My Discus is actively eating plants?

[cfi on the fly]

I have an adult blue diamond. He hasn't been eating for about 2 weeks. The other 4 are doing great, no problems.

Today, I see the blue actively going after the newly planted japonica grass that I planted yesterday. At first I thought he was confused, thought it was a blood worm or something. But no, he goes and gets another piece and actually injests it.

Is this a sign of sickness? Anyone else ever seen this?

Thanks.

[poconogal]

I don't think its that uncommon for Discus to nibble on plants. A lot of my Discus nibbled on my plants when I had them, especially my BD. She even ate plants that supposedly fish don't like, I think it was the Java Fern. Now, when I feed my BNs algae wafers, the Discus are the first ones to the wafers and the BNs have to hope they can get a bite. Possibly your BD may not like the food you're feeding and is eating plant matter instead. He was eating other foods before, wasn't he, and then stopped? Did you change the food you're feeding?

[Jhhnn]

Wild discus apparently ingest a fair amount of plant matter...

He's probably trying to tell you to feed something that has more green stuff in it sometimes- spirulina brine shrimp, algae wafers, eddie's seafood mix...

Or maybe just that he's hungry & needs more...

[trebor69]

I have watched my BDs nibble swords and crypts

Sometimes they rather aggressively push the sword leaves with their head....I have no clue what thats all about.

I have also sat and watch them 'graze' the algae off the side of the tank

so far it hasnt appeared to hurt them and they all still readily eat all sorts of other 'real food'

[Disgirl]

Just a note here to say that my discus love the algae wafers I give them a couple times a week. I put 3 wafers in the tank and the 12 discus pick at them until they are gone in half an hr. or so.
Barb