my First Discus...

[alpine]

Well, I finally got some discus. Six juveniles. I put in the tank sunday night.

They have not wanted to eat much if any. I have tried beefheart, shrimp, bloodworms, flake ...and they barely nip at the shrimp..

They have been constanly following their reflection on the bottom and side of the tank ? I did not paint the sides or the bottom . Will they settle and stop doing it or do I have to paint or cover ?
They are still kind of gathering in the corners , sometimes coming out from side to side and still kind of uptight about the new surroundings.

thanks,
roberto.

[RyanH]

Hey Roberto,

If your tank is on a stand and it's open below your tank, I've found that this really makes Discus uncomfortable. I would definately cover the bottom of the tank with something.

I usually put a piece of styrofoam under my tanks anyway to help with my heating costs but this also seems to make the fish more relaxed.

hth! :)

-Ryan

[alpine]

Ryan, thanks for the answer. I have all three tanks on styrofoam , but I get a mirror look on the bottom.


Thanks again,
roberto.

[Cosmo]

Roberto,

You will get the mirror look unless you are looking straight down from a "fish eye view" if you leave the bottom unpainted. This should not be a problem for the fish so long as what they see isn't stressful.. I have wood under my tanks and from the side I can't see it... but they can so they don't freak.

Could just be they're still acclimating to their surroundings. If your tank is bare, a few decorations can help them develop territories and feel more secure.

Keep your water quality up and they should come around. Juveniles need to eat, so feed small portions often once they start eating. Autofeeders come in very handy for this.

Jim