont mean anything by it but when i give advice i only want to help you to succeed and help you the best i can.


 well, that's a start. :thumb:

cicklid, glad to hear that all is still going ok. Keep up with those water changes!!! :thumb:


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## Shahlvah (Dec 28, 2011)

Discus are schooling fish that NEED to be along with other discus, one will be sad, three will pick on each other and eventually kill each other, you need more than 5, like 7, 10....but in a big tank.
I have been following JD's advise on my discus with great success.
I am new, but I do follow instructions from the people that have more experience since I want to be successful, specially with discus since they are expensive fish, you just don't want to loose any of them.
So in my experience, I will set a bigger tank, and buy more discus.
tank companions? the pleco is ok and so the cories, I have tetras because they are peaceful and no threat, I feed in two timings. I feed the tetras first in one side of the tank, and then I feed my discus, they all eat, when the discus have finish their food or eaten enough, the tetras eat what ever is left. Is working for my discus...


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## Shahlvah (Dec 28, 2011)

"gutted wrote:
are you ready to have them in a bare bottom, do 50%+ water changes every day and feed them beefheart 3-5 times a day (which gets very expensive). after i read that about discus i knew that id never own any. beautiful cichlid but way too much work for me. discus are delicate fish and juvenile discus are even worse."

I not necesarilly agree with that. I have an aquarium with sand substrate, plastic plants (I took some out, but left some for hidding etc.) and I do water changes twice a week. I feed my discus mostly NLS and twice a week at the most a treat of black worms or brien shrimp or bloodheart, they don't seem to care too much for the blood heart, so I keep it simple to one square now and then, they love the worms and the shrimp, and they eat the NLS very well.
I do have a very nice filtration system with a 90 gallon sump with an UV and an Fluval FX5 that I regularly update filtration media.
I check the water parameters every day and at the slightest variation I do a water change even if is not schedule yet. I am not taking chances with these guys. they are all still juvies, most of my discus are about 4 inches big, but I have one that is slightly smaller, a ring leopard skin, he gets his way around and eat well. since I have 4 new fish that I failed to quarantine correctly, I watch the carefully to be aware of any change, anyone not eating, or any other suspicious factor. so far they are all good and I pray they remain like that. 
I am learning in all this process, as you I have read a lot about them, but nothing like have someone that has been doing this for a long time to give you some insight.
Any how, at the end you will do what ever you want to do, in my country we said" who ever don't listen to advise will not grow older."
So let's not fight in here, because I have been following JD's advise since I started this tank with the idea of having discus I can tell you that he knows his stuff. When I went my own way I lost 2 discus, never knew why, probably because my water changes where not as much as required? I was just doing it as I do for my mbunas, that are hardy and really don't care. (25%) now I do larger ones 50% to 65% Or maybe because they were sick to start with since in the morning they were OK, in the evening dead.
I just don't want that to happen again. So I keep close to the instructions.
It is just my advise, We are new in this and the experienced people are here to help us succeed with our discus, or what ever other fish we might want to have in our tanks. We just need to be a little humble and accept that despite all the reading we have done, we don't have hands on experience. And there is exactly where they come in.
Just my opinion.


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## moneygetter1 (Jan 8, 2006)

opcorn: WOW!!! This has been a heck of a ride. _*'cicklid'*_ you need to know the difference between fact & opinion. You will encounter a number of different opinions about what you're trying to do. Some will be helpful, others not so much. Bottom line is the choice is yours. Fact: Schooling fish do better in groups (5 or more). Fact: It's easier to grow-out juvies in a bare bottom tank. Fact: Discus require temps of 85/88 to thrive. Now OPINION is none of these things matter & you can be successful in spite of the facts. A word of caution ... just because you can do something doesn't necessarily mean you should. Keep the fishes best interest primary & the need to prove yourself second & you'll be just fine. Take this from one thats traveled that road & learned a thing or two along the way. Good Luck!! "T"


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## Shahlvah (Dec 28, 2011)

I love your fish moneygetter.....nice, remember when we were planning it all?
Seem like a long time ago....


