Discus & Hatchet Fish

The discus and the hatchetfish both come from the Amazon drainage in South America. They prefer similar water conditions, and both make fascinating aquarium specimens. But there are concerns with predation that might make them poor choices to share a tank with each other.

  1. Discus

    • The discus belongs to the cichlid family and is closely related to the freshwater angelfish. Discus fish have something of a reputation in the aquarium hobby as a difficult fish. However, captive-bred varieties tend to adapt better to aquarium life. For best results, keep your discus in soft, acidic water. Discus fish grow large, 6 to 8 inches, and have a very roundish body shape, giving them their common name. They are shaped like a flat disc on its side and come in a number of colors and patterns.

    Hatchetfish

    • Hatchetfish are another unusual fish. They are small tetras, the same family that includes the tiny, peaceful neon tetra and the infamous piranha. Hatchetfish have an unusual body shape. They have a deep chest bone and wing-like fins. These adaptions allow them to leap from the water to catch insects. There is debate about whether they actually flap their fins in flight, which would make them the world's only true flying fish -- marine "flying fish" only glide. Like many tetras, they live in schools in the wild and get stressed if you keep them in groups of less than six.

    Compatiblity

    • Despite similar water chemistry preferences, these two species might not get along in an aquarium. Discus fish get considerably larger than hatchetfish. Though generally peaceful, discus fish may eat smaller fish like hatchetfish. Their close relatives, the freshwater angelfish, are notorious for predation on small tetras. Even if the discus fish don't eat the hatchetfish, it could stress the hatchetfish to share an aquarium with something large enough to make a meal of them.

    Alternatives

    • You can keep hatchetfish with a number of smaller cichlids from the same general area without problems. This includes South American dwarf cichlids like the ram and apistos. However, there is a chance discus and hatchetfish will get along. If you want to hedge your bets, try keeping one of the larger species, like the silver hatchetfish. Discus fish have small mouths for their size and might have trouble eating members of this slightly larger species of hatchetfish.