Adding new discus to an existing discus?

[BAM]

after following what I now know to be bad advise, one of three of my first discus survived my first attempt to keep discus, a 4 inch melon. I have a 70 gallon show tank in my livingroom. After making some changes in care, the last discus has been doing well. I wanted to add additional discus. In trying to follow advise gleaned from this forum, I decided to add 5 additional discus to total 6 fish. I wanted fairly large fish for a show tank, fish that were mostly grown, again consistent with info from this forum.

Yesterday evening I added 5 new discus to the tank, all 3.5 to 4 inches in size. Initially they adapted quickly and started to investigate the tank. The orginal melon reacted aggresively, defending "his tank", I suppose. By this morning, he had the 5 new discus "herded" into a corner while he cruised the tank. Occasionally one of the new discus would attempt to leave the corner, which brought an immediate responce from the old melon, chasing the new fish back to the corner.

My questions are, should I let things sort themselves out, or should I remove the orginal melon, and if so how long should I let things go on before I remove him? If the advise is to remove him, how long should I wait to put him back, or should he stay out indefinately?

Thanks, I do not want to lose these expensive fish.

BAM

[GrillMaster]

If it were me and I had a place to put him, I would pull the melon out till the new guys got established in the tank and eating aggressively. The 5 will start there own pecking order once they have settled in their new environment. You can then add him back to the tank.

The melon might just go back to being a bully but at least the other 5 have had time to adjust to the tank and might not get pushed around as much. Some will cage a real aggressive fish. Personally I would rather just pull him out.

hth
Mark

[bluedisc]

change the decorations around, add new ones so the water scape looks different some times this works keep it where the view of the new disc are blocked from view from the older disc favorite place in the tank, if can't see it as quickly,the older disc will think the new disc came with the new decor.

[kaceyo]

First I'd give them time to work it out as long as no actual damage is being done. Then, if that doesn't work, put a divider in the tank so the fish can all see each other, and give them time to get used to the new situation.
Good luck,

Kacey

[BAM]

Everyone,

Thanks for replying, all with useful suggestions. I chose to remove the melon from the tank yesterday arround 1 PM, after the new fish had been in the tank about 18 hours. Moving the decor significantly was not an option. The main feature in the tank is a large driftwood stump resting on its side. The tank is 36 X 18 X 25 inches high. The stump is 32 X16 X X 22 inches high, so cental placement is the only choice. It already created a natural seperation between the two ends of the tank, and creates a swim through cave the discus can fit through to. The same stump makes dividing the tank close to impossible.

The results I have observed after removing the melon from the tank were amazing. It makes me stop and think that some of my early problems were related to the melon's anti-social behavior as well, driving the other fish into stress and hiding. It took the new fish about an hour to regain some confidence and begin to swim arround, so they were just starting to venture out when I returned from my office where the melon is now residing. The five new fish came out of 3 different tanks, 2 fish from one tank, 2 fish from a second and one fish from a third tank. When the melon was in the tank there was some bickering between the new fish, generally for the best spot, which was the farthest from the melon. Since the melon left 22 hours ago, there has not be a peck or any sign of bickering. The new fish have been out and about the tank, eating, sometimes swimming about individually, but more often staying happily in a loose school without any problems! They act like they were raised together! It seems as if the common enemy, the melon, caused the new fish to bond quickly, or am I imagining something?

I think the melon may have to be happy in his/her new home with the tetras. I do not want to disrupt the good chemisty I see in the beg tank at home. A last question, should I feel ok about adding one or two additional discus to the new school? On one hand I now have five, not six, but they seem to be getting along, and I do not want to disrupt a good thing.

Thanks again everyone.

BAM

[bluedisc]

Thats great to hear

[Armandi_Fishcarer]

Hi BAM

A good move :)

Discus like being in decent sized schools, & if you are to put new ones in I would do
it now rather then later, due to the order they will be in later.

Hope all works out for you. Observation helps alot.

Regards Armandi ;)