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## kaphil (Aug 3, 2006)

moneygetter1 said:


> opcorn: WOW!!! This has been a heck of a ride. _*'cicklid'*_ you need to know the difference between fact & opinion. You will encounter a number of different opinions about what you're trying to do. Some will be helpful, others not so much. Bottom line is the choice is yours. Fact: Schooling fish do better in groups (5 or more). Fact: It's easier to grow-out juvies in a bare bottom tank. Fact: Discus require temps of 85/88 to thrive. Now OPINION is none of these things matter & you can be successful in spite of the facts. A word of caution ... just because you can do something doesn't necessarily mean you should. Keep the fishes best interest primary & the need to prove yourself second & you'll be just fine. Take this from one thats traveled that road & learned a thing or two along the way. Good Luck!! "T"


bit patronizing, that.
Also, not entirely correct in my view. A fact is something that is indisputable, and (for example) many discus keepers do not feel the need to keep their fish at over 85F, including myself (not that I'm claiming to be any expert on discus). 
It is easy to fall into the trap of presenting popular views as facts, when they are nothing of the sort.
And that's a fact.


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

The tempt that discus needs to be kept at varies while adults can be kept at 80-82f juvies are best kept at 84f+. The reason behind this is that adults don't need to eat as much as juvies. Higher heat increases metabolism in juvie which is a good thing. So there is little fact that Discus needs to be kept at 85f


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## moneygetter1 (Jan 8, 2006)

> love your fish moneygetter.....nice, remember when we were planning it all?
> Seem like a long time ago....


 opcorn: Thanks so much!! Yes, time flies when you're having fun. Been a bit busy but get back to me we need to talk.



> bit patronizing, that.
> Also, not entirely correct in my view. A fact is something that is indisputable, and (for example) many discus keepers do not feel the need to keep their fish at over 85F, including myself (not that I'm claiming to be any expert on discus).
> It is easy to fall into the trap of presenting popular views as facts, when they are nothing of the sort.
> And that's a fact.


  Patronizing??? No, no, no. Never that friend. Sorry if you felt that. I learned many years ago that looking down or talking down to folks is not the way to live. Success is looking up & speaking up even if we have to agree to disagree. Your view is just that; & it is shared by many. I'm far from an expert in this case but I defer to Bernd Degen, Jack Wattley, Dr. Clifford Chan, Dick Au, Herbert R. Axelrod, Warren E. Burgess, Dr. Eduard Schmidt-Focke, Yasushi Nakamura & so on because after reading these studies & works, credibility & reliability is somewhat established. Do they disagree on certain issues .... of course. But the basics like socialization & husbandry aren't really rocket science. If you choose to do otherwise, that's kinda on you. You're entitled. Never said it couldn't be done. I truly believe what's at the bottom of my sig, & if I can help in any way I am only to happy. Folks that know me, young & old, come over to look stuff up because I am a book 'junky'. The 'library' is always open for research. I learned sharing as a child & my children & their children are better for it. "T"


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## kaphil (Aug 3, 2006)

ok fair enough. There are discus 'experts' that don't hold with the temperature theory, but anyway we can agree to disagree at this point!


jd lover said:


> The tempt that discus needs to be kept at varies while adults can be kept at 80-82f juvies are best kept at 84f+. The reason behind this is that adults don't need to eat as much as juvies. Higher heat increases metabolism in juvie which is a good thing. So there is little fact that Discus needs to be kept at 85f


the comment was about "discus", not juvies, as was my reply.


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## kaphil (Aug 3, 2006)

sorry jdlover, after posting the above I think I may have misread your post (the last sentence) - if so apologies and ignore the above!


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

I was talking about juvie discus lol =p. I believe there was a researcher (forgot the name) you said that he had found discus in water that was around 78f while this maybe true its not ideal. In nature tempt swings all the time. But since we can control a comfortable environment for our fish why not right?


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## kaphil (Aug 3, 2006)

