Got 2 questions..

[Rossco]

Hi gang,
Got 2 questions.....

1.. I have 8 3inch Discus in a standard 4 foot tank with 9 rummys,is this considered overcrowding? I want them to grow up and pair off when they are rdy.I do 2 water changes a week.

2.. The Discus tank i got is placed in a fairly frequent walk by trafic place,the discus seem to dash wildly at times.Should i move the tank to a less people trafic place?. I have had the discus for 4 weeks now. Or will they become and feel safer in time? I am thinking about moving the tank today.

Makes me abit upset and sad when they dash wildly,i want my discus to love me and feel safe when i am around the tank.

[Trebs]

What is the dimensions of the 4ft tank?

Discus are okay in high traffic areas. They need to be a reasonable height of the ground though. Also they don't do so well with little kids.

Discus will generally get used to their surroundings, including traffic, but it takes time. If they are overly skittish check your ammo and nitrites. If your water quality is good then they will be a lot calmer.

[Rossco]

tank is 4 foot long ,18 inch high ,14 inch wide.
Thx.

[Kaza]

I had a simular problem, to yours I only left the lights on one side and kept that side covered as well. It took about 2 weeks but now they are happy. However if there are a lot of people in the house I tend to cover them totally.
But if there is sudden movement or something strange (like a ladder goes past) they still tend to freak a bit.

[leanne31]

I have 8 in the same size tank as you do with not much problem but when they are fully grown adults I'll probably move a couple out then, my sister has 7 near full grown in her 4 ft she has no problems either ammonia wise ect except a couple have decided to breed which is not good for the others. Traffic wise my tank is situated in my lounge near my front door very heavy traffic area and I have 4 kids including a very boisterous near 2 yr old and mine are fine, bit funny at first but soon got used to it, they even dont mind when my 2 yr old rushes over to the tank they go just as fast to greet him now. :lol:

Leanne

[Merrilyn]

Hi Rossco, your four foot tank will quite happily hold 8 discus that size. Keep up with your frequent water changes, and check your ammonia levels often. Is this a planted or bare tank. Planted tanks will need more maintenance.

Fish being skittish in a new situation is pretty normal. They will soon associate your approach with food, and look for you each time you walk into the room. High traffic is not a problem. They will get used to anything. Just think of the fish in a pet shop. They have a lot of traffic, and faces pushed up to the tank, but they do fine, and some even breed (just ask Kev).

Your water quality is the most important factor here. Keep it top quality, and you will have happy, calm fish.

[Rossco]

Thx for info,i will leave the tank where it is :D
Nope no plants,do have a gravel bed and plastic plants only.

[weird]

I have just overcrowded my 4x2x2 with 6 adults and 6 babies. I took 6 clown loaches out and a bolivian ram.

I did a ammonia and nitrite test 2 days later, noticed increased ammonia.

I reduced feeding, did large water change and added a huge sponge filter from a fully cycle tank. I now run 2 cannister filters, large sponge filter and do daily 10% water changes.

The fish have been in there (the 6 babies) 1 week now and everything is fine atm, but I am paranoid about the ammonia and nitrite.

I may sell a few of the babies as they get bigger.

The woes of overcrowding ... its a balancing game.