DIscus nocturnal or just shy???

[barkmanusd]

I have 2 discus tanks (+cardinals & plecos) 55 & 75 gallons. Six fish in the in the large tank 4 - 6 inches. Seven fish 2.5 - 3 inches in the other tank.

Everyone is healthy, 35% water changes every other day, water chem. is great.

Question: I have 2 of the smaller discus who are extremely shy(?). One is a red & white the other is a altum flora. They don't even come out to eat with the others. They are growing so they are eating sometime. One night, 2am, I was up and noticed they were out and frolicking openly (the light was turned off and dark in the room). Since, I have checked several nights and they almost always are out and about. Is it possible they are nocturnal? I've never heard of that in 12 years of owning discus but.... figured I 'd ask.

[DiscusDrew]

Highly unlikely, are they in a high traffic location? How long have you had them? My thoughts are that they are stating awake later because that's when there is less activity and they feel comfortable. I wouldn't necessarily say that's becoming nocturnal because I can almost guarantee they aren't sleeping during the day...

[barkmanusd]

Hey Drew,

No not in a high traffic area at all. They are in my office , in a corner where no one walks. I've had them since maybe last fall or so. I do tend to stay up late and sometimes keep the light on later than normal hours. Not sure why that would only affect 2 fish though.

[Teshi]

I turn off my lights and my fish get very still... sleeping.

[DiscusDrew]

Hmmm that has me a little baffled, but fish are funny that way.... if you have any doubts read the thread I just posted... damn fish spawning on horizontal surfaces... Anyway, that would have been my best guess, I would deffinitely keep an eye on them in that case, that is not normal behavior and by now they should be eating readily with the group and such. Thats the part that really concerns me, but make sure they dont get lethargic or anything of the sort, ie, make sure they are eating heartily. Feces all normal from those two?

[Orange Crush]

How long have they been doing this? Since you got them or is this new behavior?

[a volar]

I have 2 discus tanks (+cardinals & plecos) 55 & 75 gallons. Six fish in the in the large tank 4 - 6 inches. Seven fish 2.5 - 3 inches in the other tank.

Everyone is healthy, 35% water changes every other day, water chem. is great.

Question: I have 2 of the smaller discus who are extremely shy(?). One is a red & white the other is a altum flora. They don't even come out to eat with the others. They are growing so they are eating sometime. One night, 2am, I was up and noticed they were out and frolicking openly (the light was turned off and dark in the room). Since, I have checked several nights and they almost always are out and about. Is it possible they are nocturnal? I've never heard of that in 12 years of owning discus but.... figured I 'd ask.

I think will be better to change more water on the tank with Seven fish 2.5 - 3 inches, may be about 80% daily and wait if they get better in the next 2 weeks, if they don't get better I'll suspect they will have parasites.