Need helP on discus behavior.

[Zanre96]

Ever since I planted my aquarium and added co my dominant discus has been stretching his fins like sails infront of the other discus. Also the others have started pecking eachother. What is wrong with my discus? My ph is around 6.2-6.4. Nitrites close to zero. Ammonia is zero. Temp is 29 celcius. Could it be the beginning of a breeding couple!??

[madagascariensis]

Even though they cannot compare with green terrors or jack dempseys, your discus still are cichlids. Fin flaring is a way to look bigger and intimidate or impress other discus. Pecking at one another is a way fish establish a hierarchy.
Nothing is wrong with your fish. A breeding pair will hang out together and direct their aggression at other fish.

[mojosodope]

+1 to madagascariensis, they're just reestablishing the pecking order, this is fairly common after changing the aquascape. Keep an eye on the pecking to ensure it doesn't get out of control, your parameters are perfect.

[Zanre96]

Thank you for the quick replies! I will keep an extra eye on them.

[Sandz]

Yeah +1 - its just pecking order behavior

[Cermet]

And you meant the nitrAtes are near zero ... right?

By changing the tank, the fish are recreating their territories so some aggression is normal.

[Zanre96]

Yeah sorry, lol nitrates. Whatever the plants absorb.

And my most dominant keeps sailing and going verticle against the only known female I have in my tank. No slapping just trying to look big, but she is one of, or is the smallest so I don't know why he is not doing it to the other large male?

[mojosodope]

Let me see if I understand this correctly, your most dominant (male), is flaring at the only confirmed female in the tank?

[Cermet]

If the male is 'shivering' at times while doing this, the male could be trying to encourage the female to pair bound.

[Zanre96]

Aww I accidently messed around with my ph levels with my co2 and now he is normal again. I'll see what happens when I hit the correct ph level again.