Who Gives A Fish Forums

86°F is pushing it, mate. Discus can handle warm water, but that's like a sauna for 'em. Mine chill at 82°F, and they're thriving. What's your heater brand? Some of those cheap ones are sketchy with temp swings.

API's fine if you're cool with color matching, but Salifert's where it's at for precision. My nitrates were off by 10ppm with API, switched to Salifert and it's way tighter. Plus, their phosphate test is clutch if you're running plants.

Or they're just being jerks. Some discus have a weird vibe like that. Mine nipped at everything until I rearranged the tank. Maybe they're just territorial. How many do you have in there?

Yeah, 78°F shouldn't be the issue unless your heater's sketchy and spiking temps. What brand is it? I've had cheap heaters cook my plants before. Also, how often are you doing water changes? Stagnant water can be worse than a slightly high temp.

Or they're just being weirdos. Fish do that sometimes. But yeah, probably check the flow like others said. Also, what's the tank height? Mine hated a tall tank until I lowered the water level a bit.

Glad to help. If the canister's output is too strong, you can point it at the glass or add a spray bar to diffuse the flow. Also, keep an eye on the tetras sometimes they nip without you noticing. Let us know how it goes.


Second the spray bar. Made a huge diff for my tank. And yeah, tetras can ...

Mine did this when the pH dropped too low. You mentioned params are good, but did you check pH recently? Discus like it stable around 6.5–7.0. Also, any new decor or changes to the tank? Even moving stuff around can stress them out.


pH is a sneaky one. My tap water's pH swings like crazy, so I ...

Re: San Merah?

Thanks for all the insight on San Merahs, everyone. I'm with basis - sometimes I don't mind stress bars if the deep brown color's there. It's probably a long shot finding genuine San Merahs these days, though. Good to see Cliff's still around, he was a huge help when I was struggling ...

Been out of the hobby for a bit, just got back into it and I'm curious - are San Merah still being bred? Had a gorgeous pair years ago from Discus USA, not sure if he's still in business. Anyone know of a reputable breeder who's got some? Still one of my all-time favorites.