Who Gives A Fish Forums

Sounds like you're on the right track. Just one thing—make sure your Tetras are well-fed before adding them. Hungry Tetras might nip at Discus slime coats. I feed mine brine shrimp before introductions, and it's never been an issue. Good luck!

I'd lean toward water quality too. Even if params are good, dissolved organics can irritate fins. Try adding some Indian almond leaves—they've got antibacterial properties and might help.


Second this. Also, consider a UV sterilizer if you're battling persistent bacterial issues. They're pricey ...

Could be bacterial if the water's clean and there's no aggression. Try upping the water changes to 50% for a week and see if it improves. Also, what's your filter setup? A clogged filter can mess with water quality even if params look good.

I've got a 1 year old Discus tank, 10 discus, a school of rummy nose/cardinal tetras, 6 corys, and a BN pleco. Always been a fan of congo tetras. My tank's a 4ft x 2ft x 2ft with a 20 gal wet/dry sump. I know congos are fast swimmers and will eat up FDBW, but I'm curious - has anyone kept congos ...

Re: "Natural Discus Behavior"

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll definitely give it a read.

Re: "Natural Discus Behavior"

Originally posted by Slybird
Discus are shoaling fish, not schooling fish. You can google the def.

Thanks, I'm aware of the distinction - no need to google it.

Hey All,

I've been reading up on this forum and others about maintaining "normal discus behavior", but to be honest, I'm still unsure what that really means, especially in a glass cage. My fish are pretty territorial, they spawn, pair off, and defend themselves and their mates. They even shimmy and ...

Re: Ideal temp

Thanks for the feedback, I'll stick with the 86F for now and see how my discus respond. Hopefully it's not too warm for my cardinals and sterbai - I'll be keeping an eye on them.

I've had my discus for a while now, they're not juveniles anymore, and after a massive tank cleanup, I decided to bump up the temperature in my discus tank from 82F to 86F. I've also got cardinals, sterbai, rummy nose, and bristlenose plecos in there.

I'm aware that higher temps increase metabolism ...

Re: Favorite Discus

Got a mystery discus here, anyone know the strain? This pic doesn't do him justice, he's way more vibrant blue in person.