Quarantine Bullying

[flutterbug]

I have a 3.5" Blue Diamond that was my first Discus I got back in early August. I quarantined him separately from my 6 Discus I got in mid August from a member here on simply. Now that the 6 Discus have been healthy for 4 weeks I decided to add the Blue Diamond in with them. My thinking was if any health problems arise from mixing the fish from separate sources, I want to treat it in the smaller gallonage bare quarantine tank. So now the Blue Discus is bullying all the others. They are so scared of him. Especially at feeding time, he wants all the food to himself and even though there is enough for everyone he tries chasing every single one away between bites. He is the same size as the smallest of the other 6 in there. I am hoping it will stop once they are together for a little while. I have a 120 that I need to get set up, so maybe with the more space they will be better?

[Skip]

let it go.. the order will work itself out

[Rudustin]

I have the same problem. It is difficult to watch. Wish there was an answer but I guess they will work it out in the end. I try to hand feed some of mine separately and I find if you spread the food around the tank the bully tends to get distracted more and chases less. Good luck.

[du3ce]

not sure but my blue diamond is the same are blue diamonds more aggressive?

[Skip]

I think bd are more fierce

[flutterbug]

Thanks! I was thinking the same things!

[flutterbug]

So now I am seeing two fish have developed bacterial nodules on their rear fins. Before this only one of the fish had them, and it had them from the beginning of QT. It seems that the other two have definitely developed this due to stress. Is this something to be concerned with?

[Skip]

Post a pic

[flutterbug]

I will try to get a decent pic, my camera really sucks at aquarium pictures.

[flutterbug]

I tried to get a picture to show it, but I am having no luck. I can almost make it out in these pictures but I think only because I know it's there. This thread has a picture of what it pretty much looks like in person. http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?107981-Is-this-ick&highlight=white+spots+ich
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-RcoNZsjItKc/UkRSfiMuVOI/AAAAAAAAldI/4gcTnnaf3OQ/s640/editedDSC09997.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MBf6LGnq9lM/UkRSfndU_yI/AAAAAAAAldE/EakNnYvm9tE/s640/editedDSC09950.JPG

Also found a pic on this thread http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?94569-white-spot-on-fin

[flutterbug]

Actually I was reading through that second thread and the second picture down on this post is exactly like it. http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?94569-white-spot-on-fin&p=876938&viewfull=1#post876938

[Second Hand Pat]

Here is what Paul had to say about it in that thread you linked...


Well, it is definitely not ich.

Andrew Soh has often said this could be encapsulated bacteria or other pathogen, and Andrew may well be right too. However there is another possibility and that is lymphocystis virus, though I seriously doubt it in this case as usually there is evidence on the body too.

Trouble is, if the pathogen is encysted there is no way to get to it, so often times it is a waiting game ... again usually clean water and continued good husbandry will sort.

[flutterbug]

I read that too, but didn't know if the current circumstances change whether it is actually a problem. Where I mixed a Discus from a different source in with the others. It literally happened over night after introducing the "Bully". Plus that thread is about 1.5 years old. So didn't know if anyone had new knowledge. Lots of times these threads you read never have the original poster return to say how it turns out in the end. So for alls I know all the fish died from it! lol Drastic but true.

I usually check the "view forum posts" to see the outcome and both those people have not posted since March and April 2012...

[flutterbug]

Here is an example of the bullying.. sorry for the reflection,


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eGRwhjnAgs&feature=youtu.be

[du3ce]

wow that looks bad mine isnt that temperamental do u have another tank where u can put it in time out?

[BillyTRichVa]

He is a little bully isn't he! I've had some act like that. I have a 125 and I feed them on opposite ends of the tank. The bullies have always ended up chilling out over time. a 125 is more room than it appears you have there.

[flutterbug]

Yes I do have a larger tank I could move them to, but it was recommended to me that the juvenile's be kept in a smaller tank for a little while before placing them in my 120 gallon. If you don't think they can work it out and the bullying is too much I can put the BD back in the 55 planted I have. I wanted to change it over to bare bottom first, but I don't want to chance my other fishes health.

[Malazan]

maybe try a tank separator during feeding?
i have a big bully in the group and i am concerned that the little ones don't get as much feed as the larger ones. I am thinking of separating the bully from the others during feeding. Has anyone tried that?

[strawberryblonde]

If you watch the video closely you'll see that he doesn't pick on just one fish, he spreads it out and chases all of them separately. That's exactly how it's supposed to be and why larger groups are good for them. Unless you see a true issue with him picking on just one discus, and that the picked on one is too stressed to eat, or is hiding all the time, there's no need to interfere...it's just discus doing what they do.

My next question is how often do you feed them?

I just got 4 new 3" discus two weeks ago. They went into a 20g to join my lone original 3" discus. Soooo, the first week that they were in the tank, the original discus (who was 3.5" by then) chased ALL of the new discus around the tank. It was constant, but he wasn't singling out one in particular, just generalized like your guy is doing.

By last week the new Tefe had grown to about the same size as the original and all of a sudden the bullying was reversed! The Tefe started chasing all the other discus around the tank. So it changes over time and you never know which one is going to be boss of the tank till they are much larger.

I also worry about the smaller discus getting enough to eat, so I spread out the feedings all day. The size of each feeding is slightly smaller, but I make sure that there's plenty of small bits of FDBW's or flakes for the entire group. I also put in a half cube of FDBW's just before I turn out the lights at night and they graze on that all night long. So far it's working well and all the fish are growing at a good pace.

[Malazan]

good advice! thanks Toni


If you watch the video closely you'll see that he doesn't pick on just one fish, he spreads it out and chases all of them separately. That's exactly how it's supposed to be and why larger groups are good for them. Unless you see a true issue with him picking on just one discus, and that the picked on one is too stressed to eat, or is hiding all the time, there's no need to interfere...it's just discus doing what they do.

My next question is how often do you feed them?

I just got 4 new 3" discus two weeks ago. They went into a 20g to join my lone original 3" discus. Soooo, the first week that they were in the tank, the original discus (who was 3.5" by then) chased ALL of the new discus around the tank. It was constant, but he wasn't singling out one in particular, just generalized like your guy is doing.

By last week the new Tefe had grown to about the same size as the original and all of a sudden the bullying was reversed! The Tefe started chasing all the other discus around the tank. So it changes over time and you never know which one is going to be boss of the tank till they are much larger.

I also worry about the smaller discus getting enough to eat, so I spread out the feedings all day. The size of each feeding is slightly smaller, but I make sure that there's plenty of small bits of FDBW's or flakes for the entire group. I also put in a half cube of FDBW's just before I turn out the lights at night and they graze on that all night long. So far it's working well and all the fish are growing at a good pace.

[flutterbug]

Yes very good! I have been feeding 5 times a day. They do seem to love the FDBW! It has seemed to calm down now that it's been a couple weeks. Much better! :D