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Thread: Discus memory

  1. #1
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    Default Discus memory

    Today I learned that our discus have memory. I had placed two into a breeding tank. The two had been companions for maybe 6 months. In the meantime a bond developed in the larger community tank between two other fish. When their aggressive behavior grew to the point that they both would pin the largest fish in the aquarium , a Blue Alenquer, into a corner and beat on him I had to move him to the breeding tank in order to give the guy a break. That did not work very well because the two in the breeding tank. a Blue Scorpion and an Albino Gold, would not let the poor guy rest either. So I then moved the BS back to the bigger tank to see if the AG and the BA would get along. They somewhat did but the female, while not attacking the male, would constantly push him. So I moved the second pair, a Ica Red and Red Alenquer, to the breeding tank and moved the AG and the BA back to the bigger tank. Hard to follow the back and forth. But here is what I noticed. The AG and the BS had paired for 6 month. Then separated for 1 week. When I reunited them after that 1 week they remembered one another and went back to the paring again. I suppose the recall one another either by color or smell?

  2. #2
    Registered Member bluelagoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Discus memory

    This is a good read on how fish recognize each other.https://www.abc.net.au/science/artic...mmune%20system.

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    Default Re: Discus memory

    Thanks for that, Melvin. Smell was one of my suspected reasons. This too could explain why some of our discus are also aggressive in part as well. Someone is stinking up the place and they want them out of there.

  4. #4
    Registered Member bluelagoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Discus memory

    Sometimes when you introduce dither it is best to keep them in a net/container of some sort for a day and feed them before releasing them into the tank. Then they don't smell like a fresh piece of meat and take on the smell of the tank. This is how I put dither fish in with larger fish and seems to work without them ending up as food.

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