clowns and discus

[Nati]

Hello I am new hear and seeking some advice. I have a large 135 g tank with 11 clown loaches in it, they are spending most of the time among the driftwood, at the bottom section of the tank. they range between 2inch-5inch. I do water changes every second day and keep the tank very clean. I am tempted to add a school of discus to occupy the middle and top section of the tank, the tank is relatively high. I know that there are different opinions as to the success of such combo, but considering that if I do it I will get large discus and try and have approximately 7.

I Will really appreciate some opinions

[Hollowman]

If you like to spend lots of money and have stressed discus go for it. Clowns do not go well with discus. Discus prefer an environment where things are a slightly slower pace. Clowns get too big and move way too quickly for discus. Might as well just post me the cash. Job done.

[BigDaddyAdo]

Also the crazy coloured wigs and big red noses can make them unsettled.

[Merrilyn]

Okay guys - very funny :roll:

Hello Nati and welcome to the forum. I see you've already met our very own "clown loaches" :lol: but the guys are right - loaches are not good tankmates for discus. They spend their days hiding in the driftwood, but at night they party big time. Just when your discus are trying to get some sleep, their noisy neighbours are playing 'tag' all over the tank.

Discus need nice peaceful neighbours like tetras. If you want to keep your loaches, then angelfish would make good mid water tankmates, but if you want to keep discus, then the loaches would have to go.

HTH

[BigDaddyAdo]

They also dart all over the substrate sucking up left over food. Discus like to graze on anything that has hit the bottom.

[karisdiscus]

So if you can't have clown loachs what can you use to make sure you dont get a snail problem? Thats good to know about not keeping them with discus because i have 2 of them in with them now. I will have to pull them out.

[ILLUSN]

Dwarf chain loaches work VERY well they dont get any bigger then 3 inches or so

[Nati]

Ok guys i think i got the idea. ..and while we at it why don't you just forward me your banking details (-;

[BigDaddyAdo]

Ok guys i think i got the idea. ..and while we at it why don't you just forward me your banking details (-;

I don't get the joke..... :?:

[Hollowman]

He was going to send me the cash Ado :lol: :lol: :lol:

[BigDaddyAdo]

I found that once i got my Ph stable at 6.0 all of the snails disappeared. I havent spotted a snail in my Discus/Dwarf Cichlid tank in a long time.

[Hollowman]

Oh, I just had a thought, if you are using a very low conductivity, the snails do not have enough calcium to make a shell, so they die off. :)