13 Reasons Why My Discus Darting & Dashing – Dashing Discus Cure

Discus is darting and dashing around in the tank or aquarium (Sometimes Discus Jumping out of the tank) because they are under a lot of stress resulting from a number of reasons such as poor water conditions, irregular water temperature, and because they are being bullied.

Table of Contents

• Discus Darting Symptoms
• 13 Reasons Causes Discus Dashing
  • [1] – Stress Caused By Improper Water Conditions
  • [2] – Ammonia Concentration And Nitrite In Tank’s Water Should Be Zero
  • [3] – An Abrupt Shift In pH Level Of Tank Water
  • [4] – Wrong Temperature Of The Tank’s Water
  • [5] – Parasite Attacks
  • [6] – The Number Of Fish Stocks In A Tank
  • [7] – Discus Being Bullied
  • [8] – The Presence Of Chemicals In The Tank Water
  • [9] – Diseases Due To Improper Diet
  • [10] – Loud Noises
  • [11] – Banging On The Tank
  • [12] – The Hardness Of The Water
  • [13] – Sudden Lights Changes
• Discus Darting Treatment Steps
• Discus Darting Future Prevention Tips
• Related Questions
  • Darting Discus, What Does This Mean?
  • Why Does My Discus Fish Swim Up And Down The Tank?
  • Discus Fish Swimming Frantically In Tank
• Conclusion

Discus Darting Symptoms

• Loss of appetite.
• Discus clamped fins.
• Discus fish swimming straight up and down.
• Discus swimming fast into the sides.
• Discus dashing around the tank.
• Discus jumping out of the tank.

13 Reasons Causes Discus Dashing

There are many reasons why Discus fish might behave like crazy and start dashing in the tank including:

[1] – Stress Caused By Improper Water Conditions

Discus is a fragile breed of fish, and little changes in its environment, such as poor water conditions can bring on a lot of stress.

[2] – Ammonia Concentration And Nitrite In Tank’s Water Should Be Zero

If the water in the tank contains even a little amount of nitrite or ammonia which are both dangerous to your Discus (could kill your Discus), the Discus will be under a lot of stress and will be struggling to breathe because the oxygen level will drop.

[3] – An Abrupt Shift In pH Level Of Tank Water

This can also prove to be quite stressful for Discus, and the Discus could end up dashing around the tank or swimming fast into the sides, or even jumping out of the tank.

The build-up of ammonia could result from waste products excreted by the fish in the tank or from foods that were not eaten and then decayed.

It is important to perform regular 25-30% water changes weekly, so the tank or aquarium can be healthy and in good condition.

[4] – Wrong Temperature Of The Tank’s Water

It is another issue that could lead to stress for your Discus. When the water temperature is constantly fluctuating, it could render Discus fish swimming straight up and down the tank or darting.

[5] – Parasite Attacks

This can be stressful for fish. The parasites could either be worms or protozoa, they weaken the immune system of fish and it could be one of the reasons why some owners report that they observed their fish darting around the tank and then dying.

[6] – The Number Of Fish Stocks In A Tank

When it comes to deciding the quantity of Discus fish as well as the plants and objects to have in a tank, you should be careful not to put in too much.

When there are too many plants or objects in a tank packed with a lot of Discus fishes, it will prove difficult to manage the tank appropriately (clean the tank and change the water).

Too many fishes in a tank basically mean more waste which means more ammonia build-up which will damage the integrity of the tank water, and affect its pH level as well. If the decorations or objects in the tank or aquarium have sharp edges, they could be hurting the fish, and the wounds could become infected – an infected fish is a stressed fish.

[7] – Discus Being Bullied

If Discus is being bullied or there is competition for food which leads to fighting, they will end up being stressed, causing them to swim frantically in the tank.

[8] – The Presence Of Chemicals In The Tank Water

You have to make sure that the water in the tank is chlorine-free.

There are some areas where chlorine is added to water in order to kill germs and chlorine is hazardous to fish, especially Discus (it can kill your Discus fish).

Medication that is added to the fish tank also contains chemicals, and although they can treat a diseased fish, it could be harmful to other fishes in the tank.

[9] – Diseases Due To Improper Diet

When you do not know the proper diet for your Discus, you are likely to use any amount and type of feed, and that will stress the fish, making it vulnerable to either parasitic attacks or diseases.

