Discus Trouble

[Kerber13]

The other day i bought 2 new discus from my lfs. One of the new discus has been bullying an existinbg discus like crazy and will not let it out of the corner. It's a 75 gallon tank and the bully victim is smaller than the bullier. The lfs says if i buy more the aggression level will go down but i might not get more for a couple of weeks, adn i really don't want it to die. The lfs said they would take the discus back. Are there any other options?

 

[kevinjames]

id take them out then change the decor around then put them back. that may help in the short time.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Good idea but you may have to do that a few times till you get more which will stress them a lot.

 

[Kerber13]

The little guy is already stressed to the max anymore might kill him i'd really hate for that to happen. I can return the red discus, it has only been in the tank for a few days and i'm not too attached yet. Any other suggestions?

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Have you got another tank he can go in for the time being?

 

[hillmar77]

why don't you try to split the tank.... I'm sure you can pick up some plastic divider somewhere.

 

[Squidward]

Discus should be in small groups of at least 4 fish, if not more. 2 is not a good idea unless they are a breeding pair.
In a group, the aggression will be spread. But there will always be some sort of pecking order, with the weakest fish being picked on.

 

[snowflake311]

5 + is the best number for discus. If you only have 3 then one will die. 3 is the worst number for cichlids.

Did you research discus before you got them or are you learning the hard way.

 

[Kerber13]

No I did my research and with discus being very expensive I have to buy in pairs. And I read that keeping discus in odd numbers is better.

 

[roadmaster]

You read correct.Sadly,this bullying is not uncommon with Discus. I raised a group of six from the size of fifty cent piece, to around four inches and what was once a peaceful tank, suddenly erupted into caos as two of the six set upon one of the other's and short of separating the poor victim,,all other effort's failed.
I placed the fish getting bullied into a tank with some rams,and Keyhole cichlids and the victim soon became the BOSS.
Tried several times to re-introduce the fish with the other's but it was not to be.
Ended up trading the fish for a trio of clown loaches.
Kept the five for a couple year's before ice storm and power outage did them in.

 

[snowflake311]

Do you have 3? Odd numbers means odd man out. When you get 7 or even 5 it does not make much difference. But I had a Festivum die from being in a group of 3. It is by far the worst number. You end up with 2 fish besting up on one fish because ther are no other fish to spread out aggression so that one odd man out gets all the abuse.

If you can't fit more discus retune the ones you have. Or you need to add more. It's best to get all your fish at once. Or in 2.