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Thread: Very shy discus in a 60 gallon

  1. #1
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    Default Very shy discus in a 60 gallon

    Last week i received my 6 F1 Curumucuri discus, all looking healthy and roughly 8 cm, and added them to my 60 gallon. Its otherwise lightly stocked with some small corydoras and a two tetras left from a previous tank, all of which had been in the tank prior to the discus arriving, with the previous stock of blue acara. Inside the tank the decor is very simple, a few branches sloping down from a back corner, a very very thin sprinkling of sand (bare in some places), some smooth rocks and some cattappa and oak leaves on the bottom. The lighting is provided by a simple desk lamp that leaves lots of shadowed regions and nowhere particularly bright. Temperature is 30, ammonia nitrite and nitrate are all where they should be and pH is 7. Since theyve been added, ive left the light off for most of the time, which doesnt seem to have affected anything, and i havent seen them eat anything, and i made sure to get the same food that they were fed previously. They also startle very easily and bash into the glass and the wood so hard that i can hear it. Im just worried that im doing something wrong as ive never kept them before, and was under the impression that my tank was set up suitably for them- any help or advice would be greatly appreciated as they werent cheap and i wouldnt like them to die and me not know why, or for them to never be comfortable and feel safe in that tank.
    I also do a 25% water change every week.

    Thanks

    78467750_1277537952452998_4133180834351939584_n.jpg78185263_755390968293964_892981335004545024_n.jpg

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    Default Re: Very shy discus in a 60 gallon

    New fish have a tendency to be shy and skittish. They have to get accustomed to their new environment inside and outside of the tank. Give them a little bit of time.

    Also, you will have to increase WC from 25% once a week to at least 25% every two days. I like 50% every two days with an occasional 80% once ever week or two weeks. Just for safety, double check your water parameters. How long has your tank been "lightly" stocked. Six discus can change the bio load and the mechanics in the tank by a great deal.

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    Platinum Member fljones3's Avatar
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    Default Re: Very shy discus in a 60 gallon

    When you say that your nitrites and nitrates are where they should be, what are they?
    Your WC are not frequent enough IMO. You need at least 3x per week, closer to 50%.

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    Default Re: Very shy discus in a 60 gallon

    And welcome to the forums! you will learn a lot here. Is this your first time keeping discus?

    Nitrites should be 0 and nitrates should be <10.

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    Default Re: Very shy discus in a 60 gallon

    The nitrate ammonia and nitrite levels all are zero according to the test kits I have (API).

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    Default Re: Very shy discus in a 60 gallon

    Nitrate should not be zero. Check the expiration dates on the bottles.

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    Default Re: Very shy discus in a 60 gallon

    It had just the corydoras in it for two days, before that it had 6 blue acara, varying from 2-4 inches, 5 geophagus tapajos all 2-3 inches and three red shoulder severums, so it wasn't lightly stocked before.

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    Default Re: Very shy discus in a 60 gallon

    Bottles havent expired, must be my dodgy vision. Test came up as orange so somewhere between 5 and 20 ppm. definitely not red.

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    Default Re: Very shy discus in a 60 gallon

    Quote Originally Posted by bigounce View Post
    Bottles havent expired, must be my dodgy vision. Test came up as orange so somewhere between 5 and 20 ppm. definitely not red.
    Do you age your water? is there a PH swing?

    The fish went in last week, were they swimming fine and then started to hide and be skittish? or, have they behaved this way since day one? Have you noticed any white feces?

    Even though you have already answered most of it, it would be helpful to answer this questionnaire.

    http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...lease-complete

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    Default Re: Very shy discus in a 60 gallon

    Quote Originally Posted by Mando View Post
    Do you age your water? is there a PH swing?

    The fish went in last week, were they swimming fine and then started to hide and be skittish? or, have they behaved this way since day one? Have you noticed any white feces?
    No white faeces that ive noticed and yes theyve behaved like this from the minute i put them in. if i turn the light on or manage to look whilst the room is light enough with the light off, they are swimming about, they just spook when the light turns on or when the room is particularly sunlit.
    I do not age the water before I add it to the tank either as our house is too cold for the water to be OK to add to the tank without heating, so heating it to the appropriate temperature is quite tricky. I use the tetra tap safe.

  11. #11
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    Default Re: Very shy discus in a 60 gallon

    Quote Originally Posted by bigounce View Post
    The nitrate ammonia and nitrite levels all are zero according to the test kits I have (API).
    With nitrates being zero, you might not be cycled. Can you test it again?
    Once you added the additional fish it would have increased the bioload.

  12. #12

    Default Re: Very shy discus in a 60 gallon

    Quote Originally Posted by bigounce View Post
    Last week i received my 6 F1 Curumucuri discus, all looking healthy and roughly 8 cm, and added them to my 60 gallon. Its otherwise lightly stocked with some small corydoras and a two tetras left from a previous tank, all of which had been in the tank prior to the discus arriving, with the previous stock of blue acara. Inside the tank the decor is very simple, a few branches sloping down from a back corner, a very very thin sprinkling of sand (bare in some places), some smooth rocks and some cattappa and oak leaves on the bottom. The lighting is provided by a simple desk lamp that leaves lots of shadowed regions and nowhere particularly bright. Temperature is 30, ammonia nitrite and nitrate are all where they should be and pH is 7. Since theyve been added, ive left the light off for most of the time, which doesnt seem to have affected anything, and i havent seen them eat anything, and i made sure to get the same food that they were fed previously. They also startle very easily and bash into the glass and the wood so hard that i can hear it. Im just worried that im doing something wrong as ive never kept them before, and was under the impression that my tank was set up suitably for them- any help or advice would be greatly appreciated as they werent cheap and i wouldnt like them to die and me not know why, or for them to never be comfortable and feel safe in that tank.
    I also do a 25% water change every week.

    Thanks

    78467750_1277537952452998_4133180834351939584_n.jpg78185263_755390968293964_892981335004545024_n.jpg
    Where are all the fish you say are in the tank

    Jeanne

  13. #13
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    Default Re: Very shy discus in a 60 gallon

    Quote Originally Posted by Sturiosoma View Post
    Where are all the fish you say are in the tank

    Jeanne
    What do you mean? Do you mean the old stock?

  14. #14
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    Default Re: Very shy discus in a 60 gallon

    Quote Originally Posted by fljones3 View Post
    With nitrates being zero, you might not be cycled. Can you test it again?
    Once you added the additional fish it would have increased the bioload.
    tested it again and it came up orange so its between 5 and 40- i cant tell myself.

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    Default Re: Very shy discus in a 60 gallon

    Quote Originally Posted by bigounce View Post
    tested it again and it came up orange so its between 5 and 40- i cant tell myself.
    yea, the API kit is hard to read. Just increase your WC regime. Nitrates need to be under 10. Have you noticed if they have rapid breathing or clamped gil?

    My new batch took a while to come around. As soon as I'd walk in the room they'd dart everywhere hitting the filter, heater, glass, etc. They just need to get used to your presence. I avoid fast movements in front of them and I also avoid creating shadows. Even today they get skittish when I do water changes.

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