[10] – Loud Noises

Tanks should be kept in places where there are no loud noises, furthermore, when Discus is in a new environment, they need some time to get used to it. If they are not used to being around humans, a shadow can scare them, causing them to go Discus crazy, wild dashing around the tank, or even jumping out of the tank.

[11] – Banging On The Tank

If little children or kids bang on the tank, this will make your Discus fishes dash swimming in the tank, avoid that.

[12] – The Hardness Of The Water

Discus prefers soft water; if the water hardness is not appropriate, it will impact greatly the condition of the fish.

[13] – Sudden Lights Changes

Sudden light changes will make your discus dash and dart or even try to jump out of the tank, try to keep your room lights steady all the time.

Discus Darting Treatment Steps

[STEP1] – Carry out a 75 percent water change after cleaning your tank.

[STEP2] – Add Carbon To Your Filter

Throw some carbon in the tank filter to remove any chemicals that could irritate the fish.

[STEP3] – Use a UV filter

Use a UV filter to kill the bacteria in the tank.

[STEP4] – Maintain Aquarium Water Temperature

When the temperature of the tank water is too high or too low, it can be stressful for your Discus.

[STEP5] – Use Novaqua Plus

Apply Novaqua plus to the tank after changing the water.

[STEP6] – Use Tetra AquaSafe

Add Tetra AquaSafe of any alternatives of Anti chlorine to remove chlorine from the tank’s water.

The presence of chlorine in the water will burn the gills of the Discus, and it will be darting around the tank.

[STEP7] – Test Your Tank Water For pH, Ammonia, Or Nitrite Level

It is difficult to maintain the pH level of tank water, observe your tank for any abrupt rise and fall – the pH level for Discus is 7.0 so you can maintain the pH level between 6.5 – 7.0, but they will survive between 6.2 and 7.8.

[STEP8] – Maintain Water Hardness

Grind peat and driftwood to make tank water hard. Be sure to add them to the water filter or directly into the tank.

[STEP9] – Maintain Stable Lighting

Allow for lighting in the tank for a long period of time. Do not turn off the light until at night; this makes sure that there are no shadow movements.

Discus Darting Future Prevention Tips

• Change the water in the tank regularly. Make sure to clean the tank before any water changes.
• Do not overstock your tank with fish, plants, or objects.
• Avoid overfeeding your fish. Food not eaten decay and lead to a build-up of ammonia.
• Cycling a tank while Discus is in it is deadly. Discus is fragile, and that is why it is recommended that you do not add the fish to a new tank when the nitrogen cycle is not yet complete. Give a period of one month before you introduce a new Discus fish into your tank – the nitrogen cycle takes not less than one month to be complete; it is also recommended that you perform regular water changes during this period. Change 40% of the tank water every five days.
• Spend a lot of time in front of your fish tank; this will help your Discus become accustomed to having a human presence.
• Avoid anything that might startle your fish.
• Keep your children away from your fish tank. Loud noises or banging of the tank could be stressful for Discus.
• Chlorine is dangerous to Discus when you give it a few days before turning the water into the tank, the chlorine will age out. An alternative is purchasing a de-chlorinator from any pet store if you want to use the water immediately.

Related Questions

Darting Discus, What Does This Mean?

Darting Discus means that Discus is stressed because the condition of the tank water is poor; they are startled, competing for food with a larger fish, fluctuating water temperature, and overstocked tank.

Why Does My Discus Fish Swim Up And Down The Tank?

Discus fish swims up and down the tank when they are stressed, and that is an action meant to alleviate that stress.

The pH level of the tank water might have shifted, or there is a build-up of ammonia or nitrites, or the temperature of the water could constantly be changing.

Discus Fish Swimming Frantically In Tank

Discus fish swimming frantically in the tank is a resultant effect of stress due to poor water conditions (ammonia build-up, fluctuating pH level, nitrite level), irregular tank water temperature, overcrowding, and parasitic infestation.

When the source of stress is not quickly identified and treated, it will lead to diseases such as fin rot, dropsy, swim bladder, etc.

To mitigate the cause of stress, test the tank water ammonia, nitrite, and pH levels as well as the temperature, then change the water, and observe the behavior of your Discus.

Conclusion

Discus darting and dashing around in the tank is a response to stress. Poor water conditions, overstocking the tank, overfeeding, and fluctuations in water temperature are some of the reasons why Discus can be stressed. It is important to identify the stressors and remove them before they deal any more damage.