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Vyvid
05-09-2015, 04:12 PM
Okay forgive the long drawn out post. I am probably being overly analytical but I'd rather give too much info than not enough when asking opinions/advice.

Basically one of my discus (that used to be the most timid) has become aggressive towards all the other discus but seems primarily focused on the largest.

Okay here goes the drawn out analytical things I've noticed that may be contributing.

1. Within the last week or so my cobalt has seemed to have had a growth spurt. It used to be quite a bit smaller than my biggest (PB) but now they are very close in size. It also has turned a much deeper blue vs the bluish green it was before. Also it seems to almost flare it's fins out now (they were never clamped just not as flared as they seem to be now. Also, its body seems more round. Here's a side by side about 2 weeks apart.
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2. It chases all the others but seems to really focus on the biggest. It will chase it and almost pin it in a corner and then turn its back to it and start fluttering its fins.

3. Not sure if this is related, but I have noticed that my melon and the largest PB keep kind of going off together and the PB will flutter its fins when the melon is near. The melon used to be the dominant fish but now the melon and the PB seem to kind of call each other's bluff. They even sort of "locked lips" once. The cobalt sometimes separates them.

Is this normal? Is it possible it's a male and the PB is female and it's trying to mate? Is it possible the melon is female and the PB is now a "rival" male? Or is it possible the cobalt is just maturing and being an adolescent jerk?

Here is a pic of the main 3 involved. The other two are smaller and don't really seem to be involved.

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nate c
05-09-2015, 04:21 PM
:o is your tank large? I have had fish act like that in a 225 gallon,the pecking order was doing some re assigment's. LOVE might be in the air/water;)......

a partition can help you find out whats up.

Vyvid
05-09-2015, 05:18 PM
Not a huge tank (75gal) but nothing in it is full grown so everyone has ample room to swim or hide.

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I did rearrange the tank and put him in a "time out" for 2 hours. As soon as he was back he was right back to it.

You think I should use a divider and just block him off? For how long? Then what?

Solid
05-09-2015, 07:31 PM
My guess is a combination of him coming of age and trying to become the alpha in the tank combined with some competition for the female. Ussually that shivering action is partners trying to attract a mate. I wouldn't worry. They should work everything out. Some aggression is natural and shows your fish are healthy.

Vyvid
05-09-2015, 09:59 PM
Good to know. Basically as long as everyone is eating and no one is getting injured or huddled in a corner 24/7 just let it take its course?

nate c
05-18-2015, 05:47 PM
place a plastic large amazon sword plant in the tank....floating up sidedown.
2 things might happen.
1add more shade/place to groom and lay eggs.
2nd add more cover/and place to protect and lay eggs.
good luck,if the aggro fish is not hurting the other's let them figure it out.

DiscusRob
05-19-2015, 10:46 AM
My guess is a combination of him coming of age and trying to become the alpha in the tank combined with some competition for the female. Ussually that shivering action is partners trying to attract a mate. I wouldn't worry. They should work everything out. Some aggression is natural and shows your fish are healthy.

Exactly, also keep in mind they are still Cichlids:):)

Vyvid
05-20-2015, 01:21 PM
Thanks everyone!