Yes, agree with that, but the question here is - what is 'comfortable'? Like I say I'm no expert on discus so am happy to be proved wrong on this, but what I (and I know others) don't get is why should discus be kept at higher temperatures than other fish found in the same areas and same habitats in nature? Moneygetter quoted a number of authoritative experst on discus and obviously I am in no position to argue with them. However, I will include a quote here from Mary Bailey (a fairly well known author and authority on cichlids here in the UK) writing in the March 2007 edition of 'Cichlidae' (the journal of the British Cichlid Association) simply because she makes the point better than I probably could:
_"There is no logical or biological reason why discus should require constantly high temperatures while other sympatric fishes do well at 'normal' aquarium temperatures. In the wild discus do sometimes encounter high temperatures, but not all day, every day. Yet they manage to survive this 'low-temperature' existence. A high temperature may help disguise problems by speeding up metabolism (as an anti-depressant disguises the underlying misery), but it is better to avoid the problems that make discus so apparently delicate and disease prone, eg. stressing them with bare tanks and inappropriate diet. Unnaturally high temperatures and permanently accelerated metabolism place an undue stress on the organism, in particular the gills and heart, and may well shorten life span in the long term, even if apparently offering benefits in the short term. Many people do keep discus successfully at moderate temperatures, including commercial breeders in the Far East."_

Of course this is her opinion, no more no less, but it makes sense to me. I have generally kept discus at about 79-80F and (as far as I can tell) this seems fine. 
Sorry for the thread hi-jack!


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## moneygetter1 (Jan 8, 2006)

opcorn: Interesting point. Not familiar with the author but that's temporary. (info junky) I will say if you are successful so far by all means continue. I tend to favor the conventional wisdom of some of the tried & true but that's just me. My success is yet to be determined. So far so good. I really don't have enough letters behind my name or books to my credit to tell anyone don't do it like that. I CAN offer suggestions & tell you how I arrived at said suggestion so that you too can be an informed consumer & make a choice. Hopefully the end result will be happy, healthy fish for all. "T"


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

from my understanding of thing, (by no expert as i havent study the amazon for decades and such lol) but i believe discus habitats, depending on strains and location found of course, are roughly 80-84 degrees year round. like i said earlier i have read where someone have found discus in other regions where the tempts were around 78f i believe. The thing with fish and temp is that they dont dies if its at a certain degree or not (unless its like 100 degree) its that their life tends to be shorten. i have kois that are being kept at 78f when they should be in the 60s and yet theyre not dead but i dont expect them to live 100 years as they should. believe it or not most believe discus to only live around 5-10 years when infact a healthy one should live to 15 and should still be fertile until 10 or even longer.


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## moneygetter1 (Jan 8, 2006)

> The thing with fish and temp is that they dont dies if its at a certain degree or not (unless its like 100 degree) its that their life tends to be shorten. i have kois that are being kept at 78f when they should be in the 60s and yet theyre not dead but i dont expect them to live 100 years as they should. believe it or not most believe discus to only live around 5-10 years when infact a healthy one should live to 15 and should still be fertile until 10 or even longer.


 opcorn: Kinda goes back to my original point .... just because you can do something doesn't necessarilly mean you should. If you know the optimum temp for maximum health & longevity, why not provide that to your captive species. Carp (koi) are cold water fish. Yes they can & do withstand a wide range of temps in nature but ideally, optimum temp is mid 60's. I don't understand keeping them in a warm water environment just to say it can be done. The same with discus. In the Amazon temps fluctuate, days 80's to 90's - rainy nites 70's to 60's. Our job is to try to provide the optimum temp for our captives to thrive not just to survive. Why knowingly shorten the lifespan by providing less than optimal conditions (proper tank, temp, clean water, food varieties etc). In nature they have a choice but captive they don't. How we dispense our care is vital. "T"


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## moneygetter1 (Jan 8, 2006)

Let me stop & apologize. Everyone is free to do as they please. Forgive me & my 'soap box' Sometimes I get carried away. mea culpa, mea maxima culpa "T"


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## kaphil (Aug 3, 2006)

No need to apologise, it's fine. But kind of as I said earlier, i think the debate here is not whether our "job is to provide the optimum temp" (because I think we are agreed that yes we should) but rather what the optimum temp actually is.


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

Well then let me clearify since the argument just change lol. If its wild then I would keep the tank tempt the same as the tempt that is in that region. As said earlier different discus comes from different region and have different requirements. Chances are the op is keeping domestic. Domestic have been bred through generations in tank at roughly 82f-86f. They were probably raised in 84f+. I would keep the discus in the tempt they were raise at since this is THEIR optimum tempt as this is what they're use too


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

As for the koi being in warm water. I live in a desert my outdoor pond is 78-82 degrees. I try the best I can but when the tempt is 100+ there is little I can do. I would need a huge chiller to get the water the ideal tempt for the koi


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