Shy Discus

[ouch]

Hello,
I am new to the forum and just got 5 discus about three weeks ago.
They are about 3.5-4 inches and are in a planted tank.

The problem is that anytime I come around the tank the bolt and hide behind driftwood... I try and feed them and they will eventually come out and eat like pigs but if I move they hide again and then slowly come back out to eat. If I am a distance away from the tank they are usually out and swimming around.

My questions are: will they continue to be this skittish if somebody comes around the tank?
Would taking away the driftwood hiding spot help be better so they dont continue to hide? I had a friend tell me that if Discus have lots of hiding spots in the tank as juvies they will continue to be skittish when adult. is that true?
What could I do to make them be less skittish?

Also my water conditions are all in order and I do water changes every couple days.

[ILuvTropicalFish]

Hi, Welcome to Simply. You will find a wealth of information here and people who are ready and willing to help with everything Discus.

I found mine to be skiddish too especially in the beginning. They need time to acclimate to their new surroundings both in the tank and out. I found them to be a little more sociable once they realized I was the one with the food. I also spend some time sitting still and watching them. Now I can go up to the glass and do fish kissy faces, no laughing allowed, and they do not dart away.

Some of the more experienced discus keepers will be along soon I am sure to add other info that you may need to know.

[mjs020294]

We feed using a Turkey Baster, and they associated us with food very quickly. The braver ones literally circle the baster as it descends into the water.

[mmorris]

If they have something to hide behind, they will hide.

[SHAD0W]

Not giving a fish something to hide behind is pretty cruel though, these fish aren't in empty glass boxes in the wild...

Mine were like that for the first 3 weeks but now they're quite brave and have started swimming around, sometimes they still shy into their hiding places if theres a sudden movement outside the tank but they'll come to terms with it eventually. I've had my discus a month on saturday :)

[diamond_discus]

If your water parameter is okay and the fishes are not sick, they will eventually settle down in their new tank. Just avoid sudden walk or any fast movement to your tank, not to scare them too much ... Perhaps your tank light is too bright ?

Try feeding them from the same location everyday. Put your hand in the water with food when the fishes are most hungry .. eventually they will learn that when you approach the tank, it's feeding time .. and they will all swim to the top near that feeding spot .. waiting for food.

[jjchmiel78]

What about one that has become shy? Of the three I got back at the beginning of December the largest and most brazen at feeding time is now extremely shy. I have noticed the one originally the smallest is now the biggest and showing dominance in the tank. He will chase the other two a little bit, but not all the time. When I have just the tank lights on and I come into the room hidden in the shadows I will see all three together showing great color. As soon as they see me approach the tank the one darts back behind some driftwood with Anubias plant cover and turns almost black in color. The other two will pull the frozen food right out of my hand. Once I step back into the shadows after spreading the food across the tank it comes out, grazes for food with the others sometimes getting chased by the dominant one, and show a wonderful shade of brilliant blue. Is it just getting picked on to much and I should add more Discus to the tank? Is that what it's personality has just become and I should not worry? They are in a 120 gallon tank with some Columbian Tetras and Zebra Plecos.

[Skip]

What about one that has become shy? Of the three I got back at the beginning of December the largest and most brazen at feeding time is now extremely shy. I have noticed the one originally the smallest is now the biggest and showing dominance in the tank. He will chase the other two a little bit, but not all the time. When I have just the tank lights on and I come into the room hidden in the shadows I will see all three together showing great color. As soon as they see me approach the tank the one darts back behind some driftwood with Anubias plant cover and turns almost black in color. The other two will pull the frozen food right out of my hand. Once I step back into the shadows after spreading the food across the tank it comes out, grazes for food with the others sometimes getting chased by the dominant one, and show a wonderful shade of brilliant blue. Is it just getting picked on to much and I should add more Discus to the tank? Is that what it's personality has just become and I should not worry? They are in a 120 gallon tank with some Columbian Tetras and Zebra Plecos.

i got confused reading your post, until i realized you were HIJACKING the Thread...

your problem is that you only have 3.. discus like to be in groups of at least 5.. 6 seems to be magic number.. the SHY one is bottom of pecking order.. he will always be at the bottom.. and the the aggression is really magnified.. since there is only 3..

if you add more.. make sure you qt them BEFORE adding to your tank.. to save your existing and new stock from cross contamination..

