# Twitchy Discus



## dano (Mar 20, 2010)

I have kept fish for 45+ years and have never seen a fish do what one of my Pigeon Blood Discus is doing..........The fish will twitch as if it were being shocked or having a chill......It happens while the fish is motionless and shows no ill effects before or after..........This is a robust 3 1/2 dia that eats like a hog and intermingles boldly with it's tank mates.....................................I have never seen a fish do this................The tank conditions are very good for discus and they get a varied diet.

Hope someone may have some input on this.

Dano


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## aunt kymmie (Jun 2, 2008)

How long have you had your Pigeon Blood? Does this twitching/shimmy/shaking only last for a second? I've seen one or two of mine do this every once in awhile. I used to be concerned but I've had them for awhile, they are good healthy eaters, and are steadily growing. The one discus I had to pull and treat for internal parasites I have never seen shimmy. It's a mystery to me.

New info. I just went and googled it. Not sure why I didn't do this before (duh!) but this is what I read:
(perhaps our discus are just maturing??)
"Discus will often exhibit pre-spawning behavior, such as twitching and shaking, without ever spawning."


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## aunt kymmie (Jun 2, 2008)

Based on a little more reading...how many discus are you keeping together? Another article suggests the "shaking" could be a territorial display.


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## dano (Mar 20, 2010)

Thank you for your reply..............This one has done a few lip locks with another similar sized Marlboro Red, but they are way too young to mate........I am going to dose with Jungle tank Buddies Parasite Rid just to be safe.........It is a safe med that contains the three most widely used anti parasitic chemicals.


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## aunt kymmie (Jun 2, 2008)

If they have engaged in lip locking I'd be tempted to say that the twitching you're seeing is territorial behavior. I've never been a fan of treating with meds for anything unless I was absolutely sure what I was treating for. If it was me (and it's not!) I wouldn't be so hasty to start dosing your tank with meds.


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

aunt kymmie said:


> If they have engaged in lip locking I'd be tempted to say that the twitching you're seeing is territorial behavior. I've never been a fan of treating with meds for anything unless I was absolutely sure what I was treating for. If it was me (and it's not!) I wouldn't be so hasty to start dosing your tank with meds.


 

I am with aunt Kymmie, Always have feelings of reservation when contemplating meds if not certain of what it is I'm treating although I have done so on occasion with mixed results.
I kept a group of five discus for nearly three years before rehoming them to make room for other fish that interested me and to relieve some measure of stress that the Discus through no fault of their own,,caused me.
I might observe to see that the fishes poop was solid looking and well formed as opposed to clear and stringy looking which might indicate internal parasite. External parasites may be easier to spot. 
If fish are eating well and otherwise acting normal, No darkening ,no huddling at the back of the tank facing the glass, both gills appear to be functioning ,no labored or rapid gill movement.no laying horizontally on the substrate, no excess slime coat production, eyes look clear and no pitting, fins held erect, then I might simply observe the fish and possibly step up water changes to twice a week for a while.
Could very well be fishes establishing pecking order ,or mock mating behaivor.
I have found that even though these fish are considered rather docile,,they are still cichlids and as such,, they can be disturbingly aggressive with each other.
Do keep the temp. warm for these fish. Cooler temps appear to slow down metaboloisim,which in turn slows down digestive process and foods can become harder to expel and perhaps contribute to greater risk of parasites from within, or possible bacterial pathogens.
I kept the group I raised from babies, at 84 to 86 degrees F and other than intial treatment for clear case of worms when I first received them,, I had NO troubles.


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## aunt kymmie (Jun 2, 2008)

Thanks for weighing in, 1077. Your input and experience with discus is tops in my book.


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## dano (Mar 20, 2010)

It is odd that I have never seen Discus or any other fish twitch like that.....I have kept and bred discus on several occasions, but this was my first "twitch" Sometimes we think we know a lot and a fish will up and do something baffling just to show us who is the smartest.

I usually won't medicate unless I have a sure idea of what I am medicating for and then I only use specific proven medications that do as little damage to the bio system as possible............Jungle Parasite tank buddies are really good for internal and many external parasites.....It is one of few meds that I will use when introducing new fish.

1077....good to hear from you again.........Thank you both for your interest.


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