He approved!

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fairydust
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Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 8:22 pm

He approved!

Post by fairydust »

Just introduced a new Discus to my 75 gallon tank after a month in quarantine, and my dominant male finally stopped flaring at him. He's even sharing the feeding zone now. Anyone else had a stubborn Discus take forever to accept a newbie?
riverbanker
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Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 7:31 pm

Re: He approved!

Post by riverbanker »

Discus hierarchy can be tricky. What's your tank setup like? I've found that adding more visual barriers with driftwood or plants can reduce aggression. Also, what's your feeding routine? Sometimes competition over food escalates tension.
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frostia
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Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 1:23 am

Re: He approved!

Post by frostia »

Glad to hear it's working out! I had a similar situation last year. Took about three weeks for my alpha to chill. How's the new guy's color? Stress bars fading yet?
axonix
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Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 7:31 pm

Re: He approved!

Post by axonix »

fairydust wrote: Wed May 21, 2025 2:36 am Just introduced a new Discus to my 75 gallon tank after a month in quarantine, and my dominant male finally stopped flaring at him. He's even sharing the feeding zone now. Anyone else had a stubborn Discus take forever to accept a newbie?
Yep, Discus are drama queens. Mine took six weeks to stop side-eyeing the newcomer. What's your water change schedule? Stable params help ease the transition.
larkfarm
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Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 7:13 pm

Re: He approved!

Post by larkfarm »

I've had success with rearranging the tank decor before adding new fish. It disrupts established territories. Did you try that, or was it just time that did the trick?
Willow
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Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 9:31 pm

Re: He approved!

Post by Willow »

Discus are so finicky. My group took two months to fully accept a new juvenile. What's the temp in your tank? I keep mine at 86°F during introductions, seems to mellow them out.
martok
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Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 10:17 pm

Re: He approved!

Post by martok »

Mine still throw shade after three months. They're like high school cliques. You got lucky!
fairydust
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Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 8:22 pm

Re: He approved!

Post by fairydust »

Thanks for the tips, everyone! I do weekly 50% water changes, temp's at 84°F. The new guy's stress bars are almost gone, and I added extra Java Ferns last week. Maybe that helped.
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Deepsea
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Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2022 4:14 am

Re: He approved!

Post by Deepsea »

Willow wrote: Wed May 21, 2025 5:35 am Discus are so finicky. My group took two months to fully accept a new juvenile. What's the temp in your tank? I keep mine at 86°F during introductions, seems to mellow them out.
Interesting point about the temp. I might try bumping mine up next time. What's your pH? I've heard stability matters more than the exact number.
fennec
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 5:08 pm

Re: He approved!

Post by fennec »

I've had mixed results with Discus intros. Some are instant buddies, others hold grudges. How many do you have total now? Maybe the group size affects dynamics.
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