Will they ever settle down?

[GWdiscus]

Hello everyone,
Its been two months now since I received my 7 young discus from a local breeder. When I first introduced them to the 75 gal. tank they swam around and ate the first day. Ever since they have been freaking out and hiding in the corner whenever I come into the room. There have been a few break throughs, when ever I work, 5 feet away, with my green tree pythons or other snakes they come out a check things out. As soon as I take one step closer, they're in the corner again. If I lean over the couch that separates the room, which is only 3 feet away from the tank, they can only see my upper body they all come to the glass and say hello.
All the water conditions are good, pH 7.6, temp 86 F, and no ammonia. I feed 3 to 4 times a day a variety of food items, and do 25% wc 4 to 5 times a week.
Another side question on feeding.
While feeding the discus, they will not come out of hiding until I've left the room. I'll watch from the stairs, they can see me but come out anyways. It takes them up to a half an hour or a little more to eat all the food. But they do eat it, although they run to the corner and back to the food numerous times. Is this an ok amount of food and is it normal?
thanks
Michael

[Carol_Roberts]

It's a big tank with not many discus. Did the breeder have 20+ in his tank? AS long as your water is good they will outgrow it.

[Fishaholic]

I think Carol is probably right... they are used to crowds of them. I only had five 2.5" juvies in my 50g and they were a little skittish. I added four more babies, and they all come and say hi and eat fine for the most part. They only go and hide during a water change or if I make a sudden movement or noise.

[BlueTurquoise]

Hi,

I think they will get less friskier with age. However I agree with carol, it is a big tank and a small amount of fish. That said, my fish sometimes are still alittle "cautious" with me and sometimes freak out when something unexpected happens like equipment moves or i drop something in the tank etc.

I think, if they are healthy and water is good, just give them more time and they will surely come around. A good way to get them to be more brave is to hand feed, it may take a few starving sessions before they will do it though...

Chong

Hey,

maybe try to dim the lights for few days.

Take your time during water changes, the more time you spend in that tank the more they will get used to you.

hth

alex

[discuskrib]

i agree with Alex to dimming the lights. you could also try very slowing moving your hand closer to them each time you try handfeeding them their favourite food.

[GWdiscus]

Thanks everyone,
I did reduce the lighting last month from 3 48" lights to 1. That seemed to reduce thier skittishness. I have 6 plants in pots on an otherwise bm tank, so I will have to keep the one light on for the plants.
I feel much better knowing that these fish will someday settle down. I'm very interested in the hand feeding technique, I think I'll start another post with this subject.
Michael

Also make sure there are no shadows that fall on the tank as you approach it...that can freak em out. Tank hieght is important with some fish also....To low can make em skittish sometimes.

Tony

[thebaglady]

Salt wouldn't be good for the plants, but doesn't (non-iodized) salt help for skittish fish too? Jen K.

[GWdiscus]

Last night I came home late, 6 pm. I normally get home at 3:30, all the discus where waiting for me for their early evening meal. They all stayed put as I moved slowly closer. I got all the way up to the tank and all the fish where still at the front of the tank. Once I opened the top all but 2 of them freaked out and dove for the corner. This was the first time even two stayed and they were the first to feed. Hopefully the rest will come around soon.
Thanks for all the in put from everyone.
Michael

[Desertdrifter]

hay: my 150 gallon is in my family room they have gotten used to all the movement, with a 4 yr old and a 1 year old there is lots of that. my only rule around the tank is no tapping the glass.I have to push my fish out of the way when I do water changes. I think the more that is going on the faster they will get used to it.I have 12 fish, not a lot more than you, I feed 4 to 6 times a day and do daily water changes. I do have large drift wood stumps that they hid behind the first two weeks.D.D

[GWdiscus]

Hey D.D.,
Thanks for the encouragement, I've got a large peice of drift wood in the back yard I've been thinking about adding to the tank.
Anybody got any ideas what I should do to it to prepare it for the tank?

[thebaglady]

Soak it, boil it, if you can. Keep changing the water. Eventually, it will sink. I like salt for killing almost everything that's a bad freshwater critter.

HTH Jen K. :D

[Desertdrifter]

good luck geting it to stay down I have large pieces of drift wood in my tank and it took about 8 weeks soaking in a garbage can. If its been out side and has not been sprayed for bugs its fine I read a thred about drift wood and even if you get it out of the river in most parts of the country any bugs will not survive water temps in discus tanks. IT will turn youre tank water a little brown but with water changes it shouldnt get to bad

[Very Fishy]

I have had 4 PB for 6 weeks now. They are settling in but still freak out during day light hours if I walk between the tank and the window. In the evening after the sun goes down, they swim freely and don't have any problems. The shadow of my body movement seems to spook them.

[GWdiscus]

Hey very fishy,

I've had the spooky discus syndrome for a while before they began to settle down. They still run for the corner occasionally, but less and less as time goes by. In fact, just a few minutes ago they were all waiting for their evening dinner at the front of the glass. They still don't come to the top but I'm sure that's coming too.

I've had a number of postings concerning this topic and many people have said that shadows freak them out. They suggested things from moving the tank to simply moving a light that produces the shadow.

