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why discus fight at night?
Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2025 2:34 am
by Bolden
Noticed my discus get aggressive after lights out. They're in a 75-gallon tank with sand substrate, driftwood, and a few Amazon swords. Water's at 84°F, pH 6.8, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate. Anyone else see this? They're chill during the day but start squabbling at night.
Re: why discus fight at night?
Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2025 3:35 am
by flashy
Could be a territory thing. My discus did the same until I added more hiding spots. Try adding some tall plants or rocks to break up sightlines. What's your tank layout like?
Re: why discus fight at night?
Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2025 3:54 am
by Lexat
Mine do this too! Weird vibe, right? They're in a 55-gallon with a Fluval canister filter, and I feed them frozen bloodworms at night. Maybe they're just hangry?
Re: why discus fight at night?
Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2025 5:24 am
by Dawn
Yep, mine get feisty after dark. I've got a pair that's always bickering over the same corner. Gonna try adding more plants like flashy said. What kinda lighting schedule you running?
Re: why discus fight at night?
Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2025 5:47 am
by Lapad
Bolden wrote: ↑Sat Jun 14, 2025 2:34 am
Noticed my discus get aggressive after lights out. They're in a 75-gallon tank with sand substrate, driftwood, and a few Amazon swords. Water's at 84°F, pH 6.8, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate. Anyone else see this? They're chill during the day but start squabbling at night.
Mine did this until I dimmed the lights gradually instead of turning them off suddenly. Maybe try a moonlight setting?
Re: why discus fight at night?
Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2025 6:52 am
by Cloudy
Mine are in a 90-gallon with a sponge filter and they still fight at night. I've noticed it's worse after water changes. How often do you change the water?
Re: why discus fight at night?
Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2025 8:28 am
by Bijack
Sounds like they're just being drama queens. Mine do the same thing, especially if I skip their evening feeding. Try feeding them a bit later and see if that cuts it.
Re: why discus fight at night?
Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2025 9:57 am
by Dapper
flashy wrote: ↑Sat Jun 14, 2025 3:35 am
Could be a territory thing. My discus did the same until I added more hiding spots. Try adding some tall plants or rocks to break up sightlines. What's your tank layout like?
Totally agree. I added some java ferns and they chilled out. Also, how many discus you got in there? Overcrowding can make them sketchy.
Re: why discus fight at night?
Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2025 10:19 am
by turret
Aggression at night is often linked to low oxygen levels. What's your surface agitation like? If it's too calm, they might be stressed from poor gas exchange.
Re: why discus fight at night?
Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2025 10:26 am
by Bolden
Thanks for the tips, everyone. Gonna try dimming the lights and adding more plants. I've got six discus in the 75-gallon, so maybe it's a space thing too.