Discus Aquarium – How To Deal With Discus Fish Aggression
Some people think that discus fish are more trouble than they are worth because the fish are always fighting with each other. However, there are plenty of things you can do to minimize this, and have a happy aquarium.
One common method to reduce fish aggression in a discus aquarium is to only keep fish of similar size and temperaments together. Often, the largest fish will assume the ‘alpha’ role, and it will start to dominate the other fish. Discus are social creatures in nature, so usually they don’t need to be kept separate, however one ‘bad apple’ can sometimes ruin it for everyone else. In this case, only the single aggressive fish needs to be removed.
Most of the aggressive behavior that happens in a discus aquarium is between males during breeding. The more dominant males in your tank will become aggressive with each other in order to claim and protect their female breeding partner. Since the males often view each other as competition, it is best to limit the number of males in your discus aquarium. The best ratio of males to females is usually around 1:3. This limits fish fights because there are plenty of females to go around.
The other common time for aggression in a discus aquarium will be during feeding. However, this should only happen if the fish believe that food is scarce. If your fish are fed plentiful, they are less likely to guard their resources against the other fish. Don’t take this to mean that you should overfeed your discus fish, rather it is a reminder to feed consistently and regularly. The fish will settle into the routine and calm down.
Hopefully these simple ideas have helped you think about why you may have aggression in your discus aquarium. You may have heard that discus were too aggressive to keep, however by following these steps, a discus aquarium can be a peaceful place. All that is needed is some knowledge and specific action to take. Good Luck!
