My Discus, the A**hole

[DiscusBob]

I have a really nice blue SS that's an a**hole. Does anyone else have this problem?

I have a 125g planted tank with most of the filtration on the right side. The left I leave alone so the Discus (10 adults) have a peaceful place to be where they're not fighting a current. This is also the area where they are fed their food: CBW.

I put the worms in a cone, which they pick at, but most fall down to a VERY thin layer of substate. The CBW acually poke up like little blades of grass when they're in this thin layer of small rocks. This way, when the Discus are hungry again, they can litterally graze the area under the cone.

The problem? The Blue SS has claimed this area as his own and bites and chases all others that come to graze on 'his' turf.

I've tried changing the aquascaping with no luck. Last night I put him in a bucket for 4 hours while everyone else ate in perfect harmony. When I put him back in, he went right back to his a**hole ways and chased everyone away.

My only other thought was 30 days in the hole. Or, in an isolation tank for at least 2 weeks. I'm not convinced this would work.

The next step would be to get rid of him.

Any thoughts on disciplining/training a Discus?

I'm just not sure what to do.


Bob

[Doug A]

Spank him!!!http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/10/10_9_137.gif
Bob,
Have you tried moving the feeding cone to a different area?

Another option is to remove the substrate. This way the worms won't concentrate in just that one area.

[traco]

I've got a gold pigeon who is a bugger at feeding time too!! He/she is okay when the food comes into the tank, eats along with everyone else but soon enough, he starts staking his territory out and chases all others away. Kind of funny but so much for the others, to graze and pick up bits of flake or whatever was fed.

It's just at feeding time he's like this? How old are all of the discus, roughly? Hormones can play into it also.

[RyanH]

When you feed in one place in the tank, the dominant fish will eventually claim it for himself. Especially if it's a food that they really like.

You should feed in several different parts of the tank at the same time so the other fish can get to the food. If you are using something to hold the worms in while the fish feed, use several and don't keep any of them in one place for long.

-Ryan

[Cosmo]

Discus are territorial, and the alpha will stake out the spot he/she wants, and let the others beware. Your best bet is to feed at several points in the tank.. preferably on either end. That way, the food is spread out and everyone gets to eat.

Jim

[Cosmo]

Took too long typing... Ryan beat me to it.... curses... LOL

[RyanH]

Did anybody else hear that echo?

LOL :D

[DiscusBob]

Yeah, he's like this at feeding time, but ALL the time is feeding time as the shallow substrate acts as a buffet for any fish who happens to get hungry later on.

The fishes are of all ages from 8 months to 6 years.....the Alpha is probably 2 years old.

I really can't move the cone around as the turbulent water in other parts of the tank will spray the worms everywhere and they'll settle in the deep substarte where the rest of the Discus cannot reach them.

BB is an option....albeit a drastic one.

I might have to put him in an isolation tank....I didn't always have this dominance problem with the feeding area, so hopefully no one will move into his place.

[Westie]

All I can say is try free floating cubes once in a while. Your always gonna have an A-hole.

[Ryan]

If you isolate him, another discus will likely take his place. The alpha fish has a lot of benefits, one being that he/she has first choice at food and there's nothing anyone else can do about it. I've found that if I scatter food across the whole tank, the alpha fish can't guard ALL of it. Of course, this could be a little more difficult with substrate.

Ryan

[brewmaster15]

last year I had a probelm tank of fish , lots of fighting ... no matter how I yelled at them to be nice they ignored me!:( :mad:

One day I had an awesome day fishing... I came home and had a stringer of trout.. Not wanting to mess up the kitchen... I chopped the heads off the trout and cleaned them in my fish room work area...directly next to the trouble tank..

As I finished.I looked up and all the fish in that tank were looking at me intently... I figure the little buggers were hungry... as I approached the tank though to feed them , they all bolted and tried to hide behind the sponge..:confused: From that day forth they always behaved nicely... funny how their behavior changes without any apparant reason. I Still can't figure it out!;) :D :D :D :D :D

-al

Sorry for the digression...You can also make a cage out of nylon coated wire and leave the problem fish in it for a week or so..I usually do this and it works well...great for introducing new fish as well.

[Jarrod]

ROFLMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Al that was hilarious!!...tooooo funny...especially when you're sitting here acclimating new fish...like I'm doing...anywya had to laff BIG TIME at that one!!
:drummer: :bounce: :bounce:
Jarrod

[White Worm]

Thats funniest thing I have heard to date on Simply, thanks Al!!!!! I can actually picture the discus watching with bulging eyeballs when you chopped the heads off the trout, LMAO still!!! I use temporary separators when i have a little agression for a while and then let them back after a while. With a separator, they can still see each other but no damage and they seem to get better but as everyone has said, you will always have the butt-head alpha fish. I have 2 males that constantly lip lock while the other 8 are perfect roommates in a 85g. The 2 still havent figured out who is the boss but they never do any major damage so I let em go. I think their lips just get sore after a while, so they leave each other alone. Hey Al...Still LMAO!!!

[Cosmo]

Al - I think you need to re-think your sanitation regimen in your fishroom LOL

Would have made a perfect scene in a movie like "finding Nemo" LOL

Bob, so long as your environment stays the same, I think separating is only going to be a temporary respite.. the problem will return - whether it's the same fish or the one that takes over while this is one is out of the picture is really the only question. If you don't want to go BB, can't you redesign so there's a shallow area at each end??

Or try the butcher block approach and see how that works :D

Jim

[FischAutoTechGarten]

Bob,
I found if you take them out of the tank and make them stand in the corner, they'll never be able to bully the other fish again.