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Thread: Discus still skittish after first month

  1. #1
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    Default Discus still skittish after first month

    Hello all,

    I have been keeping fish fresh and salt for about 25 years but this is my first serious discus tank. I have had a few discus off and on in planted tanks that did okay but I wanted to do it right this time.

    The tank is a 55 gallon that was an established planted tank for over a year. I pulled everything out of it shortly before getting the discus and went barebottom except for a piece of driftwood and two potted plants. I got 8 2.5 inch Brilliant Blues from Hans and he has been great with all my questions so far.

    Apparently between pulling the sand,cleaning everything a bit too well and heavy feedings I caused a mini cycle in the tank. Nitrites never peaked over .5 and have gone to zero the past few days so I think that is over with. I do have 1.0ppm ammonia and 10ppm nitrates coming out of the tap so double dose Prime during each daily 60% water change. Water change is straight from the tap with a python and I am not really set up to age the water. The discus have always looked good with good color and fins open. They always eat well and have grown a fair bit in the first month...the largest has probably gained a good inch. Feeding is Hans mix plus tetra and Sera bits early morning and late afternoon with more bits and fdbw cubes later evening.

    The problem is they all run and hide under the driftwood whenever I get close to the tank. They will come out if I sit for a while but any movement causes them to panic and dash for the driftwood and hide under it. Occassionally they panic enough to bounce all over the tank. The tank is in an upstairs bedroom that gets very little traffic in it but a bit going by it and it is at the top of the steps so I am concerned they may be stressed by bumps and thumps etc. I do the water change around 6pm after the large afternoon meal but dont spend a lot of time with them other than that and feedings. They do come out and seem much more relaxed during the lights out period mid-afternoon. I have a beamsworks led on the tank and lighting schedule is on at 5:30am off at 11am then back on at 3pm until 10pm. I have tried other dimmer lights and it does not seem to make much difference. I have paper taped to the bottom and back of the tank...didnt want to drain it to paint it when I was prepping it for the discus.

    I have thought about pulling the driftwood and possibly the plants but with the minicycle I didnt want to possibly pull BB out and wasnt sure if that wouldnt stress them out further. I guess I am just looking for input and suggestions on making them more relaxed. Due to my schedule I have limited time to spend in front of the tank and with four other tanks in the house I dont really have the option of relocating the tank to a more frequently used area.

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    Default Re: Discus still skittish after first month

    Pics of the fish:


    When I first got them:

    IMG_20171024_205449627-small.jpg

    This past weekend:

    IMG_20171117_184053401-small.jpg

    Usually what I see after I walk into the room:

    IMG_20171115_151940134-small.jpg

  3. #3
    Registered Member rickmiles's Avatar
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    Default Re: Discus still skittish after first month

    Take out the drift wood and plant until they feel safe and get used to you. Also if you want,
    what I do sometimes is when feeding put the food and fingers in the water and eventually they will eat out of your hand.

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    Registered Member Ryan925's Avatar
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    Default Re: Discus still skittish after first month

    Quote Originally Posted by rickmiles View Post
    Take out the drift wood and plant until they feel safe and get used to you. Also if you want,
    what I do sometimes is when feeding put the food and fingers in the water and eventually they will eat out of your hand.
    +1. Also is the bottom of the tank painted ? Doesn't look like it is in the picture. If they can see their reflection that can make them skittish as well
    Im not illiterate...only my phone's auto correct is

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    Default Re: Discus still skittish after first month

    I was worried removing their only hiding place might make them more nervous rather than help but its worth a try. Also worried about cross contamination if/when I move the plants back in from one of the other tanks.

    I taped some printer paper to the bottom of the tank...did not get around to painting it before I put the fish in. I guess I could house them in a 29g I have in the garage and break the tank down to paint it if you dont think the paper is cutting it. Is 24 hours long enough drying time to not have to worry about fumes? Would most likely use krylon.

  6. #6
    Registered Member Ryan925's Avatar
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    Default Re: Discus still skittish after first month

    Quote Originally Posted by ncognto View Post
    I was worried removing their only hiding place might make them more nervous rather than help but its worth a try. Also worried about cross contamination if/when I move the plants back in from one of the other tanks.

    I taped some printer paper to the bottom of the tank...did not get around to painting it before I put the fish in. I guess I could house them in a 29g I have in the garage and break the tank down to paint it if you dont think the paper is cutting it. Is 24 hours long enough drying time to not have to worry about fumes? Would most likely use krylon.
    I would think paper would be ok and you would be painting the outside if you did

    If you removed the wood you could always just leave the plants if you are concerned about them
    Im not illiterate...only my phone's auto correct is

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    Default Re: Discus still skittish after first month

    Its a small room was my concern for fumes.

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    Registered Member Phillydubs's Avatar
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    Default Re: Discus still skittish after first month

    I am worried about the amonia and the water params... what is your PH? Is there a big swing in the tap PH and your tank readings after 24 hrs?

    You have no way to age the tank...

    Also why the lights off and on with such a weird schedule? I would keep it constant. Maybe the blasting of the light is bothering them. When you are around them you need to be deliberate and not tip toe.

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    Default Re: Discus still skittish after first month

    I am slow but not tiptoe-ing. It doesnt take much and they are straight under the driftwood.

    As far as the water parameters...out of the tap the ph is 7-ish and after 24 hrs in tank its about 6.6. Hans said the swing from high to lower shouldnt bother them its the other way around that I would need to be worried about. Ammonia out of the tap untreated is right at 1.0ppm nitrates at 10ppm and after 24 hrs( I test right before the water change) ammonia shows zero-ish nitrates at 20+ppm. Not sure what to do on the nitrates without getting serious with RODI and I was trying to stay basic. Test kit is API so take that with a grain of salt but fish look great other than panicking at the drop of a hat. No stress bars on any of them even when they run and hide.

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    Default Re: Discus still skittish after first month

    Oh and as far as the light schedule I was trying to keep algae to a minimum...need them up at 5:30 to feed at 6am and want to check on them before bedtime at 10pm. Figured 16.5 hrs of light was a bit excessive and was trying to give it a break when nobody was home.

  11. #11
    Registered Member Phillydubs's Avatar
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    Default Re: Discus still skittish after first month

    And you cant get a 25-30 gallon garbage can and age some water?

    I guess you could remove the driftwood so their security blanket is gone... Let them associate you with food. Be loud, knock on the tank as the other guy said, try to hand feed them so they think human = food , me like humans!!!

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    Registered Member Ryan925's Avatar
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    Default Re: Discus still skittish after first month

    Quote Originally Posted by ncognto View Post
    Its a small room was my concern for fumes.
    My fault I missed a bit of info.on your original post. I see that you mentioned the paper. I think that's fine.

    As Phil noted potentially the water is the issue. Your ammonia reading is an indication of chloramine in your tap. I would be sure that your prime dosing is enough to neutralize that amount. If your tap has 10 ppm nitrate what is your nitrate reading between wcs ?
    Im not illiterate...only my phone's auto correct is

  13. #13
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    Default Re: Discus still skittish after first month

    I am dosing a capful of prime right before adding water and another cap halfway through fill-up. Nitrates are getting in the 20-30 range on the API test after starting at 10ppm from the tap.

  14. #14
    Registered Member Phillydubs's Avatar
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    Default Re: Discus still skittish after first month

    Those readings are too high for my taste... You will need to figure out how to get better levels this could be causing their skiddish nature

  15. #15
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    Default Re: Discus still skittish after first month

    Short of RODI (not really an option right now) not sure how to lower the nitrates. The ammonia shouldnt be an issue due to the Prime on a daily basis was my understanding.

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