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hello!

i have two discus that are at least 3 years old, and they have recently started to display somewhat unusual behaviours... one (a brown discus) chases the other (a tangerine) around the tank and nips/butts the other's sides. it is not relentless chasing, and the nips are not rough. they also 'flash' and 'flick' their dorsal and anal fins at each other, as well as the long thin 'feelers' (pectoral fins?).

these two discus have always been 'close,' but the chasing just started shortly after their tankmate (a third discus) passed away. he was always the 'outsider' and hung out by himself, while the other two remained side by side. now that the two remaining are the only ones in the tank, they are swimming around a lot more, rather than just staying in one general area.

i've always thought that these two had paired up, but have never seen any eggs or behaviour that would indicate spawning. however, i don't want to mistake aggression for courtship, as i'm worried that it was bullying that maybe eventually killed their tankmate.

what are some distinguishing characteristics of courtship? of agression? what do you recommend?

thanks!

Well if they were my fish i would probably put the "chaser" in an isolation box. But you said they were flashing fins, that is a probable sign of courtship. It could be them just trying to act bigger and scare the other. Have you sexed the fish, because maybe they are both males or females?

Chris

The courting display is bowing to the mate then a tremor of the body and fins. The action will be repeated by the mate then they will be off to clean a spot to spawn. Usually you can tell when the fish have found a spot because one will stare at the spot as if it went brain dead...

The fish are old enough to breed, do a 50% water change with cooler water to drop your tank temperature 3 to 4 F. If you have a power filter, let the return dapple the water surface.

The combination of cooler water and artificial rainfall on the surface may trigger a spawn if they are a pair.



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