New fish after discus plague

[rheemas]

Hi,

I am new to this forum, due to the great information provided that helped me with the discus plague.

I had two discus which both came down with this disease recently. I do not know where it came from but it sure has caused a lot of anxiety for us.

I initially used acriflavine, following advice from my local shop and a reputable discus website, but this treatment was useless. By the time I started using Metro one was too far gone and I lost it but the other I managed to save.

My question is if I introduce new discus with the recovered one, are they all likely to come down with it as the original one is a carrier? What do I do in this situation?

Also my remaining discus ocassionally gets a tiny opaque patch on his side fin but other than this, looks better than ever. After a full week of Metro at 200mg/30L and Metro added to Tetra Bits I assume this should be sufficent? Any ideas on how to resolve this?

Water parameters are:
Temp pH NO3 NH3 / NH4 GH KH
29 6.6 5 0 80 50

Tank:
150L with 1500L/hr external filter + UV, gravel substrate only (at the moment).

[Merrilyn]

Welcome to the forum rheemas.

From my experience, a fish can be a carrier of plague for around 6 months. Now, not all of them are carriers, but there's no way of telling until you actually put another fish in with them.

I'd suggest you wait at least a couple of months, then purchase a small cheap discus, and after a 4 week quarantine period (to make sure he's not carrying anything) you can put him in the tank with your surviving fish.

If all goes well, then great, you can add your new fish (quarantine first).

If the little guy comes down with plague, you know you need to wait the full 6 months.

[Hollowman]

I hear about this Discus Plague all the time. But when it comes to a confirmed diagnosis as to what it really is no-one can come up with a real answer. I believe even the top experts in the business are not sure if this exists or not, or whether it is an urban myth.

From discussion about it and reading similar posts about the 'plague' in the past, I still am not convined about it's existance.
We all know (well, most of us do) that having a good quarentine period can eliminate cross contamination of disease. Using a scaraficial lamb from your existing stock, introduced after a 4 week observation and treatment peroid, and then observed again for a further 2 weeks is my way of minimising the risk of introducing new disease from my quarentine tank. If there are no adverse affects, I deem it safe to put new stock with old.

I have never seen a case of plague that could not be explained through correct diagnosis.

Is there anyone out there who can definately draw a line under a case of so called plague that was not treatable by a common AB or med?

Welcome to the forum rheemas. You will find lots of help, and differencs of opinions here, but we all have a common goal, keeping our beautiful discus. Enjoy the forum.

Hollowman

[rheemas]

Thanks for your responses - looks like the key to being a good discus keeper is lots of patience!

Is there any written literature on this disease with documented symptoms, known bacteria etc? Surely someone has studied this disease by testing affected fish?

The symptoms my fish showed (in order) were:
1) a fine opaque line on the edge of the tail which gradually progressed towards the base of the tail;
2) a darkening of the body and clamping of the fins;
3) all fins becoming affected and then the opaqueness moving onto the body;
4) foggy, swollen eyes and narrowing above the beak;
5) fins becoming clear and breaking up
6) excess slime (or bacteria?) especially around the gills.

The symtoms looked exactly like the fish in the 'Plague' post.

On another note, does anyone know if it is safe to use metro with Tetras and Cory's in the same tank and would it be possible for these fish to also carry the disease even though they may not be affected?

Sorry for all the questions - this hobby just seems to keep raising them for me...

rheemas

[zar]

Metro is safe with corys or tetras from my experience. Not sure if they can carry the plague virus/desease whatever it is. I know i had the plague once in a community tank, my discus were affected and so were my angelfish, behaved in the same manner. Other fish, rams, peppermints, tetras, (can't remember what else was in there) were fine.
I still think this was teh plague even though later one someone told me that angelfish cannot get the plague, others told me they can, so i'm not %100 but the discus at that time had all the plague symptoms and the angelfish behaved in the same manner. They pulled through though, all my discus died back then :(

[BigDaddyAdo]

Considering noone seems to really know what the "plague" is i wouldnt think they could accurately say which fish it would and wouldnt affect.


Ado