Vertical Discus

[ScottieDog]

Hello,

I am looking after my brother´s 3 Discus, 2 around 8/9cm diameter, one slightly smaller. Please note I have never looked after fish before, I have almost zero knowledge.

I´ve had them about a week and they all seem to be feeding, and no apparent issues seen. No changes in colour in the fish. Filter is on, air brick is on, temperature is 29 degrees via a thermostat - The water was brand new 1 week ago when we bought the fish here from my brothers house, its a temporary aquarium, 60 liters. I am feeding them a small frozen brick of bloodworms every other day (I defrost it first in water) and a small amount of dry food on the day where they don't get the bloodworms. The first few days they were with me they didn´t move much and remained hidden then they started moving around the tank and they seemed OK since.

This morning, one of the larger ones has started swimming vertically, he seems to be unbalanced and uncomfortable. I noticed this around 2 hours ago and he is still doing the same thing now.

I´ve done a little reading on the forum and I believe one step is to give Epsom salts. Is this the first step or is there something else better I can do?

[ScottieDog]

He's not swimming vertical anymore. He is at the bottom of the tank in the corner, subdued. He is moving around now and again but he moves then stays very still, then maybe 30minutes later when I go in, he is somewhere else in the tank.

The others, I think, are OK - They seem to be swimming around and feeding OK, poking their noses into the ground occassionally etc (foraging food?).

I´m worried about the one that was swimming vertically most of the morning but maybe this is just what they do sometimes? Doesnt seem right to me, he certainly looks subdued although his colour looks the same as when I got him and I can't see anything obvious (no bulges, eyes look the same to me, he seems to react when I accidentally scared him earlier and he shot to the other side of the tank........).

PS. I don´t know if he is a he, or a she... Automatically writing "he" for some reason

[ScottieDog]

The one which was distressed yesterday is dead.

The smaller one is now distressed too. Lying on bottom of tank but still breathing.

I´ve done a 75% water change. Don´t know what else I can do.

Very sad.

[ScottieDog]

The biggest one is still swimming but is not moving much.

I hoped it was only a problem with the one orange discus from yesterday but obviously a bigger overall problem.

All their colours look how they did when I got them. No bulging anywhere. Eyes look as they did when I got them.

i´m totally at a loss.

[ScottieDog]

If there is maybe somewhere better, more active to post... could anyone please let me know?

[ScottieDog]

The one which was distressed yesterday is dead.

The smaller one is now distressed too. Lying on bottom of tank but still breathing.

I´ve done a 75% water change. Don´t know what else I can do.

Very sad.

The water change has had an effect, it seems. The smaller discus which was lying (almost lifeless) on the floor yesterday is now upright alongside the other larger fish.

Could it be the oxygen brick not working properly, and the fresh water has revived him? The oxygen brick is giving off loads of bubbles so it´s certainly working.

Should I do 50% water changes every day, that´s my current idea?