Discus a bit unhappy

[JPortRx3]

Hi All,

I came home tonight to see my 1 year old blue diamond discus looking a little worse for wear with its fins clamped, hiding, looking a bit darker in colour than usual, a touch of white sheen (might just be lighting) and didn't have the same gusto for food as usual.

Attached is a picture.

My discus tank has been a challenge of late.

I had a stunted discus pass on recently, it was always strugling so it was for the best in the end. However, i noticed a couple of my other Discus
(including the blue diamond) had some side fin damage but very healthy and full of colour - being worried about fin rot, about 2 weeks ago i treated with myxazin and then melafix with plenty of water changes with a touch of salt, and my water conditions are great, 0 amonia, Ph 6.8 and 0 nitrate, temp 30, although side fins still a bit dodgey.

I have introduced a new baby discus a few days ago and this has created a few fights to reinforce the pecking order but all has seemed ok. I'm a little concerned my four discus (1 baby) have out grown my tank, its only 140L, which may be causing some stress but always seem quite happy.

I'm hoping the issue with the blue diamond is stress related so to date i have just changed 10% of the water and will continue to so daily rather pursue meds (wouldn't have a clue what to use anyway). However i would appreciate any advice the experts may have - am i on the right track? and what options are there for the damaged side fins?

Thanks

[Hollowman]

If this is the new guy, even if not, you did not quarentine the fish. Therefore any different disease or parasite that it carried may have affected the other fish. Fish from different sources (even from the same shop) come from different breeders, each carry bugs they are resistant too. Keep up larger water changes (30%) for a couple of weeks and see if it changes. Not eating, seperation, clamping and darkening of course are classic signs of feeling unwell. Salt might help here this is how:
Salt dip:
2 tablespoons per gallon water. ANY salt so long as ther are no anti-clog additives. Iodised salt is safe, cooking salt is cheaper.

Mix in a clean bucket with water of the same temp or from the tank. Net fish and place into bucket. After 30 mins remove back to clean water, if the fish rolls before the 30 minutes is up then remove it straight away to clean water.

Keep us posted ok,

[JPortRx3]

Hi Hollowman

Thanks for the advice - it's not the new guy, i thought it may have come from the new introduced discus but unfortunatley i don't have a spare tank to quarantine until i can manage an upgrade - hopefully soon.

This morning the discus physically looks ok, not hiding as such but in one spot mostly, pointing down a bit with fins clamped.

I'll do a 30% water change and try the salt dip - i use natural salt rocks so all ok, will keep you posted.

Thanks

[Hollowman]

Ok, good, keep up the changes, the dips should help. :)

[JPortRx3]

Well when i came home from work yesterday all the fish had the same problem except the new discus!

I noticed my orange discus had this wispy white stuff coming off its head with the shakes, so i gave all of them the salt dip.... in four years i have never had to net a mature discus, quite an experience :lol:

They all looked terrible after the salt dip. The blue diamond had blotches all over its face and was very pale and laying on the bottom of the tank, i thought it was a goner for sure, but it gradually came around.

Another thing i noticed with my most mature cobalt discus after the dip was what looked like wispy white/clear stuff coming out of one of it's gills... is that some type of gill fluke perhaps?

This morning the blue diamond didn't have its fins clamped, the orange discus was still pretty clamped up and the most mature discus looked ok, although none were really interested in feeding - except that damn new baby discus that appears to be very happy.

Also did the 30% water change, which i'll do again tonight.

Fingers crossed but wondering if a med might help?

Thanks

[Hollowman]

Salt dips can look quite harsh, it makes the fish slough off it's slime coat which house a lot of parasites. But, it soon produces more slime coat to protect itself again. All sounds fine so far. :wink:

[JPortRx3]

Thanks Hollowman, unfortuntaley the discus have gone down hill further, even after the salt dip and water changes - felt like i needed to act fast so the fish store seem to think it's discus plague brought in by the new fish - not sure if this right? They have put me onto aquari-cycline, covered up the tank and will see how it goes i guess.

[m.ingram]

Sorry about your Discus but they dont have Discus plague it looks like a bacterial thing or maybe body flukes.I would also add salt to the water with the tetracycline .And treat all fish in a bare bottom tank.

[JPortRx3]

Thanks - that's what i think too.... they look kind of crap at the momment but seems to look like the bad fins a falling off which could be a good sign.... second day with the tetracycline and doing 20% water change per day... fish shop told me to hit them with tetra for ten days straight but i reckon 5 might be enough - any thoughts?

[Hollowman]

Follow the instructions on the bottle

[m.ingram]

I would do 10 to 12 days of treatment as it takes this long to break the cycle and get rid of the bacteria.Any shorter and you run a risk of the bacteric becoming immune to the treatment .
Good luck

[JPortRx3]

Thanks guys you have been a great help.

I have started to see some improvement so will stick with your advice and treat for 10 or more days. There is unfortunatley little instructions on the tetra bottle. The blue diamond hardly has any side fins now so working overtime to get around, the big discus skin around its gills took a bit of a hit but all starting to eat a little.

I gotta say my tank looks like a night club urinal at the moment :lol:

Is there something i can apply to help with fin regrowth like melafix or something - will they even regrow?

Thanks

[Hollowman]

Herbal remedies do nothing for discus (melafix/primafix) in my experience. Keep up the treatment, but do lots of water changes, making sure you top up the med by the amount of water you remove each time, to keep at the desired strength.
The fins will re-grow, dont worry :wink:

H

[m.ingram]

Hey jportrx3
Glad to hear there is improvement in your fish.
With the instructions on the tetracycline there isnt much of the way of information on the bottle . When i us it i do 100% water changes daily and redose with tetracycline at full strength tablet per 20ltrs . I also use salt at 1 gram per 1 litre.

[JPortRx3]

Thanks for that i did a huge water change tonight - they are tough fish.

[JPortRx3]

Hi, as an update, happy to report my discus are on the mend and improving... still a way to go with their fins but in time im sure they will repair and regrow.
I have put the trouble down to a couple of things, some kind of parasite and a bad water heater. I have been keeping a close eye on the temp and it seems like the heater is buggered, either to hot or too cold, wont sit at a constant temp - these sudden temp changes must have been making the fish sick.

Thanks again for the advice!

J

[swampy1972]

Good to hear J,

Must be a load off your mind.

All the best ;)

[m.ingram]

Thats good to hear that things are on the improve.
Good luck with your fish.