Discus Not Eating

[mark4785]

My Discus is eating next to nothing at the moment. The water stats show no ammonia, nitrite or excess nitrates. The temperature of the water is 31 degrees C and the pH is 6.5.
 
Fish is sitting 2cm above the substrate, sometimes with it's head pointing up while moving its eyes around. Other than it's fins, nothing is moving.
 
Fish has visibly lost weight; it is getting thinner. There are NO signs of diseases including abrasions, cuts, rotting, flicking, rapid gill movement etc.
 
The food it does put into its mouth (assuming it isn't frozen like a statue when I put it in, as describe above) it swallows but spits smaller pieces of it out.
 
The discus is in the tank with 4 corydoras and has some plants so it can hide. It also goes to sleep under some bog wood so it does feel safe.
 
I'm at my wits end now, as for me, fish only usually lose appetite when there is a water quality problem, when stressed or when a disease is present. None of this can be said to be true for this discus.
 
 
Any suggestions for getting this fish to eat would be appreciated otherwise I'm going to have to sell it as I refuse to watch it slowly kill itself.

 

[Akasha72]

is this the same discus that hasn't been eating well since the beginning of the year?
 
If so, I seem to remember you were given some good advice on getting this fish some friends. I, and others, from what I remember, came to the conclusion that this fish is likely stressed/depressed because it needs to be with others of their own kind

 

[mark4785]

I can give it a try. However, it was bought from a fish store that had it in an aquarium with 15-20 other Discus and yet it was very emaciated (almost dead in fact) even then. If I get it a friend and the friend also doesn't eat then I'm effectively doubling up on the amount of stress that I have to cope with.
 
I think I will take the plunge and get it a friend. If it doesn't eat they must go to somebody else. Do you know of anybody willing to take in Discus for free in the Derbyshire, UK area just in case I find myself in a situation where I have 2 discus that will not eat?

 

[mark4785]

I've just adding another 15cm x 8cm black slate onto the base of the aquarium (to help the fish distinguish food from the sand) and its now started eating. When I bought this fish in an extremely emaciated condition it would only eat baby fish pellets off of a slate. Is there a way to train the fish to eat proper discus pellets or is it normal to have to go to great lengths like I am doing to get Discus to eat?

 

[simonas]

discus can be fickle. They need to be in a group. I would also suggest you feeed beefheart too as that for me is the only way the put decent weight and growth on
 
Once they get emaciated its hard to get them back

 

[Akasha72]

I think the clue is in your 3rd post. You bought it from a tank where there were 15-20 discus. Both myself and others have told you repeatedly now that these fish need to live in a group. We can't make it any clearer. If you can't give it the group that is needs then the best alternative is to re-home it

 

[simonas]

discus can be fickle. They need to be in a group. I would also suggest you feeed beefheart too as that for me is the only way the put decent weight and growth on
 
Once they get emaciated its hard to get them back