Discus

[Drifter]

Hey all,

I bought an itty bitty discus on the weekend (he's about 7cm diameter) and he has spent almost the whole time since then hiding in the bushes. He also seems to sit on a slight angle for the most part.

He shares the tank with a couple of dwarf chiclids and a couple of catfish.

is this behaviour normal or should I be worried about him?

Thanks,

Drifter,

[Ant]

Discus don't like to be alone. 2 discus is ok and 3 is even better. My discus used to do this as well. What i had to do was strip the tank so they had no hiding spots. This forced them to get used to being out in the open, and they were fine after that.

When you purchased it did you ask when the last time the fish was wormed? it may have a case of worms. does he look skinny? is he dark in colour? One thing shops fail to tell people is that disus are extremely volnerable to worms. In my oppinion this is why they are seen as a difficult fish to keep. If you learn to worm your fish correctly it is a breeze. If you want info on worming your fish send me a private message.

I wouldn't worry about water parameters because discus are more adaptable than people believe and will live in acidic or alkaline water. It will take a while for your little discus to settle in. To make it better for him, buy more discus and make less (or no) hiding spots. If you think he is sick then it is probably worms.

Anthony

PS: another way to get your discus happy might be to bribe him with food. Every time you walk up to the tank put in a little bit of food. Eventually the fish will associate your presence with food and come to the front of the tank.