# Trick to get Discus to eat...



## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

Just want to ask those of you who are experienced with discus how to get your new discus to eat if he is showing no interest in any food whatsoever?

I have tried to offer frozen bloodworm, mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, his own dry food from his breeder, live spetrum food...and he wont even look at them at all.

Thank you.


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## hlee72ca (Jun 29, 2010)

If discus won't eat, its usually because they don't like your water conditions, (ph, temperature, nitrates). More info needed. tank setup, was the discus eating before you got him? size of discus?


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## dino (Aug 29, 2011)

i would agree my discus are pigs can we ask age of fish? Size? How many tank setup any info will help but its most likely not what your feeding them but it is probley because they are stressed


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## April (Apr 21, 2010)

Also how many. What others tank mates? Substrate? 
Do a big wc , match the ph, make sure no bioload especially if you have substrate and crank the heat to 90. Hopefully you. Didn't just buy one discus . Check and see if any poo or white poo, or if his stomach is flat and empty.


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## Lamplighter (Aug 3, 2012)

April said:


> Also how many. What others tank mates? Substrate?
> Do a big wc , match the ph, make sure no bioload especially if you have substrate and crank the heat to 90. Hopefully you. Didn't just buy one discus . Check and see if any poo or white poo, or if his stomach is flat and empty.


I read the "one" discus bit!  Are discus social animals, more so than other fish? Also if some have been tank mates and they get separated might they pine away?


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

April said:


> Also how many. What others tank mates? Substrate?
> Do a big wc , match the ph, make sure no bioload especially if you have substrate and crank the heat to 90. Hopefully you. Didn't just buy one discus . Check and see if any poo or white poo, or if his stomach is flat and empty.


Hi,
Thanks for the help.
I got 6 of them, 3 are a bit more than 1.5" and 3 are about 2".
At first I put them in my planted 33 gallon and I only had 3 the first day, tank mates were dwaft pencil fish, small otos, german blue rams, and a few corydoras.
The first 3 spent their whole day hiding. Next day I went and got 3 more. The next 3 would swim around but once I come to the tank they will hide away. They dont really ahng out with the first 3 and the first 3 just hide day and night behind a rock.
My planted tank also had co2 injection.
My water parameters were Ammonia:0, Nitrite:0, Nitrate: 15ppm, KH:3, GH:3, Temp:86F.
The new 3 discus are not as shy but only came out to eat off the substrate at night and they hardly ever ate anything.
I now place them in a bare bottom 10 gallon with a sponge filter and one internal filter (it is a sponge attached to a power head).
I hope perhaps the smaller envirnoment will make them feel more secure. I will be doing 50% + water change daily. They are all hiding under the heater right now. But it has only been an hour.
I really want them to eat. It has been 3 days for the second 3 and 4 days for the first 3. 
Their poos are not white.
I am adding a bit of paraguard into my water.
I use tap waterm, with prime, and a bit of equilibrium, adjust temp to 86 then add water in through a bucket.
What should I do?


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## discuspaul (Jul 2, 2010)

You've only had those discus for a very short while, less than a week it seems, and they're likely still stressed from being placed into a new environment.
And as you've moved them into another tank since you got them, you've simply served to stress them even more.
It's not unusual for discus, particularly very young ones like you have, to take several weeks to become fully comfortable in a new ernvironment, and not uncommon for them to not begin eating for several days.
Leave them be where they are now, give them some time to become familiar with you, the tank, and your routine, keep doing daily water changes, and they should eventually come around. 
Try some very light feedings over the next few days, and add a little crushed garlic to whatever it is you feed them, and that may help stimulate their appetite, and well as the higher temp, as April pointed out.


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

Thank you everyone,
after I placed them in my barebottom tank, increase the temp, did a big water change,a nd black out the back and sides of the tank, they are doing better.
I gave them some live califonia worms and some of them ate a bit. Then a few hours later I added some frozen bllodworm and they again took a few bits. I waited an hour then changed the water.
They are so shy they looked at the blood worm together (all six of them) for over 20 minutes until one started ot make a move!
Anyway, I added a bit of frozen brine shrimp just now and I will leave them alone for a while to see how they react. Will do another water change again.
I thought the babies are supposed to eat like pigs...but at least they are acting more normal and eating a bit now.
I think they were really shocked going from a barebootom tank with only discus to a planted tank with Co2, plants, rocks and many other fish...I will stop moving them around and will only "bother" them when I give them food and water change. Hopefully they will come around.
Paul, do you mean real garlic or the stuff seachem sells that are meant to help chiclids to eat?
Thank you.


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## Canadian_Aqua_Farm (Apr 21, 2010)

I missed the part about CO2 injection in my initial response. Baby discus do very poorly in tanks with CO2. I am sure you will see an improvement in your new set-up. Good job taking quick action to correct the situation.


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

Thank you for all the help from all the experienced discus keepers/breeders, your suggestions have really helped and are greatly appreciated. Thank you..
I have no one to blame but myself to put them in a Co2 tank with very bright light and lot sof plants. 
I have just given them a small block of frozen blood worm and they have been taking turn to eat them. Is it normal that they take so long to finish their food. With 6 of them, one small block of red blood has taken almost an hour now and they are still not done yet! 
I saw them poo and they are all black. Everyone has poo I think. They are chasing each other a bit, and do nto really care if I am in front fo the tank. 
Their body color has also lightened up quite a bit compared to yestersday.
I will leave them alone and then do a big water change again tomorrow morning. 
Thank you very much everyone for your help.


