Printable View
Just wondering if anyone has ever done any experiments to try and make discus less shy and edgy, kind of interested in seeing if its as simple as finding a discus that is always in the front of the tank and peppy, and then mixing it in hopes that the behavior will spread? or what? Just a though :D feed back is appreciated
In the thread titled "Miracles custom 120 rimless reef to discus" Hart24601 quotes Kyla:
"i started tapping on the rim of the tank with my ring during feedings. they freaked at first but within a week they were starting to associate feedings with noise and the tapping was drawing them out with curiosity. for the first time ever i could stand in front of the tank and have them approach me. around month 7 i moved them to the 180g and continued to increase the shuffling and knocking around during feedings until there was no longer any fear of movement or noise.
today i can rap my knuckle on the tank and they rush me for food. no shyness or fear anymore, no dashing or splashing at the top in a panic. the tank is currently covered but at this point i would feel much much safer having them in an uncovered tank."
There's more on that subject worth reading there.
Healthy, happy discus are generally not shy. You can scare any fish, but if they are always skittish then something is wrong either in your water or the health of the fish.
-john
Interesting stuff, thanks.Quote:
Originally Posted by ericNH
I dont mean to go against your word, as you know much much more about discus than I do, but my tests always show water conditions are fine. Ammonia and nitrite 0 nitrate 5, ph a constant 7.5/7.6 temp at 85. Could you tell me what else it could be?Quote:
Originally Posted by John_Nicholson
My modest experience with discus also tells me that there is more to water quality than just testing the nitrates of water and keeping them low.Quote:
Originally Posted by fishguy456
Much more accurate test of water quality is just observing the discus and watch for the warning signs that they give us.
I had and still have(becouse I run planted tank) situations when my nitrate tests show very little nitrates but still discus show pimples on fins, scratch on object and manifest other warning signs of bad water quality.
It's something to do with bacterial load of the water, and we still can't measure that at home.
Labs do measure number of bacterias on a surface area, and proved that discus health is closely related to this numbers.
Change 50% of the water a day for then next 30 days and tell me how they act.
Good luck.
-john
Thats what i have been doing for the past 2 weeks, will keep it up.Quote:
Originally Posted by John_Nicholson
Good deal.Quote:
Originally Posted by fishguy456
-john
Yuppers!
I've found that there are only 2 reasons why my discus get skittish or hide when I approach the tank... well, 3 actually.
1) I've been too busy to keep up with daily water changes and by the end of a week of spotty changes they are hanging behind the sword plant and won't come near me. When I get back to my big daily water changes, they come right on out to say hi again.
2) When I'm too busy to spend time hanging around the tank, or head out of town for a week, they seem to "forget" who I am and take to hiding again. I have to pull up a chair and sit and talk to them for a few minutes a day for 3 days and then they're right back to being nosy and curious.
3) When winter arrives and I switch out my light colored summer shirts for darker sweatshirts watch out! My discus HATE my navy blue, dark grey and burgundy shirts! They adjust after a week of seeing them, but it happens every single winter no matter how old the discus and how many times they've been through the clothing change. My current old timer is 5 years old... and we just went through the period of me scolding him for hiding when he saw me coming. LOL
very interesting. and funny too!Quote:
Originally Posted by strawberryblonde