Strange Breathing pattern

[B-rad]

Hi everyone... I started noticing a bit of a different breathing pattern with my discus.. it started out as them breathing a little heavily at times now all of them are breathing kinda heavy and the only way I can describe it is that it seems like they'll be breathing and every 5-10 secs take a double breath like they're gasping for air... Today I noticed one of them scraping up against a piece of driftwood, and that same one has dark dull colored eyes...

any suggestions??

[Aurora]

Sounds like gill flukes to me. You treat them with prazi. You can buy that as Aquamaster Tapeworm and Gill Fluke tablets, they are meant to be a good brand.

[B-rad]

that was my thought too, but they're breathing from both gills.. does that matter??

[Aurora]

It seems that sometimes they breathe from both and sometimes from one. I think it depends how infested a particular gill is. I'd be dosing for gill flukes though to make sure.

[Bill T.]

I've just been through a similar problem with mine. They were still breathing through both gills but labouring hard to breath. The "double" breath is prbably a cough as they try to dislodge mucus & flukes from their gills.
I treated with Sterazin intially with limited success and have just finished treating with Prazi which seems to have worked - watch & wait.
Be sure to follow instructions for Prazi, including the follow up treatment, or you may start breeding resistant flukes.
Good luck.

[Merrilyn]

Hi B_rad. Can't add anything further than what the guys have already told you. Their information is totally accurate.