Newly acquired Wild Discus are very shy!?

[Toshika]

Hi, i got a question regarding wild discus.I got a couple of them from my friend about a month ago but they have not been eating and hiding behind the plants in my tank.they do come out after the lights are off but goes back to hiding quickly.Is it normal for their repsonse or is it my water condition being not suitable for them. They havent been eating too.thanks.

[celticfish]

Put a heater in the tank and turn the temp up to 30 C.
If that doesn't work go to 32 C or 33 C.
Keep it that way so their metabolic rate stays up.
Depending on their condition, maintain the temp for a week to a few (if you need them to eat more).
After the period you can reduce the temp at 1 C per day till 30 or 28 C.

[lyh]

If I were you, I would not keep them in a planted. Best would be to keep them in a bare tank until they are no longer skittish before putting them back. You can try to use bloodworms to lure them to eat.

[Puffer]

Put them in same water parameters as your friend's. Do not frighten them by sudden movements near the tank, or sudden light on/off. In my opinion, this is a normal behaviour to shy away, unless they have turned dark and motionlessly facing at the tank wall. Depending on individual fish, some may take up to weeks to feel easy. As the bros have mentioned, gradual increase in temperature and luring with their favourite food (sparingly) may help. However, wild adults are better conditioned in bare bottom tank (for easier maintenance and husbandry). I presumed they are conditioned wild adults anyway, so observe them carefully.

[Toshika]

Thanks Veterans for the advice. if i raise the temperature of the tank, will the other fishes be affected? should the temperature be maintained around 28-30 degrees mostly of the time?

[Puffer]

What types of other fishes are you keeping with? If they are neons or cardinals, should be fine with this range of temperature. Just remember to increase gradually - one degree celcius at a time. Infact, in our climate here, normal room temperature should suffice, but you may add in a heater to condition the tank water to about 29-30 degrees. My worry would be the plants which prefer cooler water. That's why it's better to condition your wild discus in a bare bottom tank.

Cheers,

[Toshika]

ok.i keeping them with cardinals, apisto and corys.plants are cryto, echindorus and some plant tied on drift wood. they do come out more often these few days to eat.just that they dont eat much.

[illumnae]

give them time to adapt to your tank. discus are notoriously shy in new conditions, but as long as you keep your water conditions clean they will start to get used to it and come out. my non-wilds in new surroundings took up to 2 months to "un-shy" themselves, so the wilds would probably take as long or longer.

to tempt them to eat, try to either feed them brine shrimp or buy a bag of 100 malayan shrimp and put them in your tank for the discus to hunt and eat on their own. get them eating again then after awhile (100 shrimp should last as long as a month, so maybe try 2-3 months of live feeding) slowly switch them over to dry food for convenience (though honestly i find throwing a bag of shrimp in monthly much more convenient )

[AngelAddick]

Please don't take my reply the wrong way. But there is a reason why they are called "wild" discus, just like wild-caught altums. These are precious fish that's not had their wildness domesticated by captive breeding. And that;s the challenge that aquarists need to set themseves after keeping farm-bred fish for a while. I've personally yet to buy any wild-caughts, save for 6 pieces of Long-nosed angels (P Leopoldi) and even after 2 months of quarantine, they were skittish and timid. It's now nearly a year, the the survising 3 pieces are extemely settled with my Peruvians and doing very well. And showing their true colours and superb temperament.

I guess as aquarists, we need to ask ourselves. In the wild, these fish have the entire expanse of the river to swim in, and somehow, they got netted, and transported in a puddle of water in a plastic bag filled with air, only to end up in 200 litres of water. Not the best of fates, therefore, I guess we do our best for them by providing a good and healthy environment to live in.

Keep them fishes happy, for they make you happy!

[Toshika]

Thanks guys for the comments and advices. I bought a bag of malayan shrimps and put them in. After 2 days they come out. i havent add the thermometer to rise the tank temperature, but nevertheless the discus are now all out, except 1 heckel...still hiding:> Thanks.

