Many people will say that keeping a discus aquarium is tough because the fish are always fighting with each other. While it is true that discus can be aggressive with each other and even the other members of your tank, there are plenty of things you can do to lessen the problem and keep a healthy harmonious ecosystem.
The most common method used to reduce aggression in a discus aquarium is to combine fish with similar size and temperaments. Frequently, when one fish is larger than the others, it will start to exhibit dominant behavior and will soon become aggressive with its tank mates. Discus are social schooling fish by nature so they generally don't need to be separated, however, one 'bad apple' can sometimes ruin it for everybody. Usually, though only that single fish needs to be removed from the
aquarium.
Most of the aggression issues that occur in a discus aquarium are among males during mating periods. Usually, if you are keeping several discusses, a dominant male will emerge, and he will view the other males as competition to his females. Therefore, it is often a good idea to limit the number of males in your tank. The ideal ratio of males to females in a discus aquarium is around 1:3. That way no single female is relentlessly chased around your tank
during mating.
Other than mating, the other major reason for aggression in a discus aquarium is competition for food. If the fish find that food is scarce, they are more apt to be aggressive and guard what resources are available. However, if food is plentiful, their aggression is reduced. Do not take this as a license to overfeed your discus. Rather, it is a reminder to be consistent with your feeding schedule and portions. The fish will become accustomed to your routine and will calm as result.
Hopefully, these simple ideas have helped you think about why you may have aggression in your discus aquarium. You may have previously felt that discus was too aggressive to keep, however, if you create the proper environment, a discus aquarium can be a peaceful place. All that is needed is some knowledge and specific action to take. Good Luck!
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