I have a 56 gallon setup. I am running a filstar XP2 for filtration. The PH is 6.4 no ammonia no nitrates or nitrites and 86 degrees farenheit. There is a variety of driftwood (makes the water brown) and Some live swords and other live plants. I have a royal Blue Cobalt discus, A Golden discus, A red pigeon blood, A gold ram, a blue ram and a fiddler crab. When its feeding time the Royal blue comes out but most of the time they are almost unable to be seen. They dont swim around much. Should I put more fish in? Are they lonely. There is not much traffic around the tank and they dont seem stressed. I know discus can be moody, but how can I make them more active. In all honesty they are pretty fish but probably the most boring i have ever kept. Any ideas? Also how do I do a planted bottom ie: LIke a lawn? Thanks everyone!!
Why are my discus so reclusive?
- Thread starter jkruger83
- Start date
Hmmm, you've given all the right information and I certainly don't see anything wrong with what you're doing. Do you do frequent water changes? I know that my discus are never truly happy unless I do changes every 3 days or so, even if there are no nitrates present.
How long have you had them?
Where did you get them?
Were they checked/treated for parasites?
Some discus owners swear by warm temps and salt when you first get the fish to get rid of parasites. I'm not personally recommending this because I can't personally see your fish.
How long have you had them?
Where did you get them?
Were they checked/treated for parasites?
Some discus owners swear by warm temps and salt when you first get the fish to get rid of parasites. I'm not personally recommending this because I can't personally see your fish.
This is not the solution, but a fiddler crab doesnt usually play well with Discus. Also, how big are the discus now ?
I don't agree with this statement. Discus should be active. My discus are always interacting, posturing, swimming around, courting etc... When I come up to the tank they go right to the top looking for food. They certainly don't just like to "hang out". They are actually very active cichlids.
Wow I wish mine were this way. Also my gold ram was dead when i just got home....Ive had these discus for about 3 months now, the golden is about 2.5" and the other 2 are about 4". I change the water weekly sometimes maybe every 2 weeks... When I feed them they dont eat much, and the only thing theyll eat is beefheart. I need to get them on a staple food (dry). How long have u had yours carpediem? whats your setup?
I have had the discus for about 6 months but it took me awhile to get the hang of their specific needs. Before I did, mine acted just like the way you're describing yours. Putting them all in the same tank definitely helped a lot too. I have 6 discus and 4 corys in a 75 gallon tank with a Fluval 4 cannister. It is a bare bottom tank with a few potted plants and some discus cones.
What are you using for your change water? Are you seasoning the water before you put it in the tank? Water quality, chemistry, and temperature are important but so is consistency. If your tank water is pH 6.4 and 86 degrees and your change water is tapwater with pH 7.5 and 80 degrees and you use conditioner, this may be part of the problem. Sure, the driftwood may bring your pH down in a matter of time but there is no consistency. Your fish will suffer from the fluctuations.
I use rubbermaid stock tanks to hold seasoned water for changing. I run an RO system into a 300 gallon tank, then use a 100 gallon tank strictly for discus water. I run a mag-drive pump and a heater in the stock tank, fill it with 90% RO water and 10% tap water. I float a stocking filled with peat. This is my change water and the pH and temp are exactly the same as the tank water. Consistency is the key.
What are you using for your change water? Are you seasoning the water before you put it in the tank? Water quality, chemistry, and temperature are important but so is consistency. If your tank water is pH 6.4 and 86 degrees and your change water is tapwater with pH 7.5 and 80 degrees and you use conditioner, this may be part of the problem. Sure, the driftwood may bring your pH down in a matter of time but there is no consistency. Your fish will suffer from the fluctuations.
I use rubbermaid stock tanks to hold seasoned water for changing. I run an RO system into a 300 gallon tank, then use a 100 gallon tank strictly for discus water. I run a mag-drive pump and a heater in the stock tank, fill it with 90% RO water and 10% tap water. I float a stocking filled with peat. This is my change water and the pH and temp are exactly the same as the tank water. Consistency is the key.
Sounds like you are not doing enough water changes, 1 - 2 weeks. Some breeders do 90% everyday. Discus are usually out front posturing, and are always hungry, how many times a day do you feed. What is your level of lighting. They do not like bright light and might need shade in the front of the tank. You might only have shade where they are hiding.
crab may be the problem as discus is easily fightened
for the water change, I myself do it once a week with 1/3 to 1/2 tank of water
it depend how often u feed them, eg. twice a day or five times a day
breeder change lots of water because they feed very frequently to promote fast growth rate, maybe 8-10 times a day
discus does swim but slowly, I may say their movement is elegence
but when they don't feel well,such as scared or sick, they may sink at the bottom or corner
for the water change, I myself do it once a week with 1/3 to 1/2 tank of water
it depend how often u feed them, eg. twice a day or five times a day
breeder change lots of water because they feed very frequently to promote fast growth rate, maybe 8-10 times a day
discus does swim but slowly, I may say their movement is elegence
but when they don't feel well,such as scared or sick, they may sink at the bottom or corner
