It's been 3 weeks since I got the new batch of discus and one powder blue didn't feed so after 2 weeks I changed it and gota new powder blue still not feeding, all the others are just doing fine. Water Parameters and other variables are favourable for the new batch. Its without any reason I find the fish isolated after proper acclimation to the tank.
Why Hobbiest find Discus fish Demanding!
- Thread starter Mazain
- Start date
It can be caused by stress of being moved, bullying from the other fish, or a change in diet.
When you add a new cichlid to a tank that already contains cichlids, you are potentially adding a new fish to a dangerous situation. The other cichlids have their territories and when a new fish swims into their territory, it usually gets attacked or at least threatened. Normally if you are adding new cichlids to a tank that already contaisn some, you try to re-arrange the tank just before you add the new fish so the old established territories have been broken up and this gives the new fish more chance of settling in.
A change in pH, GH or KH (mainly pH and GH) can upset a fish and stop it settling in as quickly.
Find out what the fish was eating at the shop and offer it some of that food.
When you add a new cichlid to a tank that already contains cichlids, you are potentially adding a new fish to a dangerous situation. The other cichlids have their territories and when a new fish swims into their territory, it usually gets attacked or at least threatened. Normally if you are adding new cichlids to a tank that already contaisn some, you try to re-arrange the tank just before you add the new fish so the old established territories have been broken up and this gives the new fish more chance of settling in.
A change in pH, GH or KH (mainly pH and GH) can upset a fish and stop it settling in as quickly.
Find out what the fish was eating at the shop and offer it some of that food.
Every thing what you said is 100% accurate.
Just concerned how long it will take him to feed and not go morose with the other fish and catch any desease.
Discus are pretty good at showing aggression on sullen discus.
This too is not working for the powder blue. Others are feeding frenzy.
Just concerned how long it will take him to feed and not go morose with the other fish and catch any desease.
Discus are pretty good at showing aggression on sullen discus.
Can you get live brineshrimp, daphnia or mosquito larvae to feed it?
If it refuses live food then something is wrong.
Feed the other fish first before adding live foods so they eat less and the new fish can hopefully get more. Once it starts eating, it should hopefully continue to eat after that.
When I was collecting marine fish some of them would refuse to eat so I used a piece of cotton thread about 3-4 foot long. I put the thread through a sewing needles and pulled it down so there were 2 pieces about 2 foot long. I tied a small knot at the end of the thread holding the 2 ends together. I put a small piece of raw prawn/ shrimp on the needle and slid it down the thread to the knot. I then lowered the prawn into the tank and jiggled it about. The knot stopped the prawn sliding off but the fish could pull it off. I repeated the process until the fish were eating well and started taking food that was in the water.
If it refuses live food then something is wrong.
Feed the other fish first before adding live foods so they eat less and the new fish can hopefully get more. Once it starts eating, it should hopefully continue to eat after that.
When I was collecting marine fish some of them would refuse to eat so I used a piece of cotton thread about 3-4 foot long. I put the thread through a sewing needles and pulled it down so there were 2 pieces about 2 foot long. I tied a small knot at the end of the thread holding the 2 ends together. I put a small piece of raw prawn/ shrimp on the needle and slid it down the thread to the knot. I then lowered the prawn into the tank and jiggled it about. The knot stopped the prawn sliding off but the fish could pull it off. I repeated the process until the fish were eating well and started taking food that was in the water.
This is something new, I shall try it but I highly doubt the others would spare the dangling prawn on the thread.
I'd try freeze dried black worms (or live blackworms if you have access to them). Discus can be picky eaters but i've not been able to get mine to eat shrimp based foods at all. I've been wanting to get them off of black worms since I feel it is not the healthiest diet but right now they are too skinny to push the matter.
I agree with you 100% on the diets but I haven't heard of any local breeders using any other forms of food apart from beefhert mix in where I live. So getting black frozen or live worms will be a challenge for me. The only positive is when I do a water change the powder blue comes to the front of the tank to be with the group and after hides back again.
freeze dried black worms are readily available; though not sure about india (freeze dried is not frozen). I soak them in water while i feed the other fishes and then hand feed them to the discus to ensure the smallest one get a good chunk.
I'm from Sri Lanka. An island south of India. It would be nice if all the food access in the US is available here. The only way to get it down is Amazon or Ebay but its expensive and shipping takes a long time.
You need to culture your own. The following link has info on culturing some live foods for fish. You can get Daphnia, Moina, rotifer and brineshrimp cysts or eggs online from aquaculture supply stores. Then hatch and grow them up at home to provide a year round supply of live food. If you get too much food you can freeze them and use them later on.
Back to Basics when Breeding Fish
STARTING OUT Make sure you have a pair, (1 male + 1 female). There is nothing worse than spending your hard-earned dollars buying a couple of fish to try and breed and ending up with a pair of fish of the same sex. Let's face it, to reproduce fish you need a male and a female. Two males won't do...
www.fishforums.net
I tried this colin_T the powder blue dodges away from the hanging food. It's been 12 days now he still conserves energy by staying in dark corners and places with cover. He was regurgitating the food that was inside him and don't seem to have any interest in the various foods I offered. So now out of the 3 power blue I got one has grown over 1cm, 1 was not eating for 2 weeks exchanged it and got a new one and the new one has taken 12 days without food. I even changed the color of the dominant powder blue for the new one to fit in the hierarchy and start feeding. Keeping faith in water changes and prepared foods and gona give it another week for observation. Anyone having/had same experience would help.
If the fish is regurgitating food, it has an internal problem and this can be in the mouth, throat or stomach. It usually requires antibiotics if there's an infection.
If you have to treat the fish, put it in a separate container and treat it there so you don't use as much medication and don't treat the main tank.
Clean the container and replace all the water before re-treating the fish.
If you have to treat the fish, put it in a separate container and treat it there so you don't use as much medication and don't treat the main tank.
Clean the container and replace all the water before re-treating the fish.
I honestly don't wana QT for treatment yet as he dosent look sick. I have seen and read experience with discus by treating healthy ones and they get messed up. I just feel had I bought only 4 or 6 powder blues without any turquoise they would have eaten. Read so many forums and all said new discus take time to settle and takes 4 weeks before they eat after acclimation in the main tank.
It shouldn't take fish 4 weeks to acclimatise and start eating. We used to get discus in the shop all the time and if they were healthy, they would eat food the day after they came in (we didn't feed on the day they come in). If they didn't eat in a few days we isolated them and treated them.
Similar threads
Most reactions
-
362 -
255 -
235 -
230 -
214 -
198 -
172 -
165 -
134 -
120 -
103 -
99 -
97 -
92
-
91