Scared discus...what to do?

[Guja]

First post here, so greetings everybody, (and sorry about bad spelling...)

OK, so this is the problem:
I have 5 2,5inch discs, in a 38g tank, bb, 40% WC four to five times a week, heated and aerated without pH swing (pH7.8). But, every time I approach the aquarium, they just hide behind driftwood and won't come out! Even when I feed them they wait till I'm gone!
I sneaked a few times (so they cannot see me, very slowly) and everything was normal.
Any ideas what to do? I hate looking at empty bb tank with driftwood!!!:angry: :angry:
Any help or ideas are wellcome...

[chris allsop]

i know how you feel. ive just moved my main tank upstairs to make way for a new one. b4 the move the discus all atte out of my hand. since the move they hide when ever im there!!!
this has been a few wks and they are still doing it!!

how long have you had the fish and have they always been like that since you got them?

i would of thought 7.8 ph was high but ive been told people i have recently got fish of that there ph is alot higher than mine!!
good luck to both of us!!

[Carol_Roberts]

Give them a place to hide and they will :)

[mattphish]

Could be someone, like kids, could have spooked them or the water quality isn't quite right. I found out that one of my daughters friends thought it would be funny to run up on the tank and spook them. They werent right for about 2 days.

[Dissident]

When i added 6 new 2-2.5" to my tank they were scared for a while. The tank is in a high traffic area so it took them a while to adjust but they got used to it.

I found when i wear a black shirt they still tend to scatter a little, one or two of them at least. White shirts they are fine :-/

Let them see you while they are fed, sneak in and just stand there. Or in the morning when they are hungery give them their favorite food and stay there and see if one or two come out, if one goes out to feed the rest tend to follow.

[bennyblanco]

just give them time and dont baby them!!!!

[White Worm]

Go about business as normal, dont sneak because they will not get used to you. They will adjust to their surroundings. Dont give them hiding places because they will use them.