n00b question-adding discus

[azroadmonster]

This is only my second post, so please be kind :D . I know that you are 'typically' supposed to have discus communities of <minimum> 6 fish. I am picking up a set of 4 discus from a friend tomorrow. These fish have been together for a while, and I assume they already have an established 'relationship'. If I brought 2 more discus in at the same time, and added all fish to an entirely new environment, would I still have problems with the 'established' group not accepting the n00bs? Or is the playing field being leveled, so to speak, because the new home is new to all the discus?

[Dissident]

The concern I would have would be that the 2 new discus could carry disease and make the 4 you are getting from a friend ill.

If you have a 2nd tank 20gal or something to quarrintene the 2 other discus I would use that.

In a new enviroment the 4 that have been together will have to re-establish the pecking order IME. It won't be as long for them to establish it but the change will trigger new territories in the tank.

If yuo decide to add all 6 to the same tank at once the field will be more or less 'level' as long as they are the same sizes.

What size tank are they going in and how long has it been set up?

[White Worm]

This is only my second post, so please be kind :D . I know that you are 'typically' supposed to have discus communities of <minimum> 6 fish. I am picking up a set of 4 discus from a friend tomorrow. These fish have been together for a while, and I assume they already have an established 'relationship'. If I brought 2 more discus in at the same time, and added all fish to an entirely new environment, would I still have problems with the 'established' group not accepting the n00bs? Or is the playing field being leveled, so to speak, because the new home is new to all the discus?
Even moving the 4 to a new home could cause pecking order re-establishment (new home, surroundings, territories, etc). If you introduce 2 seperate discus, you will most certainly upset the balance slightly until things settle. If you do get discus from seperate sellers, make sure you QT the ones that were not together in the bunch. 3-4 weeks is average time. Welcome!! Dont worry about asking questions. Thats how we all learn. Mike
Sorry Diss......we posted at the same time, lol.

[sleonard]

The playing field will be leveled since it will be new to all of them.

Even if you were to take a group of discus that had an established pecking order and moved them all to a new tank at the same time they would have to sort out the pecking order all over.

Even if you just do a large re-arrangement of the existing tank they will go into pecking order mode.

Scott

[lhforbes12]

While I generally agree with everyone above, I woud like to stress what Dissident already told you. Adding 2 discus from another source without quarantining them first is just asking for trouble. Your 4 discus have already presumably been together for awhile, and are already "used" to each other. I personally see no reason to add more fish, even if they do need to re-establish their pecking order, they already have done so once. IME once the pecking order is established it isn't likely to change anyway. There may be some "testing", but most likely it will be as it has already been established. My best advice would be to get the 4 and leave that way, at least for now.

Larry

[AADiscus]

What size tank are these 4 going to be in? That makes a difference right there on how many you should have in the tank. If you do add a few more, make sure you QT them for 3-4 weeks and make sure you purchase ones that are close to the same size as the 4 you already will have.

[azroadmonster]

Thanks everyone, the tank is a fully planted & aquascaped 46g bowfront community tank. I have 60 gallons total water capacity due to a sump/plant refugium that I built for it. I added the discus earlier today and they seem to be doing fine, a little shy but obviously that is to be expected.

[Marinemom]

So did you get just the four which I think is fine for now, or did you add two more? If you get the other two, I would recommend quarentining them first.

Marinemom

[azroadmonster]

So did you get just the four which I think is fine for now, or did you add two more? If you get the other two, I would recommend quarentining them first.

Marinemom

I decided against getting the extra two. I will see how the four do for now. If they display obvious problems, I will get an extra two. I was thinking that the best way to add two new discus (after QT of course) is to put all 6 in a different tank for a few days, THEN put them all back into my show tank at the same time. Is this the proper approach?

[fishball]

i think you can just add the 2 new fish to the show tank. it shouldn't be a problem

[Dissident]

I decided against getting the extra two. I will see how the four do for now. If they display obvious problems, I will get an extra two. I was thinking that the best way to add two new discus (after QT of course) is to put all 6 in a different tank for a few days, THEN put them all back into my show tank at the same time. Is this the proper approach?

If the 2 new ones are carrying something, disease, you would be putting the 4 healthy ones through unnecessary stress with getting them sick and then medicating them.

A good way to introduct new fish is to re-arrange the tank. If there is decor in it move it so the fish will have to establish new territories and the new fish won't be forced into a corner or something.

[azroadmonster]

If the 2 new ones are carrying something, disease, you would be putting the 4 healthy ones through unnecessary stress with getting them sick and then medicating them.

A good way to introduct new fish is to re-arrange the tank. If there is decor in it move it so the fish will have to establish new territories and the new fish won't be forced into a corner or something.

I was intending to medicate and fully quarantine the new ones BEFORE ever introducing the two groups. And unfortunately, because the tank is fully aquascaped, rearrangement is not an option.

[Dissident]

I was intending to medicate and fully quarantine the new ones BEFORE ever introducing the two groups.
Other than adding some stress to the 4 existing that would be a way to break up the established territories in the existing tank.


And unfortunately, because the tank is fully aquascaped, rearrangement is not an option.
I know how that is ;)