i bought'em but theyre not eating

[Kobe]

hey,i bought five discus about from 2-4 inches they are hiding all the time,it seems that the tank is 2 big for them....its a barebottom,i threw in some bloodworms the other day one discus ate a bit then it left and while am watchin them it looks like if one of the fish moves out a bit the rest follows it,i dont really know wat to do in this situation.......temp is 30c PH is 7.2 plus i bought 10 neon tetras,any opinions and help are appreciated

[swinters66]

Let them settle in. Believe me, I know what youre going through!! I drove a few people crazy here I'm sure regarding mine not eating. I bet they are just settling into their new environment.

Why do you think the tank is too big for them??

[AADiscus]

How big is your tank? I would not put the neons in there with them until they (discus) are used to the tank. You should also always QT new fish before putting them in a tank with other fish. It is common for new discus to not eat right after you get them. It might take a couple days or up to a week. Call who you got them from and find out what they were feeding.

[mickeyG]

Ditto what Angela said. I bought 4 a couple months ago. All 4 ate everything from day one, then after a week there was a subtle social change and one stopped eating (intimidated I think?) Didn't eat for 12 days. Now she is back eating just as well as the other 3 and never looked skinny or anything.

Don't worry too much - at least for a couple of weeks.

Michael

[Kobe]

i think the tank is big for them coz theyre sitting in one side of the tank lined up and the tank looks empty with them on the sides,i got a 75 gallon aquarium,dont they get bored from just sitting there for hours ??
i called the lfs yesterday and he said he used 2 feed them bloodworms...so i did and i ended up siphoning it all out,and one more thing i read that carbon in filter causes diseases to discus....is that true ? coz i got carbon in the external filter,should i take it out ?

[Marinemom]

I would also like to know how big the tank is that you think is too big for them. Discus can grow to the size of a small dinner plate so they need the room.

When I first got my discus, I too went just about crazy trying to figure out why they were not eating and what they would eat. Let them settle in for a bit and in time they will start to eat especially when they realize that you are the one with the food. It is not unusual if the fish do not want to eat at first. Fish can go two weeks without food, sometimes longer. I wouldn't worry too much yet. I know that is easier said than done but is true.

What temp. is the tank again? If you raise the temp. a little this can stimulate thier appetite. Also adding garlic to thier food seems to appeal to them as well.

Good luck and try not to worry too much.

Diane

[Kindredspirit]

coz i got carbon in the external filter,should i take it out ?


Hey Kobe ~ I do not run carbon in my tanks only to remove meds ~ there are some that believe carbon takes out important nutrients ~ and could be related to HITH ~


hth ~


Marie ~ http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/29/29_5_2.gif

[swinters66]

Ive been using carbon and havent noticed anything off. I do upkeep my filters though, changing the carbon every 2 1/2 weeks and cleaning the filters to minimize the goop, and rinsing out the sponges. I am sure everyone has their own things they do with their tanks.

My discus do the exact same thing...hanging out on one end of the tank for hours. I dont know why they do it. They have all this room yet hang out in the corners... :confused:

Like I said earlier...mine didnt eat for about a week. I was worried and frantic, and now they are eating like pigs. Just give them time to settle in and get used to their new home!!

[Kobe]

i walked up this morning and wanted 2 have a look into the tank and saw the largest discus has like a white cotton on its body.....i dunno if thats normal or not,and if it isnt normal how can i cure it,and it seems that another one has a problem with swimming,it can swim good but when it poses like the others it seems like its floating,and if u take a far look at it it seems like its dead.....i didnt want 2 mention it but its the truth,i want 2 prevent problems in my early stages of keepin discus................

[swinters66]

Yeah that cotton is not good...but I am not sure what that is. Fungal infection?? I'd check the disease section of this message board and see if you can't figure out what that is, and what to dose your fish with.

I'm new to this hobby too...so I don't know exactly what your next step is. Call the lfs you got your fish from and ask them too...but I think your best bet is take everyones advice here on what to do....

[1977]

For future reference for people that buy juvs, it is best to put them in a smaller tank at first. Discus are used to being packed in with many siblings while their growing out at the breeders. When you take them home they feel insecure from all the space, at least this is my belief. If you buy 6 3 inch discus I would put them in a 20 or 29 for the first couple weeks doing lots of wc and feedings, I think you'll find more success this way.

[mickeyG]

I am far from an expert, only 2-3 months experience but I can tell with my discus that there is definately a psychological/security component to their lives. I believe 1977 is right on the money. You may want to get some plastic divider (perhaps a solid color of plastic, or glass if you can be careful enough - as solid color will not let them see the other opened spaces). This will divide the tank and give them a smaller area.

Michael

[Harriett]

ditto 1977.
Harriett

[AADiscus]

You bought from a lfs? It is possible they had disease issues before you purchased them. Nothing against lfs but they normally do not take care of discus as good as someone in the hobby or a breeder. IMHO You might need to do some treatments but do not do alot at one time. You might start a thread in the disease section in reference to the issues you have right now with them.

[Kobe]

i just noticed that the white stuff is gone......and the fish looks healthy but still doesnt eat,nor the others,i hope they will eat in the next couple of days.....btw i noticed some black dots on the discus .......i read somewere that its harmless but i dont really know what it is......and the lfs i buy my discus from is very careful with the fish he gets he does 2 WCs weekly and feeds up to 3 times a day.....i guess from what u guys write about lfs stores makes this guy(the lfs guy) soo rare ..... :P anyway if anyone knows anything about those black dots just keep postin and im thankful

[AADiscus]

Kobe,

Sounds like the black dots you are talking about is peppering. Some discus will show peppering all the time but some will only show it when they are stressed. Do you have any pictures of your fish? This will really help us to help you. ;)

[Kobe]

well,ill try 2 borrow my frnds camera....and ill upload some pics