Eratic behaviour causing damage...

[valkyrie]

Hi all,

Didn't know where to post this so it is also posted in Illness/Medications as well.

Hope all had a great christmas, my problem is about 4 months ago I purchased 2 juvenile ss, I quarantined them for 6 weeks then added another discus from my community tank in with them for another 4 weeks to make sure nobody had any problems.

They are growing well and have been put in with other discus their are 5 in the tank at the moment, but these 2 discus have never settled, they eat well enough but always hide and one in particular keeps smashing into things, (which caused me to have to take all removable objects out of the tank) spooking the other discus and doing damage to itself including bruising, taking a piece of fin off and most recently taking a large piece out of its side.

My question is what could be causing this, I have seen it occasionally rubbing up against the filter tube.

These discus are 8 months old.

I am doing 70% water changes every second day and on the other days replacing about 20% water vacumning the tank so it is kept very clean. I use aged heated water treated with prime. Ph is 6.2, temp 30 degrees C, amm. 0, nitrate, 0 nitrite, 0. Any ideas would be very much appreciated as I have never had such a nervous, self descructive discus before.

Pictures of damage attached.

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd48/valkyrie-01/IMG_0720.jpg
http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd48/valkyrie-01/IMG_0707.jpg

[Merrilyn]

Your tank maintenance is perfect, so obviously it can't be a water quality issue.

I'm inclined to think it's body parasites, so I would recommend getting some praziquantal from your LFS and treating the entire tank for gill and body flukes.

Flukes can be pretty resistant, so you may need to repeat the treatment a couple of times.

There are lots of good brands, Aquamaster is one that comes to mind, but there are others.

[valkyrie]

Thanks Merrilyn,

I Thought that might be the case just wanted to check. I have some Praziquantel, the instructions say to disolve in tank. But I have also been told and have done this for internal parisites that you can also soak some blood worm with it and feed to Discus. Which in your opinion would be the more effective way?

Thanks in advance

Cheers

[Merrilyn]

For body flukes we definately need it in the water. You can soak some dry food in it (doesn't work with frozen bloodworms, it just washes off) if you wish, but definately put the remainder in the water.