Discus chasers, an observation

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S

sushiray

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 11, 2009
628
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new windsor/cormwall, ny
As some have been helping me with some of my ongoing issues with my discus tank, I am still waiting for the day I get to a stable tank. Treating now with pure metro for hexamita (had treated with jungle clear & prazipro for parasites - seeing white poop). Raised temps from 85 to 88.

Now, I just noticed tonite's feeding of frozen brine & flakes that my juvies are more interested in chasing/nipping each other than in eating!!

they do grab a nibble here n there but they rather chase & be chased! It's not like they all look like they are messing around having fun, looks more like "get out of my way don't eat in my spot" type of behavior. I have 14 of which one is barely eating after QT treatment (tho it pecks at the driftwood & sponge filter), the rest are eating well now. Surface, mid & bottom feeders.

Just curious that all are into chasing each other, from the littlest juvie to the larger ones, it's the little ones who are more aggressive!!
 
Nice observations! I wonder why they are doing it?
 
I noticed only happens when it's feeding time. otherwise, they are docile beings. but to see the little ones stick up for themselves is re-assuring no one is king of the hill & no one is bottom of the pecking order/pack/totem pole!

even the one that was QT showed signs of chasing another, it also tried to eat a flake or 2 but just spits it out.

so hoping treatments will work out.
 
Well discus will form a natural pecking order. The more dominant discus may just be enforcing their control.
 
jcm412;3528416; said:
Well discus will form a natural pecking order. The more dominant discus may just be enforcing their control.
Click to expand...

doesn't appear to be any one or two dominant ones in my tank. basically when one chases another, another comes by then chases the chaser which becomes the chasee. one may become the chasee then turn around & becomes the chaser.

make sense? I've been watching to see which is consistently the dominant bully one... as it turns out it's 2 of the smaller juvies!!
 
when it's feeding time there's definitely no love lost between all my discus (btw purchased from Discus Hans, 1 of each variety he had in stock).

I tell ya - from little ones to big ones to the midsized ones, they all are chasers & chasees!

I wonder?
could there be something in the water (like an anti-love potion)?

or my pH going from 6.6 to 7.6 & now down to 7.2?

or the food I am feeding (tetramin + ken's flakes, frozen brine or bloodworms, freeze dried bloodworms, some pellets)?

or the meds driving them to drink?

I wonder?

pecking order doesn't seem to hold in my tank - all of them are fairly =lly aggressive!
 
If you still have all those discus in that 72 gal., I'd say they get a little cranky because they are always so close together. Juvies naturally push, fight, and chase each other anyway. I have around 30 or so juvies now in different tanks, they all do it. They older they get, the more mellow they become. Most of my 6"-7" fish ignore their tank mates, and just hangout doing their own thing.
 
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