Discus issues

[justinsoffa]

I have four discus in a 65 gallon tank along with a ret. stingray, clown loach, and black ghost knife. The fish all get along with eachother from species to species, but my discus fight all the time. I feed them 2-3 times a day, once or twice with live black worms, hikari discus pellets, or freeze dried tubifex worms. I cannot get them to eat the frozen brine or bloodworms. Three of the discus are 3-4" and one is around 5" so they are quite young. Naturally the 5" is the boss. Is there anything I can do to get them to stop fighting? They chase the newest one in the corner all the time and bite at it whenever it tries to eat. Please help!

[Crispy]

I'm no discus expert, but seems to me the issue may be not enough space. thats a TON of bioload for a 65g (and much too small for a ray). perhaps the discus experts will chime in soon...:11:

[justinsoffa]

All of the fish are quite small, the stingray is a pup, once he gets larger he will be moved. I read that discus require around 9 gallons/fish as adults, and that I could house 6 discus. The black ghost knife is 4" at best and the clown is 2-3" it is a fairly young tank.

[Cermet]

The rule is 10 gals per fish and that is as small as one should go for adults - your young fish are fine in a 65 gal.

Having other species is asking for fighting between discus due to stress but worse, is having under six discus. You are doomed with four discus fighting - that is their nature and why people are always told to raise six or more. Other fish just add to the stress - especially large fish.

How often do you change all the tank water? What are the nitrate and phosphate levels? What is the pH and hardness? Young discus need near 100% water at least every two to three days (you want zero nitrates, and phosphates; if not, do the complete water changes more often.) Adults can handle higher numbers but not young if you want them to grow well and healthy. Having other fish just increases the bio-load.

Ghost fish are very aggressive at night and it is critical that discus not be bothered at night by either the fish's active nature towards discus or moving around the tank. That fish and the string ray are not proper companions for discus. Besides, ghost fish tend to get large like rays, do. The ray will need a far bigger tank, by the way.

[justinsoffa]

My nitrates are >5 and I change the water frequently. The discus are definitely the bosses of the tank, they are the only ones that utilize the entire tank as the stingray usually sits on the bottom or the side of the tank, the clown sits on the bottom, and the knife hides most of the time due to the lights.

[Lady Hobbs]

A+ Cermet

Discus have totally different requirements than the others in the tank and why Discus are generally kept as specie only tanks. Or with a few cardinals that can take the higher heat and softer water they require.

Atho you plan to move some of these fish later, they may keep the Discus stressed out until that time and the ray will need a huge tank as well as the BGK that grows to 20". Clown loaches are also big, bulky fish that should be in schools.

I can see no success coming from this tank as it stands now. You should not get fish until you have the tank for them. Thinking a bigger tank will be somewhere in the future just doesn't generally happen.

[koaladarshana]

I'm sorry but I don't see how that setup could work... Discus are so skittish around large fish, and they really should be kept in groups of at least 6 for their own health... That the new one is being harassed is no surprise as it was introduced into some other already established discus territory. It will take time for them to set up their peking order but in a tank of only 4 you run the risk of having the runt of the pack being bullied to death. I suggest you trade in your ray, clown loach, and ghost knife for two more discus and plenty of plants (real or fake) to break up the visibility periphery of your fish and create more hiding spaces in your tank for your smaller discus.

Getting the right balance of things in your tank to create a better environment for your discus is essential if you want healthy and happy fish. It is not easy but it can be very rewarding...

[Woussie Fish]

Hey Bud; What works/Works. I would Change the Live Blck worm this is just to Much. And agree with the masses Change the Mix in this Tank.For sure in time you will Lessen the Growth. For all that Potien{Not enough balance in diet} will grow out those Discus Fast and the growth rate will Make them more Bullish.But Discus are Cichids but on the bottom rung of fighters but still.Find a Trade off with the other fish maybe for German Rams and or More Tetras. If you still carry and controll that Bio Load.... Do it with smaller fish in order to lessen the fight for food. The more you feed the more they Poop. And it will be a DAILY H2O changes and no time to enjoy and you will stun the growth rate and that will in time cause a new set of health issues. But as first said If it works!......

[klh]

I have had bad experience with BGK in with discus in a previous tank i had. A very highly recommended local fish store told me that there would be no problem putting it in my tank then it happened... that knife fish started to stress my discus out so much they would hide all the time, and With that the BGK was returned to the store. Discus do tend to fight while establishing who is going to rule the tank...

[justinsoffa]

thanks for the input everyone, I am looking into a larger tank for the ray, I am going to try and leave the clown with the discus because he doesn't seem to bother them at all, and sometimes a few black worms make it into the sand and he is very good at finding them and taking care of them. I also had a snail outbreak and he takes care of them as well!

[Berylla]

Try adding a large school of tetras (I like black tetras) say around 20+. I have 3 large discus and they do not fight with all the little fish around them.