MEAN DISCUS

[s dubay]

I have a problem i am wondering if some experts could help with!I have 3 discus in an 80G tank of mine.I have a large orange one,a small turquois one and i recently added a large blue one.The large orange one i have will not stop harrasing the new guy i put in the tank.He is the first that i bought and i have had him about 6 months,he also chases around the other small one i have but he seems to pick on the new one all the time.The blue one i added is the best looking one of the three and i really like him!I dont know what to do.All the research i did before i bought any discus said that they are peacefull fish but this guy has a real mean streak.The other 2 blue ones seem to get along fine.Should i add another orange one or what.I dont know what to do ,but this is very stressfull on the new guy and he doesnt seem to be eating now i have to do something,i just dont know what.Any advice would be great!

[M0oN]

Either buy more discus or get rid of the mean guy...they are still cichlids and do have pecking orders. You can wait to see if things pan out, but if he's stressing the discus to the point of not eating and hiding constantly I would try to remedy the situation.

[jules]

You could try putting the mean guy in another tank for a bit - when he returns he may not be the bully anymore.

[Miles]

Move the mean one and then reintroduce a few days later and see what happens. If it still is the bully then get more fish and dump him. Pecking orders are cruel at times. You do need a few more fish in that tank.

Miles

[jules]

Gee Peter do you think that would work? :)

[Haywire]

spanking, heck no, chasing him around with the net might.

Try getting some egg crate as divider and seperate him from the rest of the tank mates for a while if you don't have any spare tanks. He'll still see the others in the tank but can't get to them

[DarkDiscus]

More fish seems like the best answer to me. You need to diffuse the aggression and allow the fish to develop a more complex pecking order. In that 80 gallon tank you really want no fewer than 6 and preferably 8 fish.

That should really help.

Which is not to say that you can't just have an incorrigible, mean fish - it does happen - in which case you may have to get rid of the nasty fellow.

John