Why discus fry grow unevenly?

[swiftDart]

Noticed my discus fry are growing at different rates. Some are twice the size of others. Tank's a 55 gallon, temp at 84°F, pH 6.8, doing 50% water changes every other day. Feeding them beef heart mix 4 times a day. Any ideas why the size difference?

[tonic]

Uneven growth's common with discus fry. Could be competition for food. The bigger ones might be hogging it all. Try spreading the food across the tank or using multiple feeding spots. Also, check if the smaller ones are getting bullied.

[nicey]

Yep, tonic's got a point. I had the same issue. Started feeding in different corners, and the little guys caught up. Also, make sure your beef heart mix is fine enough for the small fry. Chunky bits can be tough for them.

[Lister]

Uneven growth's common with discus fry. Could be competition for food. The bigger ones might be hogging it all. Try spreading the food across the tank or using multiple feeding spots. Also, check if the smaller ones are getting bullied.

Exactly this. Dominance hierarchies form early. If you've got a mix of sizes, consider separating the smallest into a grow-out tank with less competition.

[Ace]

How old are the fry? If they're under a month, size variation's normal. But if it's been longer, might wanna look at water quality. Even small ammonia spikes can stunt growth.

[dawny]

Mine were all over the place too. Turned out the heater was sketchy, temp fluctuated a lot. Got a new one, kept it steady at 85°F, and they evened out. Maybe check your equipment?

[swiftDart]

Thanks, everyone. Gonna try spreading the food more and check the heater. Fry are about 3 weeks old, so maybe it's just early days.

[Banger]

3 weeks is young. Give it time. But yeah, multiple feeding spots helped mine. Also, consider adding some brine shrimp. The small fry go nuts for it.

[abbeytone]

Could be genetics too. Some just grow slower. If water and food are good, might just have to wait it out.

[Lexi]

3 weeks is young. Give it time. But yeah, multiple feeding spots helped mine. Also, consider adding some brine shrimp. The small fry go nuts for it.

Brine shrimp's a game-changer. The protein boost helps the runts catch up.