Angelfish vs Discus

The same axes for both animals, taken from the same care guides, so this is a like-for-like comparison rather than two articles written months apart. Neither animal is the right answer on its own — the question is which one fits the space, the budget and the routine you actually have.

Freshwater Fish
Angelfish
Pterophyllum scalare
Difficulty
Intermediate
Lifespan
8-12 years
Adult size
15cm long, up to 20cm tall
Minimum space
200 L (53 US gal)
Company
Must be kept in at least 5
Daily time
Moderate
Running cost
Medium
Habitat
Aquarium 200L+ / 55gal+, tall footprint preferred
Diet
Omnivore (flakes, pellets, frozen and live foods)
Suits you if
Aquarists wanting a centrepiece cichlid. Keepers interested in breeding behaviour. Those with a tall, roomy tank
Watch out for
Tanks too short for their body height. Housing with fin-nippers or bite-sized fish. Underestimating cichlid territoriality when breeding

Full Angelfish guide

Freshwater Fish
Discus
Symphysodon aequifasciatus
Difficulty
Advanced
Lifespan
10-15 years
Adult size
15-20cm diameter
Minimum space
250 L (66 US gal)
Company
Must be kept in at least 5
Daily time
High (warm water, frequent large changes)
Running cost
High
Habitat
Aquarium 250L+ / 65gal+ for a group, tall and deep
Diet
Carnivore-leaning omnivore (frozen, beefheart, pellets)
Suits you if
Experienced aquarists seeking a challenge. Keepers able to do frequent large water changes. Those wanting a striking centrepiece group
Watch out for
Keeping too few, causing chronic stress. Unstable or cool water below 28C. Skipping quarantine and importing disease

Full Discus guide

How to read this

Every row is filled from the same field of the same care guide for both animals, so nothing here is cherry-picked to favour one of them.

Minimum space is the figure from each species' housing guidance, converted to one unit. It is a floor, not a target.

What this does not tell you: your experience, your household, your climate, or which animal you will actually enjoy. Difficulty is our judgement, not a measurement. Read both full guides before deciding — and if the honest answer is neither, that is a good outcome too.