discus bullying in small groups

[JUSTICE]

I've got a group of 5 Discus in a 75-gallon tank, and one of them is constantly chasing the others. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate, pH 6.8. Temp is steady at 84°F with a Fluval heater. They're fed twice a day with a mix of frozen bloodworms and Hikari pellets. Anyone else dealt with this? It's stressing me out.

[Fuegoz]

Yep, seen this before. It's usually a dominance thing. Try adding more hiding spots with driftwood or plants. I used Java fern and it helped chill the vibe. Also, maybe bump up feeding to 3 times a day so they're less hangry.

[talon]

Had the same issue with my group. One dude was a straight-up bully. I moved him to a quarantine tank for a week, and when I put him back, he chilled out. Weird, but it worked. Tank's got sand substrate and a canister filter, if that matters.

[polar]

Aw, poor fishies. I'd try rearranging the tank decor to shake things up. Sometimes a new layout resets the pecking order. My Discus are in a 55-gallon with a sponge filter, and they're doing great now. Good luck!

[thart]

Dominance behavior is common in small groups. Ideally, you'd have at least 6 to spread aggression. Your water params sound solid, but make sure your filtration is robust. A 75-gallon should handle a bit more bioload if you decide to add another.

[JUSTICE]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I'll try adding more plants and maybe another Discus. Appreciate the help.

[Corona]

Yo, same thing happened to me. My bully fish was a jerk until I added some dither fish like tetras. Now he's too busy showing off to chase the others. Tank's got a black background and LED lights, which might help too.

[swiftly]

Had the same issue with my group. One dude was a straight-up bully. I moved him to a quarantine tank for a week, and when I put him back, he chilled out. Weird, but it worked. Tank's got sand substrate and a canister filter, if that matters.

That's interesting. I've heard temporary separation can work. My tank's got a similar setup, but I haven't needed to try it yet.

[Blossom]

Lol, fish drama. My Discus were like that until I switched to a bigger tank. Now they've got space to avoid each other. 125-gallon with a sump, and they're way happier. Maybe your bully just needs more room to flex.

[virus]

Mine did this too. I cut the lights for a few days and they calmed down. Tank's got a sponge filter and bare bottom, so maybe less stress overall.