preventing stress in discus fish

[loverd]

My Discus seem stressed lately, hiding a lot and not eating like usual. Tank's a 75 gallon, temp at 84F, pH 6.8, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate. Weekly 50% water changes with Prime, sand substrate, driftwood, and some Java ferns. Been feeding frozen bloodworms and flakes but they're picky now. Any ideas what's messing with them?

[mole]

Stressed Discus can be tricky. Your params look solid, but how's the flow from your filter? Too much current can stress them out. Also, check if any tankmates are bullying them. I've got a Fluval FX4 on my 90 gallon but dialed it way down with a spray bar. They're chill now.

[julian]

Stressed Discus can be tricky. Your params look solid, but how's the flow from your filter? Too much current can stress them out. Also, check if any tankmates are bullying them. I've got a Fluval FX4 on my 90 gallon but dialed it way down with a spray bar. They're chill now.

Yep, flow's a biggie. I run a sponge filter in my 55, super gentle. Also, loverd, what's your lighting schedule? Too bright or too long can sketch them out. Mine dig dim LED for 8 hours max.

[BoldRom]

Agree with mole and julian. Another thing: how often do you rearrange decor? Discus like stability. I only move stuff during deep cleans, maybe once a month. Also, try adding some dither fish like Cardinals—they help shy Discus feel safer. My group perked up after adding 10 of 'em.

[flashy]

Water changes might need tweaking. I do 30% twice a week instead of one big change—keeps things steadier. And yeah, beef heart mix got my finicky eaters back on track. Blend it with garlic guard, they go nuts. Just cut it small so it doesn't foul the water.

[melodic]

My Discus hid for weeks when I first got 'em. Turned out the black background I added freaked them out. Swapped it for light blue, now they're out all day. Maybe check if something's spooking yours? Even a shadow from outside can weird them out.

[pacer]

Water changes might need tweaking. I do 30% twice a week instead of one big change—keeps things steadier. And yeah, beef heart mix got my finicky eaters back on track. Blend it with garlic guard, they go nuts. Just cut it small so it doesn't foul the water.

Twice a week changes saved my tank too. Also, loverd, what's your substrate depth? Too deep can trap gunk and stress them. I keep mine at 1 inch max, vacuum it every change.

[tigercub]

Never kept Discus but my angels hate sudden movements near the tank. Maybe walk softer around yours? Saw a guy on YouTube who put his tank in a low-traffic spot and his fish stopped hiding. Just a thought.

[mossy]

Temperature consistency matters heaps. I run two Eheim heaters set 2 degrees apart as backup. One failed once and the drop had my Discus sulking for days. Now I check calibration monthly with a separate thermometer.

[loverd]

Thanks for all the tips, gonna try dimming the lights and adding Cardinals first. Appreciate the help!