Crenicichla and Discus combo?

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J

JMorash

Candiru
MFK Member
Mar 11, 2007
139
3
48
Nova Scotia
Hey guys,

So I'm going to be getting a few pikes (narrowed down to multispinosa, atabapo 'super red' or tapajos 'super red').

I will be keeping them in a tank with Geophagus and Satanoperca, however since most of those fish occupy the mid to lower levels of the tank, I was considering getting a nice group of Curipera and Solomon red discus to fill up the rest of the water.

I have had issues with pikes attacking other elongated fish in the past (had serious issues keeping them with bichirs, asian arowana, and snakeheads), but from what I observed they leave pretty much everything else alone.

I kept a pair of brokopondo saxatalis (easily one of the more aggressive pikes I've kept) with severums and panda uaru about a year ago without issue, and that's mainly why I'm thinking I might be able to get away with it. However I'm still nervous of through a few hundred dollars of discus in a tank with pikes just to have them destroyed over night.

Just wondering if anyone tried a similar combo? If so was it successful or a failure?

Thanks,

jmorash
 
it's funny cause i never would have thought this combo possible--thought hte pikes would terrorize the discus. But I saw a huge tank a while back that had very big lugubris pikes with a flock of discus--totally beutifull. And they both have the same water requirements....but I'd make sure you have a very big tank.

I think my dream tank would be 20 feet long by 5 feet tall and 3 feet deep with tons of plants and wood and a flock of blue and green discus and some beautiful red pikes (T1's, multis, Johanna)
 
Thanks for the input.

They will all start out in a 120, I know that's not possible for life, but for the next year I have to make it work. I eventually want to make the 240 a SA tank for earth eaters, pikes, panda uaru, rare plecos and young rays.In that case I would just keep the discus in the 120 . But for the next year the 240 is holding my Channa Barca.

I'm not worried about multispinosa because they are apparently pretty laid back compared to some other pike species. I'm worried the larger tapajos or atabapo will bully the discus.

Thanks,

JMorash
 
i think that is too small for this combo---could be wrong---but i wouldn't try to mix em below a 360. The tank I saw was many 1000s of gallons.

if you try good luck it would be very cool if you kept them together!
 
JMorash;4876809; said:
Thanks for the input.

They will all start out in a 120, I know that's not possible for life, but for the next year I have to make it work. I eventually want to make the 240 a SA tank for earth eaters, pikes, panda uaru, rare plecos and young rays.In that case I would just keep the discus in the 120 . But for the next year the 240 is holding my Channa Barca.

I'm not worried about multispinosa because they are apparently pretty laid back compared to some other pike species. I'm worried the larger tapajos or atabapo will bully the discus.

Thanks,

JMorash
Click to expand...


Hello there...fellow Canuk.....I honestly don't think it would work....also the
pikes might fight till the death....those are big pikes you have chosen....
great taste though....may I ask where you can get those three rare breeds
so easily????? Good luck.....
 
I've bought most of my pikes through Oliver Lucanus and Spencer Jack in the past.

I recently watched a video of a 180 mixed sp. Venezuela with Discus it seemed pretty peaceful, also I've been doing some research and learned quite a few species school with discus in the wild. I know that doesn't guarantee compatibility in an aquarium but we'll see.

Other than Multis I will make sure I get a bonded pair. I know I can get them, so I'm going to pay the money for them. Oliver has told me multis are very laid back and don't pick on smaller fish. He kept his big ones with small earth eaters without issues.

The 120 wont be a permanent tank, just for the first year. Next year I'm down sizing, so I'm selling all my big fish, giving the barca the 240 and then doing something showy and colourful (hence colourful pikes, geos and discus) in the 120. After next year I'm not renting anymore, so I can buy whatever size tank I want. My house my rules. The barca will be getting at least a 360, the pikes and geos will be put in the 240 and I will devote the 120 to discus and plecos.

After getting conflicting advice from a variety of sources I'm going to go with Multis (less aggressive) and then buy a group of cheap discus, try them, worst comes to worst I lose a few $20 fish. If it works I can switch it up in a couple months and add a group of wild reds.

Wish me luck, I will keep everyone updated.

jmorash
 
JMorash;4877725; said:
I've bought most of my pikes through Oliver Lucanus and Spencer Jack in the past.

I recently watched a video of a 180 mixed sp. Venezuela with Discus it seemed pretty peaceful, also I've been doing some research and learned quite a few species school with discus in the wild. I know that doesn't guarantee compatibility in an aquarium but we'll see.

Other than Multis I will make sure I get a bonded pair. I know I can get them, so I'm going to pay the money for them. Oliver has told me multis are very laid back and don't pick on smaller fish. He kept his big ones with small earth eaters without issues.

The 120 wont be a permanent tank, just for the first year. Next year I'm down sizing, so I'm selling all my big fish, giving the barca the 240 and then doing something showy and colourful (hence colourful pikes, geos and discus) in the 120. After next year I'm not renting anymore, so I can buy whatever size tank I want. My house my rules. The barca will be getting at least a 360, the pikes and geos will be put in the 240 and I will devote the 120 to discus and plecos.

After getting conflicting advice from a variety of sources I'm going to go with Multis (less aggressive) and then buy a group of cheap discus, try them, worst comes to worst I lose a few $20 fish. If it works I can switch it up in a couple months and add a group of wild reds.

Wish me luck, I will keep everyone updated.

jmorash
Click to expand...

So you mean that you will get a bonded pair of one of these species...right?
If that's the case then , yes I would try it with the multi's....
just don't wait too long to add the nicer discus........add them
before everybody sets up their territorys.....
also I think Multi's get a bit smaller than the other two so that's good...

I just purchased some pikes off Oliver that will be arriving next week...
he never mentioned that he was getting Atabapos or Tabojos any time soon.........

Anyway, that would be a spectacular looking tank!!!! Someone has to
be the first.......I hope it works for you!!!!! Good luck!!!!

By the way...did Spencer say he was getting any new pikes in soon??
Don't forget...lots of driftwood and plants(which Spencer has plenty of.....the wood I got off of him is AMAZING!!)
 
I have some young (3-4") dwarf pikes mixed with growout (2-3") discus, and the combination is working just fine. The pikes completely ignore the discus, and since the discus tend to stay closer to the surface and the pikes closer to the bottom, they aren't competing too directly for food.

Now I can't say with certainty about larger lugubris pikes and discus, because I know from experience the larger lugubris pikes can be very aggressive. But I think if you started with small enough pikes, and they grew up with the discus, then it would be a doable combo.

If you do try it, I would be prepared to separate either the pikes or the discus from the tank if you witness any aggression.
 
Clint - Thx. for the vids, proof of natural cohabitation!
I know the Pike/Discus combo can work, they seem to get along fine in various indigenous locales. At the '07 ACA Sacramento some of the world's foremost Discus keepers told me of often seeing crenicichla mixed with discus while diving & collecting.
Your 120 g. tank should be fine for a while... good luck with the community tank, the Multi's + Discus will be gorgeous tank mates!
 
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