male biting female

[lorri]

hi my male discus has just starting biting the female, he is taking scales off her and chases her and bites constantly for the last couple of hours, i am worried for her,is this normal . they have had fry and they are out of the tank, he never has done this before, help please. lorri

[Keith Perkins]

He's horny and wanting her to spawn again. Usually they work it out on their own, but occasionally you have to intercede. I've added a group of tall artifical plants to a corner of the tank before to give the beaten upon some cover when occasionally felt like they needed it and fortunately that worked out for me. On occasion some have had to seperate pairs. I'd either add the plants or just keep a close eye on them. A little fighting is no big deal, especially if it leads to great make up sex.

[Poco]

A little fighting is no big deal, especially if it leads to great make up sex.

who doesn't love that :D

[cubert]

I'm actually having a somewhat similar problem. I've had my discus for almost 2 weeks, i got 2 initially and 2 more a few days later. One of the original discus keeps chasing the 2 "newer" ones around, it doesn't look like hes trying to bite as none of the discus has any marks, but it usually happens much more when feeding happens. I don't want the 2 newer ones to be fearful every day, will the agressive discus ever grow out of it or should i replace him?

[nabilbb]

I had the same problem when a new pair was formed in the community tank, after the first spaw the male was beating the female so hard untill she was injured and she started keeping away from him. it ended up the male eating the eggs but now it is their 8th spaw and they don't fight at all and they both take care of the eggs

Untill now I don't understand what that beating was

[lorri]

I don't know whether to leave them together as he is doing it all the time, i mean hours on end, he chases her into a corner so she can't move and just lays into her, she has gone dark and just stays there and he beats her, it not like it just happens a little now and again, so when is time to move one out, if that is the right thing to do? They have had many spawns together and he never did this before, thanks again Lorri

P.S you are right ,make up sex is fine lol

[Bill63SG]

I'm actually having a somewhat similar problem. I've had my discus for almost 2 weeks, i got 2 initially and 2 more a few days later. One of the original discus keeps chasing the 2 "newer" ones around, it doesn't look like hes trying to bite as none of the discus has any marks, but it usually happens much more when feeding happens. I don't want the 2 newer ones to be fearful every day, will the agressive discus ever grow out of it or should i replace him?Your experiencing pecking order,and with only 4 discus,it might continue.


I don't know whether to leave them together as he is doing it all the time, i mean hours on end, he chases her into a corner so she can't move and just lays into her, she has gone dark and just stays there and he beats her, it not like it just happens a little now and again, so when is time to move one out, if that is the right thing to do? They have had many spawns together and he never did this before, thanks again Lorri

P.S you are right ,make up sex is fine lolIt might be a fishy divorce.If he's at her non-stop like that I would seperate and give them a little break.

[nabilbb]

I think separate them for a while and put them back again and see what happens

[eaglesfan3000]

Maybe he's going through a mid-life crisis and he needs a younger female.

[Bill63SG]

Maybe he's going through a mid-life crisis and he needs a younger female.You take his age,cut it in half,and add seven.Wait a minute,that's my mid -life crisis.

[Keith Perkins]

One other possibility is dividing them rather than removing one, depending what kind of tank you have them in or have available. 29s are easy to divide with a piece of eggcrate, fluorescent light covers that look like mini ice cube makers. This gives the advantage of the pair still being together and "thinking" about each other and spawning without the male being able to harm her. A week or two of rest and you can pull the eggcrate and see if they've made up.

[lorri]

Thanks all, I have put the male in the other tank,will try them back together in a week and see how they get on, we have the girl for about a year or so and got the male a few months ago,they got on straight away with no troubles,and then they had about 8 spawns with the babies only lasting for a few days then this last lot survived and now we have them in a little tank. The male is a carnation and the female a blue something, i can't remember the name.

[ufoblue84]

the male wants love lol