Different sizes?

[LeeAberdeen]

I'll be adding three new discus to my tank in the next couple of weeks and planned to introduce similar-sized fish. Is this necessary, though, or could I add discus bigger than my current juvies, which are 3 to 3.5inches? I've seen some specimens I like online which are an inch or two bigger.

I'm trying to head off any problems over bullying, but maybe that's not usually an issue and they'll all potentially get along fine regardless of size? What do other discus keepers do? I'm happy to set up feeding cones to make sure every gets their share of food, if necessary.

[adapted]

Lee, my experience is that smaller fish usually get bullied or at least denied territory to call thier own. I just added two smaller fish (the seller claimed they were the same size as the previous ones he'd sold me but this was innaccurate. they're about 2/3 as big) and the other 6 are pretty relentless in shooing them away. These two show their bars 90% of the time and try to stay out of the way. Having said that, they do manage to get enough to eat and they are healthy for now.

[LeeAberdeen]

Similar experience to me, actually. My smaller fish are healthy and just about get enough food, but it's a bit of a battle for the little fellas. They don't get bullied as such, but know their place in the pecking order, especially when it comes to food. They were bought at the same size two months ago, but two of them are considerably bigger now. If I buy fish bigger than them, though, there'll be three sizes of fish in my tank, and I'm not sure how that would work out.

Must be a bit annoying when you're told the size and buy them for that reason, only for it to be wrong? Can't be that difficult to estimate a fish's size, surely. Must make the problem worse when they're introduced to an established tank as smaller fish, too.

[Elliots]

adapted, I am not sure what will happen with your newly added fish. Is the problem they are new or smaller or both. I think the fish may work things out themselves in time.

[musicmarn1]

i wouldnt do it on purpose without another tank to move to if needed (with other discus)but i did get some kenny discus which were about 3-4" and the others were 6" ish so a big difference! if anything the very slightly smaller ie 5.5" get bullied and the smallest get totally left alone even when the big ones are spawning !! its quite fascinating

but i had other tanks with discus to move things around if needed, just never had to

[adapted]

It's hard to say, Elliot. I moved them to the new tank -- after a quarantine -- before the larger ones, but they're still catching a certain amount of grief. As long as they get a chance to eat -- and they do -- I don't worry about it too much. -- When the two were in the 120 alone, the larger one was merciless to the smaller...chased it all over the tank. Now he gets chased. But they're healthy and growing, so it will probably work out. It I had my preferences, I would rather the fish had been the size I was promised, but it isn't a huge deal.