# What do you do if your discus is not eating at all?



## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

Just want to know what would you recommend if your discus (2") does not seem to be interested in eating at all (no frozen bloodworm, no live blackworm or anything...).
Always hiding whenever there is someone in front of the tank but will swim in the open when no one is close by or when the light is off. 
No white stool, no rapid breathing, sometimes hide in the corner and face the glass for a long time with mouth alwasy moving.
Is it normal for a new tank?
Any trick to get him to eat?
When food is dropepd he will not even move, it can be right in front of him (even passed right in front of his eye) and he will nto even look at it.
Ammonia:0, Nitrite:0, Nitrate: 10ppm, Ph: 6.3, Kh:2-3, Gh;3, temp: 84-86F
Daily water change 30%
Thank you.


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## Canadian_Aqua_Farm (Apr 21, 2010)

That is not normal. Large discus can take a while to adjust after being moved but 2" discus should be eating the same day you get them. How many did you get? It could just be that they are very nervous if you only have a few. They like to be in schools. Six or more would be a good number to start with. Your parameters look good but check with the breeder to see if his/her conditions are drastically different. I would suggest bumping the temperature up to 88F and increasing your water changes to 90% daily. If you haven't already you can also cover the back and the side of the tank to make them feel more secure. I hope it helps.


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

Thank you so much for your reply.
I had 3 then got another 3 so there are now 6 together. The first 3 I got were only about 1.5 inches.
I should have got all 6 on the same day but I did not, which is probably a mistake.
I now have them in a 10 gallon barebottom tank and I am doing 50-80% water change daily. Actually i change water also before I go to sleep so there will be no food left on the bottom at bight.
I was putting them in a 33 g and I think they got very scared perhaps because it was too big or becaue of other fish (tetra, pencil fish, oto, and cory dora)
One has turned very black which really worries me but the 3 I got the next day seem much more healthy than the first 3 so i think may be they were just too small and too scared by being in a 33g tank with other fish and only 3 of them?
I have placed some frozen bloodworm in the barebottom but they did nto really eat them so after 30 miniutes I removed them. Will cover the tank up, bump up the temp and see.
The water they came in was about the same Ph as mine, with pretty much no GH or KH. Temp was 86F.
My water now is same Ph as that, but with about 3 GH, temp is also 86 or a bit hugher.
Thank you.


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