why are my discus chasing each other?

[sealine]

My Discus have been chasing each other nonstop for the past week. Tank is 75 gallons, temp at 84°F, pH 6.8, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate. They're around 4 inches, fed twice daily with frozen bloodworms and beef heart mix. Tankmates are 6 Cardinal Tetras and a pair of Rams. Filter is a Fluval 407, substrate is sand, and there's driftwood with Java Ferns. No recent changes except a 20% water change 3 days ago. Is this aggression or something else?

[Bolden]

Sounds like typical Discus behavior, especially if they're establishing a pecking order. At 4 inches, they're hitting maturity, and dominance battles are common. Your params look solid, but I'd bump water changes to 30% twice a week to reduce stress. Also, try adding more hiding spots—maybe some tall plants like Amazon Swords. Are they flaring gills or just chasing? Flaring usually means aggression, while casual chasing could be mating behavior. How's their coloration during this?

[gold]

yo they just vibin. mine do that all the time. got a 55 gal, same temp, same food. they chill after a bit. just watch em.

[sealine]

Sounds like typical Discus behavior, especially if they're establishing a pecking order. At 4 inches, they're hitting maturity, and dominance battles are common. Your params look solid, but I'd bump water changes to 30% twice a week to reduce stress. Also, try adding more hiding spots—maybe some tall plants like Amazon Swords. Are they flaring gills or just chasing? Flaring usually means aggression, while casual chasing could be mating behavior. How's their coloration during this?

Thanks for the tips! They're definitely flaring gills, and colors are darker than usual. I'll up the water changes and grab some more plants today.

[Bolden]

Dark colors plus flaring? Yeah, that's aggression. They're likely sorting out who's boss. If it gets too rough, consider rearranging the decor to reset territories. Also, double-check the male-to-female ratio—if it's skewed, that can amp up tension. What's your lighting schedule? Too much light can stress them out. I run mine 8 hours max with a dimmer period at dawn/dusk.

[gold]

lol mine turn into goth fish when they mad. just give em time. they'll figure it out.

[Bolden]

lol mine turn into goth fish when they mad. just give em time. they'll figure it out.

Hah, 'goth fish' is spot on. But seriously, sealine, if the aggression doesn't settle in a week or two, you might need to separate the main instigator. Had to do that once with a particularly feisty male—gave him a timeout in a breeder box for a day, and he chilled out after.