why discus fight at night?

[Bolden]

Noticed my discus get aggressive after lights out. They're in a 75-gallon tank with sand substrate, driftwood, and a few Amazon swords. Water's at 84°F, pH 6.8, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate. Anyone else see this? They're chill during the day but start squabbling at night.

[flashy]

Could be a territory thing. My discus did the same until I added more hiding spots. Try adding some tall plants or rocks to break up sightlines. What's your tank layout like?

[Lexat]

Mine do this too! Weird vibe, right? They're in a 55-gallon with a Fluval canister filter, and I feed them frozen bloodworms at night. Maybe they're just hangry?

[Dawn]

Yep, mine get feisty after dark. I've got a pair that's always bickering over the same corner. Gonna try adding more plants like flashy said. What kinda lighting schedule you running?

[Lapad]

Noticed my discus get aggressive after lights out. They're in a 75-gallon tank with sand substrate, driftwood, and a few Amazon swords. Water's at 84°F, pH 6.8, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate. Anyone else see this? They're chill during the day but start squabbling at night.

Mine did this until I dimmed the lights gradually instead of turning them off suddenly. Maybe try a moonlight setting?

[Cloudy]

Mine are in a 90-gallon with a sponge filter and they still fight at night. I've noticed it's worse after water changes. How often do you change the water?

[Bijack]

Sounds like they're just being drama queens. Mine do the same thing, especially if I skip their evening feeding. Try feeding them a bit later and see if that cuts it.

[Dapper]

Could be a territory thing. My discus did the same until I added more hiding spots. Try adding some tall plants or rocks to break up sightlines. What's your tank layout like?

Totally agree. I added some java ferns and they chilled out. Also, how many discus you got in there? Overcrowding can make them sketchy.

[turret]

Aggression at night is often linked to low oxygen levels. What's your surface agitation like? If it's too calm, they might be stressed from poor gas exchange.

[Bolden]

Thanks for the tips, everyone. Gonna try dimming the lights and adding more plants. I've got six discus in the 75-gallon, so maybe it's a space thing too.