Help With Discus Refusing Food

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Why are tetras recommended for discus then?

Also, a side note: I got the discus to eat successfully.
Yes tetras are suggestions to keep with Discus, but it's the small bodied ones like Neon, Rummy etc. Not the full bodied ones like BA, Bleeding Hearts etc. Full bodied ones are more bold and more often fin nippers. This fin nipping is a stressor and can lead to other ailments in such a delicate fish.
 
Indeed. There are tetras, and then there are tetras such as Buenos Aires'. Too boisterous for a discus tank. Will annoy the heck out of the discus, successfully outcompete them for food, swim around fast, and result in stress. You may be able to get away with it for a bit, but not for long. Discus need to and will establish their own pecking order. Generally there are 2 extremes of results, with usually nothing in between: either full success, or sickly-looking discus who will darken, cower and eventually die one by one, according to pecking order.
 
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