# Couple of Questions



## Courtney (Jan 18, 2005)

1. Will Discus's and Parrot Cichlids get along? I figured maybe yes since i had feeder guppies in with the parrots ( the guppies died when the heater went crazy and cooked them), my mom wants some Discus, and we have one extremly large parrot, one medium parrot ( which if has to be the medium can go) one pictus cat, one rapheal cat, one angel fish ( which if has to be can go) one pacu ( dont yell he was at walmart and needed a home) one large silver dollar, and one baby silver dollar, ( which they cant go, maybe the baby cause it eneded up being a male also.. we was looking for a female, but no it eneded up being a male... )...What i think is a baby whale catfish... a rope fish..Male betta and 2 females...Snails....55 gallon tank

2. How big will my pictus cat get? I read online on one site they said 10 inches and another site said 4.5 inches, im just wondering, if he would stay still i would try to get a picture but he moves so fast...

3. Is it normal for a silver dollar to bite the attena's off a snail? my moms large one does, other then that he leaves the snails alone, and they are happy...

4. Is it possible to get an eel, and put it in with the other fish in the 55 gallon?

5. I have what i just found out to be a rainbow fish in my 20 gallon tank, what do they eat? ( got her/him free when the lady caught the pictus), will it be alright with my balloon mollies/guppies/betta/dojo's/kuhli/cories/snails?


I think that is all, if not i will either make another thread or come back to this one.. thanks.
(last edit i think sorry)


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## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

discus and parrots will not go well together.


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## Courtney (Jan 18, 2005)

Why not Fishfreaks?


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## Z Man (Jan 18, 2005)

You sound astonished Courtney? Discus are very docil South American cichlids and frighten easily. Parrots are a hy-bred fish from two different Central American cichlids and become very nasty when they reach 8" and more. Read up on fish you are interested in so they will get along in a community setting.


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

Wow I would suggest before anything, helping your mom rehaul her tank (ie start over/or remodel)


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

1. Will Discus's and Parrot Cichlids get along? 

Sorry but I have to agree. They may get along for awhile but Discus are a very shy fish and even if the parrots dont pick on them the longterm stress of being in the same tank with them would not be healthy for them.

2. How big will my pictus cat get? 

I did a quick search and saw the same thing you did. Anywhere from 4 inches to a foot. In my personal experience they seem to get about 5-7 inches. There is a White stripe cat that may also be considered a pictus that can get a foot long. Sorry I dont know the scientific name for him right now. 

3. Is it normal for a silver dollar to bite the attena's off a snail? my moms large one does, other then that he leaves the snails alone, and they are happy...

It is not out of the question. The silver dollar is doing what comes naturally and looking for food. Anything that fits in his mouth becomes dinner. Although silver dollars are normally vegetarians their cousin the piranha is not. So maybe he got some of their dna. LOL

4. Is it possible to get an eel, and put it in with the other fish in the 55 gallon?

There are many types of eels. In order to give you a definate answer we would need to know what type in particular you are talking about.

5. I have what i just found out to be a rainbow fish in my 20 gallon tank, what do they eat? ( got her/him free when the lady caught the pictus), will it be alright with my balloon mollies/guppies/betta/dojo's/kuhli/cories/snails?

He should be fine with most of them but he will probably go after the snails.


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## Courtney (Jan 18, 2005)

The one parrot is full grown, and she doesnt bother anything she watches and loves to play with snails... And the silver dollars are shy but the only thing that bothers the one is the pacu..

So the little rainbow fish ( i think thats what it is ) will harm my snails? thats not good at all...


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## bsmith (May 6, 2005)

The pictus cats will get from 4-10 inches yes, but normally no larger than around 7"

To get an eel you can get a spiney eel and they wont get too large, no more than 10" at most. the fire eels and other will get much larger.


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## Courtney (Jan 18, 2005)

Lexus said:


> Wow I would suggest before anything, helping your mom rehaul her tank (ie start over/or remodel)


Why do you say that, there isnt anything wrong with the way the tank is, least i dont think so, and i dont want to get rid of silly fishy the X-Large parrot she is silly, she has a thing for snails.... doesnt hurt them but has a "THING" for them... and the only ones that pick on other fish our the Angel fish, little parrot and the pacu


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Do NOT put a discus in that tank, please. All gross overcrowding and personality conflicts aside, Discus need water conditions very different from all those other fish you have.


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## Courtney (Jan 18, 2005)

Oh, what sort of water conditions? cause sooner or later im gonna get a couple just not sure when


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

Water quality for discus link.
http://discus_site.tripod.com/quality.html


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## Z Man (Jan 18, 2005)

If you are going to get them anyway; why did you ask if they would be fine with the other fish to begin with? Maybe you thought everybody would say they will be fine toegther?


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## Courtney (Jan 18, 2005)

I just wanted to see what everyone thought about the idea and if it was a good idea or not, but for some reason everything i ask to do with adding fish on here i get a big NO....


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

That is why I have 16 tanks. Because many fish dont mix and I am to stubborn to leave them alone. I got to have them. Most people dont have the space or want for that many tanks and at that point they need to decide what they want that will be healthy for the fish and enjoyable for themselves.


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

That pacu is going to get huge in a matter of months, in fact he will out grow your tank in 6-12 months if fed properly.


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## Courtney (Jan 18, 2005)

I know he will he is already as big as the large silver dollar, and he eats alot, and i know he will but i couldnt leave him in a 10 gallon i think it is at wal mart with more of his kind to die if i had the money i would have bought more of them


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

yes but your not providing much of a better home..... his life will be shortened and your other fish's lives will be in danger. Better find him a new larger home.


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## MyraVan (Jan 19, 2005)

Courtney said:


> I know he will he is already as big as the large silver dollar, and he eats alot, and i know he will but i couldnt leave him in a 10 gallon i think it is at wal mart with more of his kind to die if i had the money i would have bought more of them


Anyone who buys a pacu should have the right size tank to take care of it. If you had left it at Walmart perhaps someone who had a proper place to put it would have bought it. 

Buying fish because they are being kept in bad conditions at the store, so bad that they might die, is a really bad idea. Like people buying Aquababies to give a better home to the fish that are stuck in those tiny boxes. If you give these people money, they will just keep on doing the terrible practices that are so cruel to fish. Better to let the fish die in the shop, and that way Walmart loses money, and so either keep the pacus in better conditions, or, better yet, doesn't get any more of them. A monster fish like a pacu doens't belong in a store where most of the customers don't know anything about fish. 

I only buy fish from shops that treat the fish right. That means that I simply don't get some kinds of fish, or I have to wait while one of my preferred shops restocks on the fish I want, if they are sold out.


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## Courtney (Jan 18, 2005)

I just couldnt leave him there, he was so tiny and cute and now he is large and cute soon to be monster and cute, i have to get rid of him he is bothering the silver dollars and eating the little snails..


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

MyraVan said:


> Better to let the fish die in the shop, and that way Walmart loses money, and so either keep the pacus in better conditions, or, better yet, doesn't get any more of them.


Hate to say it but we (I work at Walmart) dont lose money on fish. When fish die it isnt our loss or our problem because we only pay the supplier for what we sell. Also we make virtually no money on fish as it is, its just another reason to entice customers in for our one stop shop


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