I Need Advice

I have a planted discus tank. Unfortunately the plants are not large as they have only recently planted.

I have one dominant discus & he is constantly chasing the other 2 smaller ones.It doesn't seem to intimidate them. They do not huddle in a corner & they manage to get their share of the food. I have noticed some nipped fins, however. I have planted my aquarium heavily with plastic till my real plants take off.

What is your opinion on how this will reduce the chasing ?

 

The thick growth has stopped the behaviour "somewhat" but there is still some chasing & nipping. Will the dominant discus eventually "give up the chase?"

 

I believe that tank dividers were offered as a solution in this thread:

http://www.3reef.com/forums/freshwater-aquariums/what-would-you-do-97192.html

Is that not something you want to do?

 

I did not try a tank divider, but I did put the larger, more dominant, discus in a separate tank for 2 weeks. This was also offered as a solution to my problem. When I put him back, the aggression continued although not quite as bad. I have had members suggest dither fish. Not cardinals, as they swim near the bottom. I need fish that stick to the top of the tank. Dianos were suggested although they may be too fast & create stress for the discus. Another suggested a couple of angels. Can you think of any fish that would distract the attention of the discus from his own kind ?

 

Will cooler temperatures ( around 82F ) reduce aggression among discus ? I read this.

 

It could because they won't be quite as active. It will help your plants grow better also.

 

Update.

Wonderful news ! My discus are doing much better. I actually think they are finally beginning to feel more comfortable with each other. The only time there is still a bit of chasing is during feeding. I feed a small amount 3 times a day & everyone is getting enough to eat.

I took out all the plastic I had floating on the surface. ( so far, so good ) My next change is Tues. I'm thinking of getting rid of all the plastic to give my real plants the light they need. There will still be rocks & driftwood for hiding, if necessary.

Thanks for all your help !