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He approved!
Posted: Wed May 21, 2025 2:36 am
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?
Re: He approved!
Posted: Wed May 21, 2025 3:03 am
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.
Re: He approved!
Posted: Wed May 21, 2025 3:29 am
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?
Re: He approved!
Posted: Wed May 21, 2025 4:08 am
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.
Re: He approved!
Posted: Wed May 21, 2025 5:07 am
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?
Re: He approved!
Posted: Wed May 21, 2025 5:35 am
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.
Re: He approved!
Posted: Wed May 21, 2025 6:32 am
by martok
Mine still throw shade after three months. They're like high school cliques. You got lucky!
Re: He approved!
Posted: Wed May 21, 2025 7:03 am
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.
Re: He approved!
Posted: Wed May 21, 2025 7:20 am
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.
Re: He approved!
Posted: Wed May 21, 2025 7:43 am
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.