Help Required. Discus Sick

[Jiffy]

Hi All,

I need help with a new pair of discus that I just recently bought. When I first bought them they were healthy but a bit stress out during transportation. Refuse to eat on the first day. Ate on the second day.

On the third day, both of them turn an extremely dark colour and the whole body is covered with slime, cowers in a corner and swim at a 45 degree angle (tail up).

They are in a 3ft bare bottom tank with a sponge filter powered by a power head. Spec of water are as follows:

Ph: 6.8
Temperature: 29
Nitrate: ??
Water Change 10% everyday.

They have been like this for a week now. I can see them picking on little bits of bloodworm but apart from that they don't want to eat. Have to suck most of the uneaten food out every night. They are starting to get very thin and the eyes buldging.

Tried Melafix to reduce the stress but that didn't work. Have also tried puting a bit of salt in the water.

I don't really want to put medication to the water until I can be sure on what's going on.

Are they just stress out or are they having discus plague?

Please help.

I paid alot of money for this pair of fineline snakeskin and don't want to lose them.

Regards

Jeffrey

[Merrilyn]

Hi Jeffrey, I need a bit more information mate.

How long have you had these fish, and what size are they.

Did you check the pH of the water they were in before you put them in your tank.

How long has that tank been set up, and was it fully cycled before you added the fish.

I don't think it's discus plague at the moment. You'd be seeing, as well as smelling, more dramatic symptoms, but I am wondering if it's ammonia or nitrite poisoning.

I need to see full water specs as soon as possible.

In the meantime, stop using the melafix. It's a good product, but doesn't seem to do anything for discus, probably to do the the peculiar slime coat they have.

Increase you water changes to 50% a day and be sure to use Seachem "Prime" or something similar to remove the chlorine and bind up the ammonia into a non toxic form.

It sounds to me more like a water quality issue rather than a disease as such.

If they are eating, even just a little, can you see the colour of the droppings, is it white or a dark colour.

Get back to me as soon as you can.

[Jiffy]

Ladyred,

Thanks for your prompt reply. I found out what was wrong with my fishes. Went to the aquarium shop to have a chat with the owner. He came over to have a look at them.

His assessment is poor water condition. My own fault. I only cycle the tank for 3-4 days before putting the fish in. Not long enough and when you open the cover glass, you get a slight foul smell. His recommendation is to change 50% of the water at once. We went back to his shop where he gave me a couple of buckets of aged water to use immediately. Recommendation is to change 50% of the water for first two days and then 25% for a week and to put a small teaspoon of salt into the water on every change.

Did the water change a few hours ago. Fish starting to look better. His advise was not to put any medication as it might cause them more stress.

For your info, the pair that I've got are blue fineline snakeskins about 15cm. Very young fishes probably about 12 months old.

Thanks for you help.

Regards

Jeffrey

[Merrilyn]

Glad you got it sorted Jeffrey. It usually is a water quality problem.

Your tank is going to go through a full cycle now, so you really need to get some Prime to dechlorinate the water, and to bind up the ammonia while the cycle takes place. It will be at least two weeks before your tank is cycled, so you'll need to do daily water changes during that time, to prevent the ammonia and nitrite from poisoning your fish.

Good luck.

You are very fortunate to have such a caring shop owner. Not many of them would actually come out to have a look at your tank.

Do you want to give him a bit of free advertising here, by mentioning the name of the shop. I think it's great that we have shop owners like that.