Acclimating new Discus to Aquarium Lights

[edmoran77]

Any suggestions on acclimating a new batch of discus to aquarium lighting? They have now been in the tank for five days and are doing great, eating like crazy and exploring the tank as long as the aquarium lights are off! Once lights are turned on, there is no eating and no swimming just hiding behind and underneath the sponge filters stacked in there like pancakes! I've tried placing paper towels between the lights and the glass canopy to lower the light level but they are still very shy and spooked when the lights are on. This is kind of ashame since I would like to see my new fish under better lighting. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Ed

[judy]

Try adding a few pieces of tall driftwood, or a potted plant or two. If they know there's lots of places to hide, sometimes they actually tend to hide less. And give them time. Sometimes it takes awhile for them to relax in their new home.
What lighting do you have? It may be that the lighting is just a bit too bright in the wrong part of the spectrum.

[RyanH]

I just bought new fish in January. They were imported from an Asian breeder and likely had never been in a lighted tank before they came to the states. They absolutely hated the lights for the first several weeks. Now they couldn't care less. They'll even be up begging for food when I'm changing water and cleaning the tank. I have to push them out of the way to syphon the bottom.

I don't leave my lights on during the day when we're working but when get home I throw them on and leave them on until we go to bed. At the same time I also feed them. It didn't take long for them to figure out that lights = food. :)

You just need to be patient and not baby them. Turn the lights on as you would normally. Add a small amount of their favorite food when you do so. They will come around I promise. :)

[GulfCoastDiscus]

I agree with Ryan. Don't baby them too much. Remove their hiding place and it will force them to be out in the open. Put the sponge all the way to the bottom so they can't get under it or place it as high as possible.

:)

[Kindredspirit]

Try adding a few pieces of tall driftwood, or a potted plant or two. .


I disagree. Give them a place to hide, they will ~ Personally I would remove all things to hide behind and under!

Like said before, don't baby them ~ :)

[DiscusOnly]

To get my juvie acclimated to the light, this is what I did that worked for me.

Turn on the light before you go to bed at night. You will wake up the next morning finding them swiming around with the lights on. The combination of the light being on and traffic is what get them spook.

[tdr1919]

I agree with Dan & Ryan, if you give them a place to hide, they will!
2 things, I had film covering we use for R/C planes, I have a yellow
translucent film, it works great, but for the most part none of my other tanks have any filtering. Next, in time you will get algae covering the glass under the light which kills some of the brightness.

-Tom

[edmoran77]

Thanks all and Dan:

They are doing much better. I've stopped babying them and they are coming around, my Red Melon is by far the most shy but is also exploring the tank better and is also eating with the lights on which is an improvement. have a great Easter holiday! Thanks. So far I still love discus! Ed

[edmoran77]

All my newcomers are now openly swimming and eating with the lights on fully and no filtering anymore. Thanks for all the advice I guess sometimes tough love is the best medicine. :)

Ed