Discus care
Symphysodon aequifasciatus · Amazon river floodplains
Discus need warm (82 to 88 °F), soft, very clean water and a group of five or more in a 55 gallon or larger tank.
- Tank size
- 55 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 82 to 88 °F (28 to 31 °C)
- Group size
- 5 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 8 in
- pH
- 5 to 7
- Hardness (GH)
- 1 to 8 dGH
- Lifespan
- 10 to 15 years
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Care level
- Demanding
In a 55 gallon
48¼ × 12¾ × 21 in outsideHow to keep discus
Discus need warm (82 to 88 °F), soft, very clean water and a group of five or more in a 55 gallon or larger tank. Large, frequent water changes are part of keeping them. Few community fish like water that warm: rams and apistogramma do, and rummy-nose tetras and sterbai corydoras only at its cool end, around 82 °F. Neon and cardinal tetras need cooler water.
Diet: Carnivore: discus pellets, frozen bloodworm, beefheart mixes. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Middle of the tank.
Discus tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Gold nugget pleco
8.8 in · 75+ gal · 77–86 °F
Kubotai loach
5.9 in · 40+ gal · 77–86 °F
African butterflyfish
5 in · 30+ gal · 73–86 °F
Zebra pleco
3.2 in · 20+ gal · 79–86 °F
German blue ram
3 in · 20+ gal · 78–85 °F
Uaru
9.8 in · 75+ gal · 79–86 °F
Keep apart
Neon tetra: No shared temperature: discus need 82 to 88 °F, neon tetras 70 to 79 °F.
Cardinal tetra: No shared temperature: discus need 82 to 88 °F, cardinal tetras 73 to 81 °F.
Black neon tetra: No shared temperature: discus need 82 to 88 °F, black neon tetras 73 to 81 °F.
Glowlight tetra: No shared temperature: discus need 82 to 88 °F, glowlight tetras 72 to 80 °F.
Harlequin rasbora: No shared temperature: discus need 82 to 88 °F, harlequin rasboras 72 to 81 °F.
Celestial pearl danio: No shared temperature: discus need 82 to 88 °F, celestial pearl danios 72 to 78 °F.
What a discus tank needs
A tank of 55 US gallons or more (such as the 55 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aqueon QuietFlow Canister Filter 200
Rated by the maker for up to 55 US gal, which covers a 55 gallon discus tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Seachem Tidal 55
Rated by the maker for up to 55 US gal, which covers a 55 gallon discus tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon Pro 150
Discus need 82 to 88 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding discus.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, but its display reads 64 to 86 °F, so it can’t show the top of the 82 to 88 °F discus range. Check it with a second thermometer that reads above 86 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 55 gallon tank · Heaters for a 55 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common discus problems
- Dark color and hiding are early signs of stress; test water and check temperature.
- Hole-in-the-head and weight loss follow poor water and poor diet; see a vet who treats fish for any treatment.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Symphysodon aequifasciatus. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Discus Patrick Farrelly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Gold nugget pleco Anne Blindheim, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Kubotai loach Lerdsuwa, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- African butterflyfish Toniher, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Zebra pleco Peaceinpianos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- German blue ram Eric Mengel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Uaru Brent Tibbats, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Neon tetra Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cardinal tetra CHUCAO, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Black neon tetra Debivort, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Glowlight tetra gonzalovalenzuela; cropped by Kyknos, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Harlequin rasbora NasserHalaweh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Celestial pearl danio Cisamarc, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Angelfish Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cockatoo dwarf cichlid William Kreijkes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Kribensis André Karwath aka Aka, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
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