DEAD DISCUS - POST MORTEM

[Ray.M]

The end result is I lost what seemed to be a healthy discus today suddenly and I don't know why ?
Here is the sequence of events:

Sunday - 50% water change, gravel vacuum & trimmed plants. By the end of the water change this discus was laying on it's side as if dead with only it's eye moving. It gradually recovered but remained timid. Before this water change the discus was healthy, feeding well and active. It should be noted that these Marlboro's have always (since I bought them about 12 months ago) been timid and super sensitive to tank maintenance.

Monday - Discus was timid and subdued but occasionally came out and swam with it's other 5 discus tank mates. Did not feed.

Tuesday - Still was timid but was coming out more often to swim with the other discus and started to seem interested in food. By early afternoon it was 'cowering' at the bottom of the tank, similar to if it was being threatened. Within 30 minuted my wife called me in a panic. By the time I came down the fish was dead with one eye almost out of it's socket and the other slightly enlarged. No other injuries or deformations were evident. Prior to Sunday it seemed a perfectly healthy discus with good behavior, colour and shape.

If anyone can shed so light on what went wrong and why this happened I would appreciate it as this is a very sad thing to happen when everything seemed to be going so well.

Here are some photo links for the dead discus and the bulging eyes.

http://i760.photobucket.com/albums/xx245/Ray_M_bucket/IMG_3237.jpg
http://i760.photobucket.com/albums/xx245/Ray_M_bucket/IMG_3236.jpg
http://i760.photobucket.com/albums/xx245/Ray_M_bucket/IMG_3239.jpg
http://i760.photobucket.com/albums/xx245/Ray_M_bucket/IMG_3238.jpg

As always, many thanks for your input. :cry:

[Mr Wild]

Ray
Can you tell me when you first saw the bulging eye?
K

[ILLUSN]

looks like pop eye, it can be bacterial, this could be the case if the fish was always withdrawn (might have had an ongoing chronic infection), but as the rest of the fish looks in good condition, it could be from a swim bladder misfunction.

Dad always said to me
"If you add water to a tank too fast you force up the level of disolved gasses in the water, this moves into the fish across the gills and as they open their mouths. The gases accumulate in the swim bladder and can cause problems (ruptures etc)"

[Mr Wild]

looks like pop eye, it can be bacterial, this could be the case if the fish was always withdrawn (might have had an ongoing chronic infection), but as the rest of the fish looks in good condition, it could be from a swim bladder misfunction.

Dad always said to me
"If you add water to a tank too fast you force up the level of disolved gasses in the water, this moves into the fish across the gills and as they open their mouths. The gases accumulate in the swim bladder and can cause problems (ruptures etc)"

Ditto Jothy, thats why I asked how long it had been like that. Re the water gases- agree with Dad! That why we are best to aerate the water for 24hours before it goes in our tank.

[Ray.M]

Thanks Jothy & Kath,

The eyes on the discus seemed fine until literally I found it dead, it was that quick. The behaviour however was since the water change on Sunday night.

No real warning that it was that sick as it has behaved like this in the past.

Ray

[ILLUSN]

I've had it happen before as well, really not much you can do, the cowering worries me sounds as if it was "not right". so long as the other fish are ok you shouldn't have any more problems.

[Old Dave]

Ray,
have a look at this link for some interesting comments on Gas Bubble Disease.

http://www.flippersandfins.net/pop-eye.htm

I can see why Kath & Jothy are pointing the fin at a swim bladder issue.
I know it doesn't soften the blow, but we all need to learn from events like these.
Thanks for sharing,

Dave

[Ray.M]

Thanks Dave,

It is an interesting article you linked and explains many causes. I my case I think the stress of the water change & tank maintenance somehow affected the swimming bladder or accelerated a bacterial infection. The pop-eye occurred two days after I did the water change and the water was clear and clean with no evidence of any bubbles on the tank walls so I don't think the nitrogen gas was the issue.
One thing is for sure is that I will be more careful with the tank maintenance.

I don't know what other peoples experience is but I feel that the some of the discus are so 'inbreed' to get shape & colour that it has affected the quality and resilience of the fish and its organs IMO. The more upmarket the discus I get the more delicate they are !!!!

When I first started and had some cheap and robust discus you needed a sledge hammer to kill them !!!!

Ray

[Mr Wild]

I have to agree although I am not sure whether it is inbreeding that causes it but I have a very large brown that never gets anything has been with me for a few years now and the others might get bits and pieces of minor stuff but never him. Just great immune system I guess.