TankmateChecker

Can discus live with chinese algae eaters?

Verdict

No

No. Discus and chinese algae eaters should not share a tank. No shared temperature. Discus need 82–88°F, chinese algae eaters need 74–80°F.

Discus

Discus82–88°F · pH 5.5–7

Chinese algae eater

Chinese algae eater74–80°F · pH 6–8

What to watch

Deal breakerNo shared temperature. Discus need 82–88°F, chinese algae eaters need 74–80°F.
Deal breakerChinese algae eaters sometimes latch on to slow, flat fish like discus and rasp their slime coat.

What works

pH 6–7 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: discus the mid, chinese algae eaters the bottom.

Water side by side

The ranges do not meet, so one of them would always be too warm or too cold.

The green band is the pH both tolerate.

Size to scale

Adult length in an aquarium. A fish can swallow anything that fits in its mouth, roughly a third to half its own length for predators.

Care at a glance

	Discus	Chinese algae eater
Temperature	82–88 °F	74–80 °F
pH	5.5–7	6–8
Adult size	6.0 in	10.0 in
Minimum tank	55 gal	75 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	Middle	Bottom
Group	Groups of 5+	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Carnivore	Herbivore

Better tank mates for discus

All discus tank mates

Better tank mates for chinese algae eaters

All chinese algae eater tank mates

Questions

Can discus live with chinese algae eaters?

No. Discus and chinese algae eaters should not share a tank. No shared temperature. Discus need 82–88°F, chinese algae eaters need 74–80°F.

What temperature suits both discus and chinese algae eaters?

None. Discus need 82–88 °F and chinese algae eaters need 74–80 °F, so the ranges do not meet.

What size tank do discus and chinese algae eaters need together?

At least 75 gal, set by the chinese algae eater. Add space for each extra fish.