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## Canadian_Aqua_Farm (Apr 21, 2010)

Discus are generally slow eaters, they like to pick away at food over a long period of time. If their bellies are rounded and full then you know they are good.


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

They are now acting so much better and are eating quite well. Thank you so much for all your help. Really appreciated it.


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## shady280 (Oct 17, 2011)

i see you have gotten your discus from fishdragon. i too have a set of his discus and they were a tad shy. mine took a few days to get going but are really growing well now. they hang out with my full sized angelfish and hide a bit here and there.


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## discuspaul (Jul 2, 2010)

Yes, I meant real fresh garlic.



Fish rookie said:


> Thank you everyone,
> after I placed them in my barebottom tank, increase the temp, did a big water change,a nd black out the back and sides of the tank, they are doing better.
> I gave them some live califonia worms and some of them ate a bit. Then a few hours later I added some frozen bllodworm and they again took a few bits. I waited an hour then changed the water.
> They are so shy they looked at the blood worm together (all six of them) for over 20 minutes until one started ot make a move!
> ...


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## April (Apr 21, 2010)

Sounds like they are on the mend! Keep going. Don't leave food sitting. Soon they will come to the top begging. Try to stick to hikari bloodworms. They are safer. I know fish dragon uses the Chinese ones...and alot more risk of parasites. 
You may want to do one treatment of prazzi pro and check for worms.
Keep the heat at 88 or 90 for a bit longer until thy come running for food. Small feeds as often as they ask. Bare bottoma nd daily wcs is the way to go for growing out discus. Give them somewhere to hide and they will. A.so your planted tank had 15 nitrates. Discus like 5 and under.Keep up water changes. Once they get most of their growth you can back off a bit on wcs. But to grow 50 percent is best. Especially in a Small tank.


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## fishdragon (Nov 8, 2010)

it's glad to know your discus are doing better now. i also learn alot from recent relate posts. my discus were usual kept with 86f and with no any medical adjust aged water. i feed them only beef heart mix and tetra pellets. as bloodworms, i also don't suggest them for discus, i mainly use them for my angels now. also, a bare bottom tank and no other type fish mix is best, also no plant, no decor, just discus. and all same size ones is the best. too big or too small tank are also not a good way to raise babies. cheers.

Sent from my LT15a using Tapatalk 2


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## discuspaul (Jul 2, 2010)

Yes, I mean real fresh garlic - pressed/crushed into fine bits.

QUOTE=Fish rookie;251988]Thank you everyone,
after I placed them in my barebottom tank, increase the temp, did a big water change,a nd black out the back and sides of the tank, they are doing better.
I gave them some live califonia worms and some of them ate a bit. Then a few hours later I added some frozen bllodworm and they again took a few bits. I waited an hour then changed the water.
They are so shy they looked at the blood worm together (all six of them) for over 20 minutes until one started ot make a move!
Anyway, I added a bit of frozen brine shrimp just now and I will leave them alone for a while to see how they react. Will do another water change again.
I thought the babies are supposed to eat like pigs...but at least they are acting more normal and eating a bit now.
I think they were really shocked going from a barebootom tank with only discus to a planted tank with Co2, plants, rocks and many other fish...I will stop moving them around and will only "bother" them when I give them food and water change. Hopefully they will come around.
Paul, do you mean real garlic or the stuff seachem sells that are meant to help chiclids to eat?
Thank you.[/QUOTE]


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## discuspaul (Jul 2, 2010)

Yes, I mean real, fresh garlic - pressed or crushed into small bits. Sorry if I've repeated this post.



Fish rookie said:


> Thank you everyone,
> after I placed them in my barebottom tank, increase the temp, did a big water change,a nd black out the back and sides of the tank, they are doing better.
> I gave them some live califonia worms and some of them ate a bit. Then a few hours later I added some frozen bllodworm and they again took a few bits. I waited an hour then changed the water.
> They are so shy they looked at the blood worm together (all six of them) for over 20 minutes until one started ot make a move!
> ...


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## discuspaul (Jul 2, 2010)

Wow - didn't realize I'd posted this 3 times ! Apologies - tried to delete 2 by couldn't - lots of technical forum stuff I don't know !!! LOL


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

Thanks April, Rick, Paul and many others for your help.
Eric I am very happy with my purchase experience from you and I will buy from you again. it is just my own silly first time discus keeping mistake that I put them in a planted co2 tank to begin with. They are good fish and you are a great seller. No complaint there.  Anyway, they are getting better now and I am going to keep up with the water change. Thank you very much.
Thanks everyone.


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

Want to thank everyone once again...and I am very happy to report that they are also eating fry pellets and flakes now. I feed them flakes and pellets from new life spectrum.
I am actually doing two 50% water change daily rather than one, as I hate to see anything left on the bottom overnight. I do one big change after feeding of worm, and one before light out.
Per April's advise I am trying to keep Nitrate below 5. 
I now only use one sponge filter.
My Nitrate is pretty close to zero. My Ammonia and Nitrite are both zero. Gh is 3 (I add 1/8 tsp of equilibrium during each wc), Ph is 6.5, temp is 89-90F.
I add a bit of paraguard every time I change water, is that necessary?


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## Lamplighter (Aug 3, 2012)

Do discus beg for food like angelfish? My discus do eat but they are picking a bit here and there.


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