deathbed discus - please help

[turquoisegirl1]

hi all,

just gotten a part time job at my LFS while at uni, and upon interview today ended up taking two severely malnourished little guys home in an attempt to fix them up/save them - a combo of terribly wrong water conditions and general lack of care has led to what looks like severe fungal issues and loss of appetite.

have them set up in the little quarantine tank and dosing salt and "binox" - only anti fungal i could get my hands on at short notice, however would one of those malachite green/methylene blue multi remedies be better in this situation?? could grab some tomorrow.

one discus is looking ok, will almost definitely make it, but the other is so sunken in and very weak ----

does anyone know how to feed a discus in this condition??

will wait to feed tomorrow but not liking my chances with this little guy,
any help appreciated!!

[Merrilyn]

Young discus seem to reach a point of 'no return' if they haven't eaten for a while. I've had this myself and even after every med I could lay my hands on, offering every type of food, including live food, and keeping the water pristine, I have rarely been able to turn them around.

If they eat, there is still hope, but if they don't eat, then my suggestion is to end their suffering with some clove oil. A few drops in a bowl of tank water is all that's needed, and they will peacefully go to sleep, a few more drops, and they will stop breathing. Clove oil can be bought at any pharmacy and is fairly cheap.

Sadly, we can't save them all.

[turquoisegirl1]

thanks for the advice :)

lost the first one the morning after coming home, but persevered with the other - the fish had been in neutral, 26*C water, so i figured a few days of correct water conditions and warmth may help.

a mild dose of salt and a few small water changes later, i woke this morning and the other little guy is no longer swimming on the bottom, barely clamping his fins and even has a little appetite for a granule and even a bit of your wonderful recipe Merrilyn :)

his fins are in bad condition and hes pretty sunken in but his return of appetite is a plus right??

fingers crossed,
thanks again
jacqui

[Merrilyn]

There is always hope if they're eating. He may never reach his full potential, as far as size goes, but there's no reason why he couldn't live a normal healthy life.

Good luck. :)

[turquoisegirl1]

the little guys colour is actually pretty incredible, didnt think he was anything to write home about, but might even post in the photo album - not much to say for his shape etc, but his colour is incredible!
also, can anything be said for long pectorals on a juvie?? or is this just another trait??

[Merrilyn]

Long pectorals make me think that the fish is quite a bit older than he appears. Pectorals grow with age. His depth of colour would also indicate he's no longer a juvenile too. It appears he may be very stunted and has in fact reached his full size.

A pic would be helpful.