holders and feeding

[Palue]

Would just like to know if you all prefer just placing the discus foods in the tank water or putting the things like the frozen foods in the holders for them??

Which works better when you have a group of discus??

:angel:

[aquagal]

I just throw them in.

[White Worm]

I just throw them in.
ditto

[Harriett]

In my planted tank I use a cone feeder for all food-otherwise it drifts off due to the surface current and ends up in hiding places where it may not get cleaned up/eaten--more likely to pollute the tank and underfeed the fish.
In the bare bottom tanks I just throw it in.
Best regards
Harriett

[DiscusOnly]

I like to hold the piece of frozen food and have them come up to tear it out but doing 6-8 feeding a day, the gloves are getting expensive (I am alergic to FBW).

Like other said, throwing it in is fine. If your make the piece smaller, the fish will get to it before it wander off to far. With BB, they do a very good job of cleaning it up.

[ShinShin]

If you put the food in a holder, the dominant discus will force others out of the area.

Mat

[Don Trinko]

I make an effort to spread the food around so that all the fish have a chance to eat. I have seen one discus chase all the others away from the food. Spreading it around makes it difficult for the #1 fish to chase the others away. Don T.

[MostlyDiscus]

Same here Don. I spread from one end of the tank to the other. I have no plants or gravel in any of my tanks.

[Harriett]

If you put the food in a holder, the dominant discus will force others out of the area.

Mat

Larry,
In my tank, the #1 initially is the one to go to the cone territorially to feed and fend off the others, but after a little bit, he just eats his fill and moves on--then the rest go up to the cone and feed without problems, including the bodacious clown loaches.
I am sure every tank dynamic is unique. When in the past I have had a bully running the tank, I have just put in 2 cones to feed. THe tank is a 6 footer, so he can't be in both places at once--things would get back to normal quickly.
Best regards,
Harriett

[ShinShin]

Harriett,

Didn't the #2 discus carry on the same behavior if and when the #1 discus left its post?

Mat

[Harriett]

Mat,
it actually seemed to just chill the behaviour--I think it confused them as to who what to try and control. While the bullies were swimming between the cones, the rest were getting their fill. In a short time, they just all leveled out. The most alpha[s] ate first and attempted to guard, but then wanted to go control the other cone also and since I positioned the cones a good 4-5 feet apart, it just took care of itself. Eventually I was able to remove the second cone and now they ALL eat from the one, including the entourage of loaches, etc. The cards, cories, and other inocuous foragers in there just hang back and wait until the discus have dropped enough food on the sand below to go in and clean that area up. It is completely peaceful. I make sure the area just below the feed cone is never planted, so it is easy to get to the food coming down.
Best regards,
Harriett