An observation

[dmacch]

I bought nine discus 4 months ago, they varied in size from 4 inches to 2 inches. They have grown nicely over the past four months. I change water every day and after four months, while doing a water change, the fish are still clumping up and some are even laying on their sides. I have to think that the reason they are still doing this is that there is one or two fish, probably the biggest of the bunch, I haven't figured out which ones, that stress out over a wc and the rest follow. I also feel that when I set up another tank, and I will set up another one, that the fish I get will all be the same size. Any opinions on this subject?

[RyanH]

Are you aging your water before you do your water changes?

[dmacch]

water is aged and heated before wc.

[Carol_Roberts]

And you've tested the pH to make sure they are the similiar ?
. . . and you are sure the chlorine is removed before adding the water ?
. . . . and you do NOT have chloramines in your water?

[dmacch]

ph is the same no chlorine or chloramines.

[lesley]

Hello dmacch,

From my experience the only time my discus are not swimming around checking out fingers for any food and trying to grab particles out of the syphon is when they are unhappy with the water coming in. They definitely have memories and when mine have not been happy with the last few changes will look unhappy when a water change is being done.

If you are sure that your replacement water is absolutely the same are you maybe using too strong a pump to put it back in.

HTH

[dmacch]

Just did another wc and fish, on que, formed a gruop and got dark. The water going into the tank is the same as the water coming out. It seems that they are conditioned to stress out every time I do a wc. How can I break them of getting so stressed every time I do a wc. Tank is bb and all params are good. Should I be testing for something beside ph, nitrite, ammonia and nitrate? Thanks.

[April]

maybe run carbon on your stored water and see what happens..maybe somethin in there making them unhappy. heavy metals or something.
try and see if it changes. somethin is definitely stressing them out.
i can put mine in full blast..from the tap and they do fine. as long as my ph etc is the same.
try using prime for wc's. see if that helps. its a good product.
or..add it in slower..so its gradually being added and see if theres a difference. like a drip sytem . a smaller dimension hose to put it in.
or..do two smaller changes a day? see if that works. then maybe you can eliminate the causes.

[JeffreyRichard]

maybe run carbon on your stored water and see what happens..maybe somethin in there making them unhappy. heavy metals or something.
try and see if it changes. somethin is definitely stressing them out.
i can put mine in full blast..from the tap and they do fine. as long as my ph etc is the same.
try using prime for wc's. see if that helps. its a good product.
or..add it in slower..so its gradually being added and see if theres a difference. like a drip sytem . a smaller dimension hose to put it in.
or..do two smaller changes a day? see if that works. then maybe you can eliminate the causes.


I was just going to post the same thought. The symptoms you describe point toward a problem with the water ...

When you age the water, are you degassing? Try an airstone in the water overnight.

While I don't necessarily like using water conditioners, you should give it a try ... might remove something that is irritating the fish.

You probably should have your tap water tested for pollutants and other toxins ... don't rely on your water company (if municiple ... if well water DEFINATELY get it checked as something nasty may be leaching into you water).

I'd also try carbon and peat ... set up a circulating filter to filter you holding vat through both HIGH GRADE carbon/resin and peat.

Observe ... and report back

Good luck
Jeff

Are the fish healthy otherwise?

Do they "beg" for food when you walk into the room?

Are the "skittish" at all?

When you approach them...do they turn away and face the back of the tank?

My thinking is that your fish may be Not....feeling so well.
On the edge so to speak.....

Although they may "appear" healthy....A discus in the early stages of certain health issues can act as you describe. They're seemingly fine(to an untrained eye) untill they're disturbed...

Just some thoughts....

Tony

[dmacch]

They come to the front of the tank when walk into the room but I wouldn't say they are begging for food. Theyare always skittish. the slightest movement or knock on the tank sends them flying. They hav basically been like this since I got them. My water params are all good and constant. There must be something in my water that is stressing them out.

[htsou]

how about not doing wc everyday? I don't think it is the water since you tried to use the same water from the tank.. it maybe the wc action that scares the fish
I am doing wc twice a week and my fishes are happy with it..

[April]

where did you get the fish? how many in the tank..and what size tank?
makes a difference also.. how secure they feel.
how old and how big?

[RAWesolowski]

I personally like Lesley's suggestion that you have a conditioned response with your fish in regard to water changes. I have 3 tanks with identical water parameters. In two of the tanks, the fish could care less if they have a water change happening around them. in the third tank the dominant fish decided to hide and turn dark. Its behavior spread to its tankmates. Now I have 5 fish doing a sardine mime behind the wood during a water change.

[korbi_doc]

:bounce2: :bounce2: Hey Bob, I like that one! "sardine mime!!" I also have a tank like that, a 55g with 11 youngsters that I've been planning to move. When I do anything in that tank they scatter to the lg foam filter & hide in a tight bundle, but they do come back out very quickly when I stop. My lg 125 had a bunch that did the same, after I added 4 lg fish to the pack, they got better. In my 90g, the group could care less, they scurry 'round the plastic tube during w/cs & 1 actually tries to get to the crud as it passes up the tube, lol. Dottie ;D