[damba]

Have to agree with the above
Mine are lowish light on the bottom run. When someone walks by the follow as they know legs usually means grub. They are not shy at all when they settle. In fact they are downright nosey.

Sent from my GT-I5800 using Tapatalk

[jjchmiel78]

I do have a 30 gallon quarantine tank ready to go and want to add more, just not much of any selection whatsoever at the LFS. In fact the one I got these from went out of business two months after I got them. I understand the aggression dominance thing, just curious if there might be something more I need to keep an eye out for since the formally aggressive one is now low man on the totem pole and the one that was the smallest with frayed fins and shyest is now the biggest and most aggressive one. The third has always remained in it's position. Like I said he is fine and out with the other two as long as I am in the shadows but as I approach the tank he bolts and the other two come up to the top of tank for feeding. Sorry for Hijacking, just thought it best to keep the related information all together rather than start a separate one.

[John_Nicholson]

Not giving a fish something to hide behind is pretty cruel though, these fish aren't in empty glass boxes in the wild...

Mine were like that for the first 3 weeks but now they're quite brave and have started swimming around, sometimes they still shy into their hiding places if theres a sudden movement outside the tank but they'll come to terms with it eventually. I've had my discus a month on saturday :)


No its not. It is not even close to cruel. Back to the original posters question normally they are shy because they are either unhealthy or your water is not right. If you read though the forum you will find some folks like myself that have been doing this for years. We will all tell you to keep juvi's in a bare bottom tank for their health. When they are grown then move them to a planted tank. You will have a lot more success. You can also listen to people who have had them for a month and make rash emotional decisions...they are your fish and it is your decision.

-john

[pcsb23]

hehe John this guy posted that back in March 2010 and hasn't been on the forum since June 2010. You are of course quite right though about the cruelty, too many people apply human emotions.

[shoveltrash]

hi & welcome ouch & jjchmiel78!

jjchmiel78, READ here as much as possible (use the 'advanced search' tool to look up specific questions you have), invest in a larger tank, buy from a Simply Discus sponsor, and make your Discus experience much more successful.
the reason I say this? I've been in your shoes - 2 or 3 Discus is not a good number, & LFS is not a great source for Discus. I lost mine, and started over doing just what I recommended to you - and now I have a FABULOUS tankful of 6 Discus from Kenny! :D
I would never again have less fish, it's just not healthy.


ouch I too worried about my fish, but after a month in their new tank they've turned into very non-shy beggars LOL!
I feed from my fingers, every time.
also, after I added a couple of sword plants they seemed to be much better/less skittish (I already had a piece of driftwood). perhaps your Discus don't have enough space to hide? hard to say without seeing your tank.

[John_Nicholson]

hehe John this guy posted that back in March 2010 and hasn't been on the forum since June 2010. You are of course quite right though about the cruelty, too many people apply human emotions.

I know Paul but I just saw it and was afraid some newbie would read it and think it was correct....LOL.

-john

[jjchmiel78]

Actually I have them in a 120 gallon tank. The 30 I mentioned is my standby quarantine tank. I use to have aquariums 10+ years ago and started up again in May. The Discus I got when they became available in December. They were fine when I got them, and are fine for the most part now. I just found it odd the original dominant one is now more shy than they ever have. The other two will attack the food as soon as it hits the surface. I am picky on the colors and patterns for Discus because of their cost, so I like to see them in person before I buy. I suppose I could get a larger quarantine tank, order a batch and see which ones I like the most for my show tank and sell the rest on craigslist locally.