Can discus live with flowerhorns?

Verdict

No. Discus and flowerhorns should not share a tank. An adult flowerhorn is twice the size of a discus and will hunt or batter a slow, long-finned fish like this.

Discus82–88°F · pH 5.5–7

Flowerhorn80–89°F · pH 7–8

What to watch

Deal breakerAn adult flowerhorn is twice the size of a discus and will hunt or batter a slow, long-finned fish like this.
Deal breakerFlowerhorns are aggressive and will bully peaceful discus.
Watch outWater chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.

What works

Both are fine at 82–88°F.

Water side by side

The green band is the temperature range both can live in.

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	Flowerhorn
Temperature	82–88 °F	80–89 °F
pH	5.5–7	7–8
Adult size	6.0 in	12.0 in
Minimum tank	55 gal	75 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Aggressive
Swims at	Middle	Middle
Group	Groups of 5+	One per tank
Diet	Carnivore	Carnivore

Better tank mates for discus

All discus tank mates

Questions

Can discus live with flowerhorns?

No. Discus and flowerhorns should not share a tank. An adult flowerhorn is twice the size of a discus and will hunt or batter a slow, long-finned fish like this.

What temperature suits both discus and flowerhorns?

82–88 °F. Discus need 82–88 °F, flowerhorns need 80–89 °F.

What size tank do discus and flowerhorns need together?

At least 75 gal, set by the flowerhorn. Add space for each extra fish.