Discus went crazy!

[Larry Bugg]

[QUOTE=cjvdhx;1257448]I am filling a brute up with roughly 30 gallons of water which gives me roughly a 50% change on my 65 gallon tank. I fill the container run an air stone and heater to get everything to temp I then add microbe life extreme and some API stress zyme./QUOTE]

Just checking Ryan asked if you use dechlor in post #2 and again in post #5 and you never answered.

He answered. Microbe live extreme.

[William1]

It happens sometimes. They get spooked. Usually from sudden movement or shadows. No need to worry. They will settle back down quickly

[jmf3460]

OP are you or are you not using a dechlorinator?? API stress zyme is not a dechlorinator, is the other thing you use a dechlorinator?

[jmf3460]

disregard my post above

[Filip]

OP , my first guess would be irritation from the microbubbles or PH swing during the water change .
Try to age or at least agitate your water with a strong turbulence for a couple of hours prior WC.
Also use a prefilter tube filled with sponges or filter floss to eliminate potential microbubbles.
Smaller but more frequent WCs would also help if this problem is water related and if it persists.

My second guess is your light and shadowing.
This is easy to handle and I'm sure you can figure out a way by your self to prevent this sudden light changes during maintenance.

Good luck .

[Ryan925]

OP , my first guess would be irritation from the microbubbles or PH swing during the water change .
Try to age or at least agitate your water with a strong turbulence for a couple of hours prior WC.
Also use a prefilter tube filled with sponges or filter floss to eliminate potential microbubbles.
Smaller but more frequent WCs would also help if this problem is water related and if it persists.

My second guess is your light and shadowing.
This is easy to handle and I'm sure you can figure out a way by your self to prevent this sudden light changes during maintenance.

Good luck .

+1. Never had a micro bubble issue until this winter. I noticed my fish flashing a bit after wc. I realized bubbk3w were sticking to spoke coat. I started using a micron sock at the end of my python and solved that problem

[Second Hand Pat]

Just in case it was the light, stand to one side when placing the light back on the tank. Also turn the light off before placing it on the tank. On the ph difference; discus will tolerate a raise in ph easily but going to a lower ph is a different manner. Not sure if a difference of .4 (when going lower) will affect them or not.
Pat

[cjvdhx]

Just checking Ryan asked if you use dechlor in post #2 and again in post #5 and you never answered.

I've been using microbe lift extreme

OP , my first guess would be irritation from the microbubbles or PH swing during the water change .
Try to age or at least agitate your water with a strong turbulence for a couple of hours prior WC.
Also use a prefilter tube filled with sponges or filter floss to eliminate potential microbubbles.
Smaller but more frequent WCs would also help if this problem is water related and if it persists.

My second guess is your light and shadowing.
This is easy to handle and I'm sure you can figure out a way by your self to prevent this sudden light changes during maintenance.

Good luck .

I would fill the 32 gallon brute and use a heater and air stone to get everything to temp before pumping it into the tank. How long should I let the water sit in the barrel?

Just in case it was the light, stand to one side when placing the light back on the tank. Also turn the light off before placing it on the tank. On the ph difference; discus will tolerate a raise in ph easily but going to a lower ph is a different manner. Not sure if a difference of .4 (when going lower) will affect them or not.
Pat

I will do this from now on and see if it makes a difference. I also did another ph test and my tank ph is around a 7.0-7.2 and my tap water comes out around a 7.6-7.8 hopefully that's not too much of a swing for them especially when I'm only doing a 40%-50% at most every other day.

[Neptune]

Just a for-whats-its-worth.

I cleaned my sump last night so when I refilled the tank I was about 20 gallons short of aged water.
I used tap water and dechlorinator directly into the tank. The fish were clearly more irritated then a full aged water WC.

In fact, I kept a close eye on the runt...he looked like he was going to go into full crazy whirl discus mode.....I was a little worried but he settled down after about an hour.

[DJW]

I've been using microbe lift extreme

It sounds so much like some kind of bacterial supplement that I didn't bother to look it up. Sorry for the confusion.

With my fish, when that happens one fish freaks out and causes the rest to panic. Its usually the same fish that starts it.

[Filip]

I would fill the 32 gallon brute and use a heater and air stone to get everything to temp before pumping it into the tank. How long should I let the water sit in the barrel?

Aging water is usually performed by letting the water sit in a bucket for 24 hours with an airstone for water agitation and heater for desired temperature.
If you don't have a spare place in your home to let the barrel stand there for good , then you can age water for a couple of hours prior WC but with stronger water agitation using stronger pump or wavemaker against the surface .That way the water will outgass and stabilize its PH faster than just sitting still in the bucked .

[cjvdhx]

It sounds so much like some kind of bacterial supplement that I didn't bother to look it up. Sorry for the confusion.

With my fish, when that happens one fish freaks out and causes the rest to panic. Its usually the same fish that starts it.

Dude you are 100% correct! It happened again last night while doing a water change. It wasn't as violent as before but the one "panicked" and it caused the rest of them to freak out and it's the same one that's always causing it! I don't understand because they were fine for the first week. They come to the front of the glass and will practically eat off my finger. I'm starting to wonder if maybe having 4 discus is a bad number? I was heavily advised by Hans that 6 would be ideal. I guess this being my first go around with discus I didn't want to somehow risk losing hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of fish if something went wrong. It always seems to happen when I'm doing a water change or cleaning in and around the tank? More hiding places or would a larger group fix this issue? Please advise

[Ryan925]

Dude you are 100% correct! It happened again last night while doing a water change. It wasn't as violent as before but the one "panicked" and it caused the rest of them to freak out and it's the same one that's always causing it! I don't understand because they were fine for the first week. They come to the front of the glass and will practically eat off my finger. I'm starting to wonder if maybe having 4 discus is a bad number? I was heavily advised by Hans that 6 would be ideal. I guess this being my first go around with discus I didn't want to somehow risk losing hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of fish if something went wrong. It always seems to happen when I'm doing a water change or cleaning in and around the tank? More hiding places or would a larger group fix this issue? Please advise

How long have you had them? They may still be in the settling stages. After awhile you will literally have to push them out of the way to vac the bottom. They will get used to your routine

[cjvdhx]

How long have you had them? They may still be in the settling stages. After awhile you will literally have to push them out of the way to vac the bottom. They will get used to your routine

I've had them 2 1/2 weeks. I also forgot to mention one of them laid eggs but the following morning they were gone. Two of them have been hanging out a lot together near the manzanita wood I'm wondering if they might try it again. Would adding one or two more make the group happier and that one that's skittish feel more safe?

[cjvdhx]

Here are my stocking levels. 65 gallon planted tank with manzanita driftwood and black sand flourite. I am running a hydor 600 canister with 3 trays of matrix, sponge and filter floss. I currently have:

14/15 neon tetras
1 Bolivian ram
1 black phantom tetra
6 corydoras sterbai
1 snail
6 amano shrimp
4 stendker discus

pH 7.2
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 20-30ppm

I need some expert help here