does size really matter?

[rerdragon1977]

So I have posted my 90 gallon ups and downs here. I've re-scaped again and again to minimize overgrown space and for the last year yet I always end up in the same place. My discus pair up and fight for territory. When I have 5 adults in there (5" or larger) one eventually gets his A$$ handed to him/her. When I add 2 more to balance aggression I get 2 or more pairs that divide the tank into warzones. Surprisingly 90 gallons is really not that big as I once thought. I'm thinking about either dumping all my females and having an all male tank or going bigger to a 220 with the same 7 fish and when they getting frisky then swap out the pairs to the 90 divided into 2. If I go up to the 220 gallon can I keep everyone together in a planted tank? Will an all male tank be more peaceful in the 90 gallon than my current gong show? Advice requested please...

[DiscusBR]

Just to clarify: what do you mean by "warzone" and "fighting for territory"? Sounds to me like normal discus behavior. I got 7 adults in a 80g tank with two pairs that have bred simultaneously. They all end up finding their place in the tank despite all the picking. Is any of the fish showing signs that it so stressed that it stopped eating and is weakening? What exactly is the problem?

[rerdragon1977]

Im afraid that the plants grow it changes the currently defended territories. Is there less aggression in an all male tank? The bite marks on the fish sides while not that severe are also not pleasing to look at. The ones who have been targeted dont have as good as colour and often are driven into a corner. That being said, everyone gets along during feeding????

[rerdragon1977]

Would the agression levels be the same with the same occupants in a 220 galon if thy had much more space???

[strawberryblonde]

You might have less aggression if they can spread out more, but then again, you might not. It's really hard to say for sure. Adult males DO love to fight over their women. LOL

When mine get going we now call it "Clash of the Titans" and this past weekend it was "Water Wars". They literally splashed water all over my floors in huge puddles. Yep, they do get bites, bruises and scratches some times but it's the nature of the fish. Discus are cichlids so fighting is a form of communication between them. You can't ever stop it.

I don't know if an all male tank would be less aggressive, it sounds like a reasonable theory though since they wouldn't have any females to battle over. They'll still fight, just maybe not as ferociously?