GRAY COAT

[CHEWAL]

HI I WAS WONDERING WHAT TO USE ON MY DISCUS TANK IT IS A 220 GAL AND HAS 12 =6 INCH FISH TEMP IS AT 85 AMONIA =0 AND PH 6.1 8 OF THE FISH ARE BREATHING HEAVY AND HAVE A GRAY FILM ON THEM THEY ARE EATING BUT I AM CONCERNED ON HOW TO TREAT THEM AND WHAT TO USE I TURNED UP THE HEAT TO 87 AND IT SEEMS TO HAVE GOTTEN WORSE THIS TANK IS BARE BOTTOM AND HAS NOT HAD A PROBLEM IN 2 YEARS NO NEW FISH IN OR OUT AND NO NEW PLANT IN 4 MONTHS 40 PERCENT WATER CHANGE EVERY 4 DAYS THANKS FOR YOUR HELP

[chuck]

What I would do Is Turn Down the heat to 82-86f because since you said that by turning up the heat made things worse. it sounds like a bacterial infection, bacteria do better in high temps.
I couldn't tell you what type of antibotic to use cause You have to find out what type of bacteria strain it is ..gram positive or gram negitive. A broad spectrum antibotic like KAnacyn or ampicillian might work but that's your call.
So Instead of using a antibotic I would first try SALT (kosher, sea or aquarium as long as it dosn't contain anything else but pure salt (NACL))
the dose I would use is 2 tablespoon/10 gal this along with daily water changes (50%) should cure it within 5-7 days. REMEMBER ONLY replace the salt removed during the water change....
This is what I would do until someone else with more experience with Antibotics assists you.
Check out this link....http://members.shaw.ca/dclubine/master.htm go to Quarantine some good pictures of "gray skin"
HTH
ATB
chuck

[chuck]

ALSO Check out the post on Columnaris attached above in Disease/sickness & medication.
chuck

[CHEWAL]

I stopped at the LFS and I could not believe what he told me He said to add one half teaspoon of pp to the tank I think this guy is full of it That is the reason for the great forums like this i did a 50% water change in hopes that someome will come up with a solution to my problem that makes sense thanks SALT???

[chuck]

Chewal,

Sorry to say but the LFS guy wasn't off base, I think he was talking about potassium Pergamate( PP) it's a oxidator and would literially burn the bacteria off... I didn't mention it because most people don't have it laying around. since it is a oxidator in the dry state it could cause a fire in the house if the conditions were right.
Salt is a more common and easier to obtain...
If he wasn't refering to pp but Pee Pee :o then run as far away from him as possible! ;D ;D
chuck

[CHEWAL]

THANKS CHUCK
After reading the forum I have decided to raise the temp to 89 and try the salt treatment I have pp but do not like to use it this is the first time I had this problem with my fish I have been keeping discus for over 15 years and cant tell people enough how important water changes sre thanks again

I'm no expert by all means... but it sounds to me like Costia.

Costia is a secondary, or debility disease which occurs many times when your fish have suffered what may be a yet undiagnosed stress. They become dark and covered with a whitish-grey substance. They may look like their slime coat is beginning to dry up, especially along the lateral line (the line that runs laterally along the body near the top of their sides that sometimes looks like a "scratch" on their skin.) This problem is easily cured, believe it or not, with medication containing malachite green and formaldehyde.

I had some fish resemble this appearance after a few days from bringing them home from the LFS and once from an order from Bangkok, medicated then did TONS of water changes. It went away within a week or so. Good luck and keep us posted

[Ardan]

Hi,
If it is costia, then high heat will kill the parasite (95F) for a wk to 10 days

hth
Ardan

[CHEWAL]

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP BUT I AM PRETTY SURE THAT THE CAUSE OF MY PROBLEM WAS 2 BRAND NEW SH---- EBO HEATERS

And the heaters caused it how? Did you have a temp drop? Please elaborate.

[Smokey]

How long has the problem be there?

Any improvment?

Smokey

[Shari]

You all got me to thinking now too...a couple mos. ago I inherited three very clean, peach colored quarter sized pigeons. Two of the three have colored into a peach grey, with grey/black fins - it's actually attractive, but being that the one has stayed bright peach I'm wondering now....and one of the grey one's has developed a distended belly that epson isn't curing and in a way the scales do look dryer than normal.....I have a bacterial med in there at present time....guess I'll keep watch a couple more days and go salt route and or Quick Cure since it contains the malachite green and formalin.