why discus nip at plants?

[morse]

Noticed my discus keep nipping at the plants in my 75 gallon tank. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate. Temp's at 84°F, running a Fluval FX6. Anyone else deal with this? They're about 4 inches, fed twice daily with frozen bloodworms and flakes.

[Raptor]

Could be a dietary thing. Mine did that when I wasn't giving enough greens. Try adding some spirulina flakes or blanched spinach to their diet. Also, check if the plants are soft enough—some discus prefer tender leaves.

[silverbob]

I've seen this behavior in younger discus. They might just be exploring. How old are yours? If they're under a year, it could just be a phase. My group stopped after they hit maturity. Tank's got Amazon swords and Java fern, right?

[oldRash]

Yep, mine used to mess with the plants too. Turned out they were bored. Added some driftwood and a few dither fish like rummynose tetras, and they chilled out. How's your lighting schedule? Too much light can stress 'em.

[foxcape]

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?

[Nimbus]

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?

I agree with the territorial angle. Had a pair that got aggressive with plants when they were spawning. Could be a sign they're settling in.

[Bamda]

Check your water hardness too. Soft water can make discus more prone to nipping. Mine stopped when I bumped up the GH a bit. What's your current hardness? Also, how often are you doing water changes?

[StarD]

Mine did this when the filter flow was too high. They seemed stressed. Lowered the flow on my canister, and they calmed down. Maybe check if your FX6 is too strong for them.

[Mango]

Check your water hardness too. Soft water can make discus more prone to nipping. Mine stopped when I bumped up the GH a bit. What's your current hardness? Also, how often are you doing water changes?

That's a good point. I keep my GH around 6-8 dGH, and they've been fine. How's your KH? Stability's key with these fish.

[morse]

Thanks for the tips, everyone. Gonna try adding some greens and tweaking the flow. My GH is 5, KH 4, so maybe I'll adjust that too. Appreciate the help!