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Thread: Weird Discus Behaviour: Shaking & Pecking

  1. #1
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    Default Weird Discus Behaviour: Shaking & Pecking

    Greetings to all discus masters here. I have a new discus tank that's been up and running for a month now, and there are 6 sub-adult (approximately 4"-5" in size) discus in there.

    I just noticed today that two of the discus always swim around my heater, chase off other fish, shake/shim their bodies frequently, and most weirdly pecking on my heater like crazy but there is nothing on it.

    I have no idea what happened. I do know that these two fish always hang out together and they don't attack each other at feeding. To me they seem like a pair but as a discus newbie I cannot confirm it.

    I keep my daily 90% water change on schedule, and I feed all of my discus 6 times a day with a mixture of frozen bloodworms, flakes, and homemade beef heart mix. The fish are only about 9 months old.

    Are these breeding behaviours or signs of sickness? I was told that discus fish won't lay eggs until they are adult?

    Thanks in advance!

  2. #2
    Administrator and MVP Dec.2015 Second Hand Pat's Avatar
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    Default Re: Weird Discus Behaviour: Shaking & Pecking

    Hi James, they are teenagers. Just have to deal with young love.
    Pat
    Your discus are talking to you....are you listening


  3. #3

    Default Re: Weird Discus Behaviour: Shaking & Pecking

    Do you have access to a heater guard and spawning cone or piece of slate

    Jeanne

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    Default Re: Weird Discus Behaviour: Shaking & Pecking

    Quote Originally Posted by Second Hand Pat View Post
    Hi James, they are teenagers. Just have to deal with young love.
    Pat
    Haha. I remember those days, but I guess they should last longer than that.

    Is this for sure breeding behaviour? I had to turn off the light last night when I observed it, and they all went to sleep pretty soon after. I just turned the light this morning and I haven't seen anything unusual yet.

    Should I leave the light on next time I see this?

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    Default Re: Weird Discus Behaviour: Shaking & Pecking

    Quote Originally Posted by Sturiosoma View Post
    Do you have access to a heater guard and spawning cone or piece of slate

    Jeanne
    Hi Jeanne. I actually don't have anything in my tank except a big piece of driftwood. Should I remove the driftwood and place a standing PVC pipe or spawning cone inside? I have never seen/known a heater guard.

  6. #6
    Administrator and MVP Dec.2015 Second Hand Pat's Avatar
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    Default Re: Weird Discus Behaviour: Shaking & Pecking

    I would let them grow some more before I would encourage breeding!
    Pat
    Your discus are talking to you....are you listening


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    Default Re: Weird Discus Behaviour: Shaking & Pecking

    Quote Originally Posted by Second Hand Pat View Post
    I would let them grow some more before I would encourage breeding!
    Pat
    +1, unless they are older fish already.

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    Default Re: Weird Discus Behaviour: Shaking & Pecking

    Quote Originally Posted by Second Hand Pat View Post
    I would let them grow some more before I would encourage breeding!
    Pat
    You mush have a special ability to read my mind, as this is the question that I was about to ask! My discus are still juveniles and I would really love to see them growing a bit more before I move them to another tank for breeding.

    Thank you Pat for giving me the answer before I even asked.

    For now, should I just ignore even if they lay eggs? Should I leave a spawning cone there?

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    Registered Member BrendanJ23's Avatar
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    Default Re: Weird Discus Behaviour: Shaking & Pecking

    IS the tank cycled?

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    Default Re: Weird Discus Behaviour: Shaking & Pecking

    Teenagers firting

    Cliff

  11. #11

    Default Re: Weird Discus Behaviour: Shaking & Pecking

    Quote Originally Posted by jamesx View Post
    Hi Jeanne. I actually don't have anything in my tank except a big piece of driftwood. Should I remove the driftwood and place a standing PVC pipe or spawning cone inside? I have never seen/known a heater guard.
    I would leave the driftwood, and you can get a heater guard at Amazon, if nothing else to keep them from burning themselves

    Jeanne

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    Default Re: Weird Discus Behaviour: Shaking & Pecking

    Quote Originally Posted by BrendanJ23 View Post
    IS the tank cycled?
    Yep, it's an one year old tank. It's just that the discus fish are new. All test readings are zero except nitrate which I keep below 5ppm everyday.

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    Default Re: Weird Discus Behaviour: Shaking & Pecking

    Quote Originally Posted by CliffsDiscus View Post
    Teenagers firting

    Cliff
    Haha. Totally got it.

  14. #14
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    Default Re: Weird Discus Behaviour: Shaking & Pecking

    Quote Originally Posted by Sturiosoma View Post
    I would leave the driftwood, and you can get a heater guard at Amazon, if nothing else to keep them from burning themselves

    Jeanne

    Would flipping my heater horizontally work as well? Right now the heater is in upright position.

  15. #15
    Administrator and MVP Dec.2015 Second Hand Pat's Avatar
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    Default Re: Weird Discus Behaviour: Shaking & Pecking

    Quote Originally Posted by jamesx View Post
    You mush have a special ability to read my mind, as this is the question that I was about to ask! My discus are still juveniles and I would really love to see them growing a bit more before I move them to another tank for breeding.

    Thank you Pat for giving me the answer before I even asked.

    For now, should I just ignore even if they lay eggs? Should I leave a spawning cone there?
    Yes and do not put a spawning cone in the tank. I would suggest placing the heater horizontal in the tank. They are less likely to lay on it (and it is best that they didn't. Would hate to see them burn the neither regions).
    Pat
    Your discus are talking to you....are you listening


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