Bullying/Annoying/ and now stressing me out!

[Eti]

Hey guys,

Got 7 discus from Hans on Wednesday November 20th. So far, so good, after 3 or 4 days of adjusting, 4 of them are eating very well.
BUT, the three other guys are bullyed by my bigger marlboro red who keep them in the upper corner and they are terrified.

The tank is a BB 75 G, with not much hiding place. Everyone looks healthy but I feel the three guys will soon stress out too much and get sick.
Do you think a divider would help or should I put them in a quarantine tank?

My parameters:
PH: 6.6
Ammo: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: ~5

Thanks for your help!

[Skip]

NORMAL!

don't stress out.. they all do this..

i am going to assume.. they are 4" or less? if so.. absolutely its normal.. juvies always fight, they are cichlids..

[Eti]

Thanks, they are all 3.5 inches... wont they die if two or three of them just stay up there in the corner?
By the way, I change 50% aged water everyday, don't know if that help..

[Skip]

Thanks, they are all 3.5 inches... wont they die if two or three of them just stay up there in the corner?
By the way, I change 50% aged water everyday, don't know if that help..

figured they were small..

i had one that got pounded.. and stayed under HOB filter.. and he lived there for sometime.. he ended up coming back and being the largest fish in tank..

if they not ill from bacteria/worms/flagellets.. they will be strong enough to take it.. they are usually a lot stronger during this phase then their owners :)

[Eti]

figured they were small..

i had one that got pounded.. and stayed under HOB filter.. and he lived there for sometime.. he ended up coming back and being the largest fish in tank..

if they not ill from bacteria/worms/flagellets.. they will be strong enough to take it.. they are usually a lot stronger during this phase then their owners :)

You have no idea how better that makes me feel. I know they are healthy, they look really good, are not darting and have slow breathing. I wwas already thinking about the hassle of putting up a quarantine tank or a divider. I guess I will wait for a longer time..

[SMB2]

Hans fish always fight because they have some Dutch in them, but they always make up! (:p)
Seems to be a common complaint with new young fish. Try to feed in several spots at the same time, like FDBW pressed on the glass in several spots. I had the "bully" eating from my fingers to distract it from the lesser fish. Eventually the bully would come to one corner and the bullied to the other. That solves feeding but the picked on fish would still hide until they got brave enough to swim around.
You may lose a fish but it is part of the pecking order.
I am always amazed at the wonderful videos posted of tanks full of fish and not one is fighting. Either they are distracted by the camera, the tank is a rearing tank crowded with young fish and no place to argue or it is a very mature tank with large fish that have the hierarchy for the moment worked out.
Only other solution if it gets bad is a 29 gal for the pickies and feed the crap out of them so they get nice and big and then reunite the gang. But usually you then have fighting in two tanks!
As Skip says, cichlids being cichlids.

[troysdiiscus]

hey Eti, Well I guess you know now who is on top of the hierachy chain. This has been discussed alot on here and myself and everyone else has witnessed this happen. The thing about removing the 3 is that probably some of the others will now feel the same fate. In extreme measures that may work, try spreading out the food on opposite ends of the tank. There is always the "king of the tank" and always the low man on the pole. Just monitor it and see how it goes. Good luck...

[Eti]

Wow, thanks a lot guys..So I guess I wont change anything and just spread out the food everywhere. Maybe overfeed for a bit so everyone has a chance to eat...Will keep you posted

[Eti]

Actually, got an answer from the master of all of us: Hans. Here is what he said:

"Hi Etienne,

I'm sorry I sold you a terrorist, best is to put the silver pigeon in a quaranteen tank if you've one and let them get the change to eat, get stronger before you put them back with the rest,

Hans"