[trident]

toshika,
nice bunch of discus, congrats

[Heiko Bleher]

Hi,

this is Heiko Bleher and I just saw your nice tank and the beautiful discus. Nut I wanted to tell you the following:

You have there wild blue discus and also one tank breed spotted (which I guess you know already), which is not so bad, although I always suggest to keep wilds and tank breeds apart. They come from two different world's and not always mix well. But maybe it will work for you, as they look good.

What will hardly do well and work is your Heckel discus, that one come from definately the wild and from areas no other discus live. I guess most of the time he will hide and hardly ever associate with the others. Besides being a group fish (living in nature only in groups of its own, like cardinals), he comes from extreme chemical water parameters and will not feel well ever in water as for blues, or brown discus. They should be kept separate in its own environment, water condition.

Besides my book, were there is about everything ones wants to know about wild fishes, you can also look up:
www.discuspassion.net and go to Heiko Bleher, and than to Lessons, I have written already 10 most important lessons for wilds. In English and in Italian (as it is an Italian forum)

Also, you should give them some fine sandy ground.

Best regards
Heiko Bleher
www.aquapress-bleher.com

[Toshika]

Thanks Heiko for your sharing.But my heckel are out also already. They are mixing well with the others just that they are smaller so tend to get bullied by the bigger discus.

[barmby]

Hi Toshika,

Heckel may do well for now. But they may not live long due to their unfamiliar territory. I think not many in AQ has kept Heckel for more than 2 years. The life span of discus can be 10 yrs if they are always in nitrate free zone.

[Toshika]

Serious?so what can be done to prolong their life in there for more than 2 years?put in carbon to absorb the nitrate?

[Heiko Bleher]

Hi,

this is Heiko again.

I really do not know where one has the idea from, that Heckel discus live only 2 years in an aquarium. Sorry but that is bs. Unless the owner does not know how to take care.

In my book on wild discus, I have written just about everything one can ever know about wilds (Bleher's Discus volume I) and also extensively about Heckel discus (S. discus Pellegrin, 1904). And one of the main things to watch out for, is the low pH and extreme soft water they live in, and never together with other discus (not with brown, blue or green discus). In addition their is 80plus pages on nutrition, which is done in many occasions wrong (for Heckel discus) by the owner.

So if you want to keep Heckel successfully, there is no problem, if you take proper care.

Best regards
Heiko Bleher
www.aquapress-bleher.com

[barmby]

Hi Heiko, My apology. I mean - I think not many in AQ has kept Heckel for more than 2 years because they did not take propper care of their pets.

Serious?so what can be done to prolong their life in there for more than 2 years?put in carbon to absorb the nitrate?

I have not kept Heckel in my life. But I have experience with altum angels -

I change 1/3 of the tank water twice a week. runs two Ehiem 2228 filters for my 4 feet tank. Water is always clean. And I believe is nitrate free. I hope so because I have been keeing my altums for the past 4 yrs.

[Toshika]

Thanks to Heiko and Barmby for your helpful sharing.....anyway my discus as i said are already out. I do change my water twice a week, about 30% each time. Running on ehiem filters 2224 and another ecco model. By the way, Heiko, i cant find the section you mention about "10 most important lessons for wilds" from your website.

[Heiko Bleher]

Dear Toshika

You can find the lessons under:
www.discuspassion.net and on their home page on the left click on Heiko Bleher and than again on Heiko Bleher and you are there. The direct link is:

http://www.discuspassion.net/index.p...d=55&Itemid=68

Best regards

Heiko Bleher
www.aquapress-bleher.com

[AngelAddick]

Dear Heiko,
It's good to have you visit this forum regularly; personally, I think it's an honour to have you posting here.

I have some basic questions for wild discus, since it's something I am considering getting into, when I can start to affoird them.

(1) For a 200 litre tank, how many should I start with so that they still be able to form a community?

(2) I understand it is not advisable to mix them with domestic discus, but should I put dither fish for example rummy-nose (my favourite) and otocinclus?

(3) How low is the pH, and should I stick to just one variety of wild or can I have a mixed tank?

(4) How long is the life expectancy of wild discus and what are their chances of spawning?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

Phil