I have heard from so many people and read in so many places that discus to better in groups of six or more. It never made much sense to me.

I started with two and worked up one at a time to six.

I've had six for just a couple of weeks now and I have to honestly say there may be something to it. The aggression in my tank is WAY down since adding my little Yellow Marlboro baby. I still don't see any scientific reasoning for it.

Does anyone know why the number six is supposedly the number?
Are they that way in their natural habitat? Groups of six?

Any insights?

Six = Se_

LOL

Sorry, I have no idea either.

I've seen it in keeping Frontosa. Not the number 6 but larger numbers. A few and the Alpha male will beat on the other 2 normally. If there are 6 or more there are more to chase any maybe he gets tired faster. I don't know but it seems to work

Aloha Melon, the reason many suggest a group of 5 to 6 is for one you already found out was to lessen the aggression on one, and the second is in the wild as juveniles they natirally school. Chances of survival are greater in groups. Is also lessen the stress of just 1 or 2 being in a large tank by themselves.

Jr.

All I know is when I visited Gary, they looked awesome. All his tanks did. It was pretty nice to see the variety of discus schooling together like that and it made me think a little. I've always been one to keep groups of fish of only one color variety a little segregated. This line of Krib or Angel or Apisto to this tank, and the other line of the same fish to another tank. Long story short, I think I like the effect. It certainly is visually striking to see fish with dramatically different color variations yet the same body type.
regards
mike

Thanks, Mike!

Hawaiian wrote:

Aloha Melon, the reason many suggest a group of 5 to 6 is for one you already found out was to lessen the aggression on one, and the second is in the wild as juveniles they natirally school. Chances of survival are greater in groups. Is also lessen the stress of just 1 or 2 being in a large tank by themselves. Jr.

I understand that. But why did the aggression back off at six rather than five? Coincidence? And can't a school be 4 fish? or 5? Or 17?

I'm wondering if six has a real concrete explaination or is it just a randomly thrown-out ballpark figure.

A recommended six just a recommendation. If you were to just have 2 for instance, you would get a dominant fish, and therefore this one will take the best food and even stop the other from feeding at all. Same goes for having three, you will always have a dominant fish. The more fish you have, the more you reduce the dominance of one particular fish, giving you a far more peaseful tank, and less stressed fish.

hth

Steve

6 is the minimum ballpark figure