From my limited experience, my 9 discus are slowly but surely coming around. Spend as much time around and in the tank as you can, slow movements help. But remember you are the owner and you still have to do what you have to do around the tank, they will get accustomed to you and your habits.

Good luck, patience and fortitude will pay off, they are worth the effort!

[thebaglady]

I find if I'm wearing big, drapey sleeves and I go to open the tank to feed them or wipe down the tank, they get easily spooked and scatter real quick.

Now i'm more cautious about movements above their heads and sleeves etc....and they seem to appreciate that.

They might have a more narrow field of vision compared to other fish????

Jen K.

[Tristanyyz]

Right now I have 6 domestic JV's in a 150 gallon tank and another 7 one inchers plus two 4 inch Madiera in a 20 gallon.

These guys are always at the front of the tank. In the 150g, they have a signal which is tapping on the glass top...this indicates to them to line up in single file, which is hilarious. They have to wiggle alot to stay up there, as I have a huge Eheim pushing water across the top of the tank...they love swimming in the current!!!

After they line up, and I have inspected them for any potential problems, I then put my hand in the tank, and slowly raise them out of the water. I cup one vertically in my hand then they settle down, and lean against the palm of my hand, and i raise them to the surface and let them wiggle away...i have not turned on my tv in weeks ;D

The only time they got startled was when I was changing the sheets this past weekend, rather carelessly...they grouped together, and hid under the driftwood...other than that, these guys, plus even the wilds are almost fearless...I am slowly training the wilds to eat from my hand, and i can now "pet" them a bit, eventually I would like to be able to move them by hand to my 150gallon, after the quarentine, as wilds do tend to thrash around alot when moving them...if i can calm them down a bit, maybe i can avoid the fin splitting that goes on with moving them...Its worth the efforts to work with the fish slowly, and get them very comfortable with u...

[GWdiscus]

Tristanyyz,
What a great story, what an likable interaction between you and the discus, that's got to be a whole lot of fun working with them like that.

I think I'll make another posting tomorrow morning and reference your experience, if ok with you? I want to ask others for the "hows and whys" of their contact with the discus. I really enjoyed reading your post and I bet there are a lot of interesting stories out there. It was suggest to me a while back to start hand feeding, and I read a couple of places were people refer to handing them but have never really explained what it entails to make that happen.

GMW

[Tristanyyz]

The wilds are now in the 150 gallon, and being hand fed...at first just with black worms, now also with frozen blood worms.

They are very happy in their new tank, and with their new tank mates, I think it has really helped to stablize the group...the 6 domestics are around 3.5 inches, and the 2 wilds are closer to 4.5...although the smaller domestic checkerboard is still the dominant one...how he gets away with that, i have no idea.

This coming friday I will make a trip out to Montreal and see Oliver, of belowwater.com to pick up some more wilds...I dont think i will buy anymore domestics, i have the wild bug...the wilds just move completely differently in the tanks than do the domestics...they are much more creative, and very crafty...hard to catch too...i am looking at some inanu maybe an inarhia, or curipera...

The domestics at this point literally compete now, and push eachother away, to be the first to be cupped into my hand...and the wilds now line up with the domestics for their inspections...lol

GMW, please feel free to post ...i would be interested to participate in your posting...and thanks for your interest!
Tristan

[thebaglady]

I chuckled too Tristanyyz. Great mental image of those sweet little fishes all lined up, ready for their "inspections"

I think they do that for dolphins too. :D

PLEASE post pics of your wilds once they settle in. Tell us too, what the quarantine situation is like when Oliver first gets the fish in. Medications etc.. What do they go through before he sells them?

I saw on his site he mentioned something about November being a good time to get them. Hmmm I'll just have to make a mental note of that!!! ;D Jen K.

[Tristanyyz]

Yes that interests me aswell concering his quarentine...also, i am wondering if he will recommend to medicate when i quarentine them aswell...will keep you posted.

YYZ: Here are your wilds' Pic. Madeira Heckel 01.
Jimmy.

YYZ: Madeira Heckel 02 with a reverse central Bar.

[Tristanyyz]

lol ;D

Thanks Jimmy...yes those are now mine...thanks to Jimmy, and they are doing great...

More will follow, as I will be getting some more this weekend...will send some pics as soon as they are settled in...

Jimmy, what kind of digital camera do you use?

It's a Canon Powershot A300. 3.2 Mag.
Jimmy.

[thebaglady]

Nice fish Tristanyyz!

Thanks Jimmy for providing the photos.

I have three babies from Julz. They are from a Wild Green female x Blue SS male. They're small, just starting to show color in their anal fins and forehead region. They have vertical bars and nice red eyes.

They're smaller than the three domestic Brilliant Blues from Joe, but are growing and two seem to do really well schooling with those three. One is kinda a loner. There's always a sulker in the bunch?!

Can't wait to see more pics. I need more than most...a better computer first, then a digital camera or at the very least, a scanner. I just made my first CD of photos today to see if I could post anything. My husband will send them to me tomorrow and I will try to post, but it won't be of the fish. It will be our puppy, Cooper, in the dog lover thread. Wish me luck! :) ;) :D Jen K.