Fish on wheels - adding new fish to tank

[Cate45]

Hi folks, read through a few threads, but as always would like some help with my specific situation.

So... in our established 850 litre tank (with 250 litre sump), we had 3 adults (an inherited group) and a dozen sterbai corys. Very very fine playsand substrate - like, a grain thick, really just for the cories. Some driftwood with attached java fern. Two clear glass dishes with a dozen ambulia. Half a dozen clean oak leaves. One large Indian Almond leaf in the sump. The cories lay eggs like they're going out of fashion - on the glass, on the wood, on the plants, on the thermostat...

Anyway. Two of the discus decided to pair up. And the aggression then displayed towards the third was like watching the shootout at the OK Corral. He wasn't allowed to eat, or to venture out into the centre of the tank.

We had 5 juveniles approaching a size that we were starting to plan for adding them to the main tank. They've been in their own BB growout tank for months, doing well. So, after several days of watching the muscle-flexing in the main tank, we decided to separate out the pair to their own tank so they could do the dance of love (with a view to adding them back later once the school size had increased in the main tank), and move the younger 5 in to the main tank.

All 5 were added. One immediately ran (swam) up to the remaining adult, and has stuck like glue to him for the past 4 days. No aggression, just starry-eyed worship. However, since adding, neither of these two have eaten very much. They hang by themselves in a corner of the tank. They do venture out occasionally, during both the lighting period and night time and briefly school with the others, but not really interested in food. Any food. Food soaked in garlic, food with garlic added, food dangled in front of their faces with a sign saying 'YUMMY FOOD'... We've offered their usual home-made paste (fish, shrimp, spirulina, garlic, spinach...), frozen bloodworms, Hikari pellets. Nothing new.

They don't appear spooked, and swim around our hands during feeding, vacuuming, and water changes. They're just not interested. Everyone else is eating like it's their last meal.

Food has been offered before, during, and after water changes, just to see if this made a difference. But apparently not. There are no visible signs of distress. No-one displaying stress bars, no-one breathing heavily, swimming oddly, gasping, flashing, scratching. Just the hunger strike.

Water parameters have not changed. Temp, TDS remain the same (29.5 and 140). No ammonia or nitrites (we're testing multiple times per day, with an in-date API liquid test kit, since adding the new ones), and nitrates below 10 ppm. PH 6.5. Main water change of 25% every two days, at same temp, TDS and PH.

So, fellow discus lovers, your thoughts, opinions, comments would be most welcome.

[Filip]

It looks like either mating or a hex / gut flagelates/ hunger strike issues to me . If you can observe and rule out the mating / breeding as a cullprit for the hunger strike you should consider about raising the temp. to 93-94 F .It ussualy helps them to deal with flaggelates and induce their appetites .

[Cate45]

Thank you Filip. It's mating. First time I've seen it - thank you for your answer, which was very helpful in terms of potential causes.

[Filip]

Thank you Filip. It's mating. First time I've seen it - thank you for your answer, which was very helpful in terms of potential causes.

I'm glad it turn out to be the luckier bet Catherine .
Enjoy your first discus mating and pairing experience and please send us some photos of the pair with spawn if that happens .