Not eating after Meth Blue

[SandyLynne]

Since using meth blue 10 days ago my pair have stopped eating.
All the wrigglers died off and the tank has had many water changes but they seem very lethargic. I have offered every type of food with no luck.

Any ideas?

[Merrilyn]

They can go into a sort of depression when they lose their fry. It may not be related to the meth blue at all, but just in case, give your sponge filter a thorough rinse out in old tank water and then put it back.

I was surprised when I cleaned my sponge filter just how much blue was still in there after a treatment, so that's something worth considering.

As far as food, healthy discus can quite easily go for three weeks or more without eating. Try them with some live brine shrimp (the adult size). Very few fish can resist food that wriggles right under their nose.

[samir]

yup those sponges do collect an astonishing amount of junk. put some fresh charcoal in the filter, it may help.

[Ben]

Remember that meth blue will kill your bio in your filters, you might find that you have ammonia/nitrites in your tank and this is why the discus are un-happy.

[SandyLynne]

My pair are back in community tank and and looking so much happier, but silly buggers are laying eggs on the heater within 6 hours of being returned to this tank :shock:

What I found when I cleaned out the filter was no bacteria at all. Also the brand new matrix had soaked up so much meth blue. Water parameters were fine luckily as I checked them every day.

Is there anyway I can get the blue out of the matrix?

I also believe that they may have been depressed. Next to the breeding tank is another tank with 7 juvies in it. They kept looking at the baby discus then back to their cone :cry: