2 discus died, others not well

[jeff8428]

I have recently moved my discus from a 55 to a 90 gallon tank. I had 6 discuss in my 55 and moved them to my new tank. Tank has cycled with 4 mollies for about 2 months and everything is fine PH nitrates etc. everything perfect. I moved everything from my 55 to the 90, plants driftwood etc ( did add some new plants) . Since doing this 2 of my discus have died. One was a small runt one that I couldn't believe lived as long as it did, but yesterday my largest one was dead when I came home. Of the 4 left 3 don't seem to be eating and act like they are scared to death. One seems perfectly fine. Eating like crazy swimming around everywhere. I wasn't really worried until the large one was dead. He had seemed scared and would not come out of hiding since placed in the new tank. Scared I am going to lose the other 3. Have tried feeding everything bloodworms, beefheart, brine shrimp, Same stuff they have always ate. Nothing seems wrong physically look fine ( no difference in color }. The 2 blue ones seem dark sometimes but they have always done that. Would appreciate any help you can give. Only other fish in tank are 4 mollies I used for cycling. Can't figure out why 1 seems so good and the others seem so bad

[jeff8428]

Meant to add moved them 2 weeks ago. Not really even long enough for them to have starved or anything. All of them ate like crazy in the other tank, and I thought they would start doing that again after the stress of the move wore off. Again the one eats like crazy and is doing fine. Have more that doubled the filtration from before and have done water changes same as before. PLEASE HELP

[samir]

whats your actual ammonia reading ?

[jeff8428]

did not check ammonia, but I would think if that was the problem the other fish would not be acting so well

[jeff8428]

Just checked, right around 0, less than .25

[samir]

drop the ph down to 6 (dunno what you're ph is ?) add some prime and do a large water change. if you move discus never move them into a tank that has even the slightest ammonia reading or you are asking for trouble.

[jeff8428]

ph is around 6.5 , just did a 50 gallon water change. what do I use to lower ph and is there anything else I can do. I really don't think the ammomia is the problem. I checked the tank that I just took them from and it is identical to the new one right around 0. Everything else in the old tank is the same as the new one PH Nitrates etc.

[Greggy]

Sounds alot like NH3 or NO2 poisioning to me. I strongly doubt your new tank with 4 mollies would have cycled to the degree needed to support the mollies AND the Discus.

Classic case of NTS (New Tank Syndrome)

Big & frequent water changes are now whats needed if you want to save the rest of them. Use at least double or triple doses of Prime.

Regards,

Greggy

[ILLUSN]

you could move your old filter or at least ALL your old filter media across, instant cycle.

[jeff8428]

I will move the filter media from the old tank to the new. I have the same filter system, but if the tank was still trying to cycle wouldn't I get an ammonia, nitrate or nitrite spike. I had the tank going for over two months before I put the discuss in. Had 6 mollies in it and lost 2 to what I thought was cycling, was certain that it had cycled. Have been doing the water changes the same rate as before. Can't figure it out.

[samir]

put them back in the old tank, if they revert back to normal then its something in the water.

[jeff8428]

I think that is what I will do. I had been thinking about that. Did not know if another move was the best thing right now. May be my best option right now. If there was something wrong with the water quality wouldn't ALL of the Discus be affected. One acts perfectly normal and eats like a hoirse.

[Greggy]

No, just because one or more Discus (with a stronger constitution than the rest of them) looks & acts normal does not automatically mean that you do not have a water quality problem.

Discus are 'tough' fish when it comes to infections and and getting over parasites and physical wounds etc, but they do not handle Ammonia or Nitrite poisoning very well at all.

As suggested, get them back to that cycled tank ASAP!

Regards,

Greggy

[jeff8428]

Thanks guys, moved them back and they seem to be doing better, how do I know when it is okay to move them back into the new tank, I thought it would have cycled in 2 months

[ILLUSN]

Throw a few dead prawns into the tank and let it sit for another month, after that check the water you should have some ammonia, some NO2 and a heap of NO3. remove the prawns(whats left of them) give it a 100% change and check again (should have the slightest to 0 ammonia, NO2 less then 5, NO3 under 10). Let it run for a day then check again, if ammonia is at 0 no2 at 0 your tank is cycled.

You need to build up the filter to full capacity before you put the fish in, 4 mollies in a 90gal tank arn't ever going to produce enough ammonia to max out your filter. if your filter bacteria population is too high excess bacteria will starve and die 9not a problem) if it too low the tank will recycle as the population increases to the bioload (Big problem).