Helping new fish settle in.

[BlackAndRedLipstick]

So, I recently acquired a breeding pair from Uncle Sams discus. A nice pair of golden melons. I placed them into a 30 gallon tank that was the same PH and similar hardness. I figured that once they were added to tank they would probably be spooked for a few days and try to just get acquainted with the new tank. It's been about 2 weeks and the pair still seem to be frightened by almost everything. i will walk up to the tank and they see my coming and sometimes they just start darting around the tank smashing their heads on everything. i am afraid they are going to hurt themselves at this rate. I am currently building a 30 gallon plywood tank that i was going to put them into specifically for breeding them but i am just worried about their well being. has anyone had fish take a good while to settle down? (i drove to pick these fish up they never got on a plane and they had about a 45 min drive home). I rarely see them swim around the tank. i just see them kinda sit in the back corner. Is there anything i can do to help them maybe chill out?

Thanks,
Nick123027

[ajniner94]

I am having the same problem. I bought a discus about 5 weeks ago and he is very skittish. He was doing good until I had some kids tapping on the glass. the biggest thing is as long as they are still eating then you are fine. Mine seems to do better on weekends when he gets used to me walking past the tank all the time. one thing I do is after I feed get as far away from the tank as I can while still being able to see it to make sure he eats. My solution though was to buy 4 more discus which will be here today

[fljones3]

So, I recently acquired a breeding pair from Uncle Sams discus. A nice pair of golden melons. I placed them into a 30 gallon tank that was the same PH and similar hardness. I figured that once they were added to tank they would probably be spooked for a few days and try to just get acquainted with the new tank. It's been about 2 weeks and the pair still seem to be frightened by almost everything. i will walk up to the tank and they see my coming and sometimes they just start darting around the tank smashing their heads on everything. i am afraid they are going to hurt themselves at this rate. I am currently building a 30 gallon plywood tank that i was going to put them into specifically for breeding them but i am just worried about their well being. has anyone had fish take a good while to settle down? (i drove to pick these fish up they never got on a plane and they had about a 45 min drive home). I rarely see them swim around the tank. i just see them kinda sit in the back corner. Is there anything i can do to help them maybe chill out?

Thanks,
Nick123027

Hi Nick. Was the 30g a new tank or one that was already running and cycled? Perhaps you can post the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels.

[danotaylor]

Gday Nick. A few qns;
Are they eating?
Is there any decor or breeding cone in the tank?
Lights on or off?
High or low traffic area?
I have 1 out the 7 adult discus in my 125 that diaplays similar behavior in your description and I have had the group nearly 7 months. The other 6 freak out occassionally, but for the red panda it seems the norm. My tank is right beside our dining table do it gets a fair amount of traffic. It has definitely gotten better as time progressed.
Maybe adding some salt will sooth or settle them a litte...

[BlackAndRedLipstick]

The tank was already cycled. I had had fishing living in it for about 1 month to be sure the tank could sustain life. I’ll post the levels in a few hours. Once I get home.

[BlackAndRedLipstick]

They nibble at food. I have given them a few different types of food to try and make sure they eat something. I have a beef heart formula that I made for them that they feed at the place where I purchased them. The tank is in my room and gets low to medium traffic and I made a custom LED Lighting rig for their tank but I never use it because it seems to bother them. So, I just use my room light and they seem to prefer that. The only thing in their tank is a breeding cone. I do have a sump filter I built on the side of the tank but it’s nothing they can get to. I do have some salt I can add to the tank so maybe I’ll try that tomorrow or so.

[BlackAndRedLipstick]

My water parameters are nitrate 5 ppm, nitraite .25, ammonia 0-.25ppm. temp 83F,

[fljones3]

My water parameters are nitrate 5 ppm, nitraite .25, ammonia 0-.25ppm. temp 83F,

Looks like it’s not cycled. Nitrates and ammonia should be zero. If it were myself, I would use Prime to detox. Also, up your water changes.

[BlackAndRedLipstick]

I put 0 to .25 as a margin of error. I do 90%water changes every 2 days. My readings always say 0 but I always add .25 up for margin of error.