I have 2 blue fine snakeskin Discus when i bought them about 2 weeks ago from my LFS i was told they are doing well with each other as they have been in same aquarium together for about a month. Then i brought them home and on the about 3rd day i sore that one is constantly pushes the other one out of the way in to the corner behind the large wood and plants (so i never see him swim in fron of the tank) especially when i give food to them. Will it help if i get another discus or?
Thanks
I just brought my 2nd Discus this week. I already had one Discus on its own - the original Discus is about 8 months old and is now quite a size. The new one is much smaller. Unfortunately the large Discus keeps bullying the small one, who ends up hidden in the corner behind the plants.
As truckasauras123 said Discus can be very aggressive
with their own kind. That said - some people do get the tank to work with 2 or 3 Discus.
Also there is a lot of advice on most Internet forums from people who are speaking third hand (i.e. just repeating what they have heard others say) and they have no direct experience themselves. So be careful who and what advice you listen to. In the end you will have to look at the situation in your tank, consider the advice you have been given and then
make your own judgement call.
Here is what I have found are factors in the Discus aggression:
1) Tank population: If there are a lot of other fish, the Discus will feel they have to compete for food and territory. I removed a few of my smaller fish to another tank, giving them more room.
2) Not enough food: They will fight if they feel there isn't enough food. I used to feed just once a day. I changed this to two feeds a day, but now only
half the amount each time.
3) Space and Decor: Is there enough space in your tank? Is there enough places for the Discus to hide?
4) Feeding methods: Try and put food in 3 or 4 locations of your tank. If you can entice one Discus over to be fed, and whilst he is distracted, put a small amount of right over the top of the second discus.
The above 4 points have drastically helped in reducing the aggression between my Discus, though naturally it is still there. But it is slowly dissipating.
Ok, so here are a few things to look out for:
1) Clamped fins: Do either of the Discus have clamped fins? The fish have two fins at the bottom of their body. When stressed they constantly hold these flat against their body. They should normally protrude towards in the same manner as an Angels fins would. Also their top fin will be pulled inwards if they are stressed.
2) Eating: Are the Discus still eating ok? Discus are fussy eaters, once they start stressing too much they can stop eating.
3) Fin nipping: Keep an eye on their fins, look out for tears and missing chunks.
All the above should help some.
If you are not sure about what to do with the Discus, check your LFS return policy they may take them back. Many people will tell you to get more discus. My advice is only get more if you are sure it is what you want! Don't do it as a knee-jerk reaction - I nearly made that mistake cuz so many people told me to - and I am glad I didn't.
Eitherway - in the end - just take all the advice (including mine) and then make your own call...cuz the situation in your tank will be unique to you. All tanks are different - I am discovering that is one of the golden rules of fish keeping.
