Discus hiding
Hey all, I got a school of 11 juvenile discus from a local breeder about 2 months ago. They have constantly been hiding ever since I got them. Temperature is at 83 degrees, ph is about 6.5, and I’ve made a 44” spray bar (7/32” hole size) on my 75 gallon for an FX4 to help lower the flow in the tank. I do weekly 45 gallon water changes to keep up with the water quality (remineralized RODI)
What can I do to help them come out more? They seem to be spooked every time someone walks by or a loud noise is made. I do have 7 sterbai Cory cats in there that also get spooked due to them being housed with super aggressive angelfish prior to the discus. Is it worth taking out the Cory cats to see if that shyness goes away? Is it worth getting a school of black neons to see if the dicsus are just scared to be in the open? Do I rescape the tank and give less cover for them to hide in all the time?
I’m at a loss with ideas since I’ve lowered flow and lowered the lights half of what they used to be. I do notice in the morning when the lights are off, they are in the open swimming around normally. But for the most part when the lights kick on, they instantly go into hiding. I figured if the lights were the issue, after 2 months they would come out and be acclimated to the lighting. Any advice is appreciated and welcomed.