SOS Discus not eating!!!

[EthanCote.com]

Ok, I have calmed down. I know I shouldn't panic so quickly but it worries me when one of my Discus stop eating.

I feed my Discus this morning before leaving for work and I noticed the biggest one in the lot just picked at his food and occassionally puts it in his mouth but end up spitting it out.

Again tonight, same thing. Hmmm he doesn't look sicked (ie fins erect, chasing other fish around, acting normal except for the loss in appetite).

I'm sure other experience this behaviour in their tank(s). Can you please tell me that your Discus turn out fine and starts eating again the next day. Or if your discus turn out to carry some sort of disease or it was just bloatness of the tummy that prevents it from eating...anything to calm my nerve.

I did noticed that his tummy seems to be full, either that could be it bloatness of the tummy??

I normally feed a mixture of frozen brine shrimps and bloodworms, tetra color bits, basic goldfish pellets, and tropical fish pellets. I normally feed one type of food at each feeding. And I feed about 3-4 times a day.

Any input? I just hope he starts to eat again tomorrow...will keep u all posted. In the meantime, please let me know of your experience...

Many thanx.


Cheers,

Chi.

PS: I just noticed after posting this thread that it was in Foods and Nutritions, if this thread belongs to Diseased or General Discussion board, please move it accordingly. I guess in my worry state and hurry to post and get some response, my first impulse was Food and Nutritions.

What temp is your tank set to? If you're concerned tomorrow move it up to 90ºF for a day or two. If the fish's belly still looks full in the morning after a night of no food then I'd be concerned about it being bloated and / or something stuck in it's intestinal tract (or something like that).

Dave

[EthanCote.com]

Hi Dave,

The temperature is at 86F. I will wait tomorrow and see what happen. I just hope this problem can be easily resolved.

Thanks Dave for getting back to me.


Cheers,

Chi.

[EthanCote.com]

Ok now i'm a bit more worry.

This morning, the one Discus that hasn't eaten in 24hrs still refuse to eat. Everything seems normal, the only thing different is that he is not 100% himself (in that he seems less active I suppose due to a lack of energy).

Can someone please shed some light into this situation. What factors, diseases, infections, tank condition that might cause this?

I was thinking of internal parasite of some sort but if this is the case than shouldn't everyone in the tank be experiencing the same thing (since they do eat each other's poops from time to time).

Thanks all in advance for your help in this matter.


Cheers,

Chi.

[Ralph]

I only thing that struck me when I read your first post was the amount of dry food that you are using. I've heard that it can cause constipation or even blockages, especially if the pellets aren't presoaked. The idea is that the fish eat the pellets while they are mostly dry (mine seem to inhale them), and then the pellets soak up moisture in the digestive track. The pellets swell slightly and lessen the amount of liquids in the intestines. You wouldn't think that it would be a problem considering that they live in water.
If this is the case, I don't know of anything that you can do besides wait.

[Carol_Roberts]

Epsom salt - 1 tsp. per 10 gallons. Any white, stringy feces?

Something is wrong if he hasn't eaten in two days. Keep up the extra water changes . . . .
Carol :heart1:

[EthanCote.com]

Hi Carol,

Nope no white stringy feces. I have spend some time checking him out and in all honesty can't see anything wrong with him.

Physically he looks healthy and the same since I brought him (but a tad bigger now :))

If I am correct Epsom salt is use to alleviate stomach problem but since his tummy seems to be back to normal (ie. no bloating), so I assume I'll hold that off.

I'll be doing 50% WC tonight. Hopefully that will stimulate his appetite again. If only I can get my hand on affordable live CBW, if only...

Anyone else care to diaganois what might be wrong?


Cheers,

Chi.

[EthanCote.com]

Talking about chore.

It took me a good 2 hours to clean out a 75 gallon tanks. I uprooted all the sagittarius and gave the gravel a good clean. I also uprooted all the plants in the ceramic pots and give the gravel a good clean as well. I also went ahead and pruned and cleaned most of the algae off the leaves.

After which I added Terralit (a plant nutrients) to the gravel of both tank and ceramic pots and re add the plants.

I even gave the glass a good clean to rid it of algae and scum.

I disposed 50% of the water and refilled the whole tank after I redecorated the tank.

The Discus was a tad stress over this whole ordeal, but I was too busy to pay any attention to them during the whole cleaning process. Light just went out of the tank (due to timer) so I will have to wait till tomorrow and see how they all turn out and to see if the one not eating will start to eat again.

Whew, what a job. And imagine, I still want more tanks...crazy moi ;D


Cheers,

Chi.

Hi Chi! :) Just a thought:

I once had a very beatiful gravel planted tank- my fish did great for awhile. (key word being awhile) If you are experiencing multiple problems with your fish off and on, try bare bottom. I swore I never would, but finally decided my fish were more important than how my tank looked. I was trully shocked at how "clean" the water and the tank appeared after removing it all, and my fish are testimony that they like it MUCH BETTER! Gravel stores too many nasties that one simply cannot see. (so if he was expelling white stringy feces you may not know it)

If interested, just remove EVERYTHING, (put your fish in a bucket with 1/4 water from the tank) then pour some water into your 75 gallon, add a little bleach and scrub it down! (this will kill all the BAD STUFF) Rinse very well, and then wipe it down with alcohol. After you have cleaned the heater this way- place it in your bucket to maintain your temperature. (Do everything except your biological filter) When all is squeaky clean, put your tank back together, add fresh water (I use RO water and have it preheated to match my tank temp when filling), add your fish and put in the remaining 1/4th water from the bucket. If you like real plants, use clay pots and place a few in the tank.

It's the easiest fix I've ever done... then do water changes everyday. I would also consider changing your diet.

If it is stomach bloat from the pellets, Carol is correct- use epsom salt and your problem should clear in a few days. Then presoak your pellets before you feed. If it does not go away and your fish starts getting worse, I would treat for Hex (use metronidazole) and treat with Hexmit or parasite clear.


I was thinking of internal parasite of some sort but if this is the case than shouldn't everyone in the tank be experiencing the same thing (since they do eat each other's poops from time to time). Not necessarily, some may be carriers and have stronger immune systems. Those stressed will be more susceptible.

Good luck....

Hi Chi,

is your discus being harassed too much?

I've had this thing w/ a very sweet marlboro, no signs of disease whatsoever.

I cranked the temp to 92-94F, put one tablespoon per 10 gal next morning he was eating like a pig

alex

Alex: Very sound advice. I believe is salt that you're trying to say.
Chi:Make sure your plants love salt and heat or they'll turn into a slimmy mess. Best do it in a small hosp. tank that you can make 100% W/C easily. I just sold a pair of True Wattley's Turquoise breeder to a hobbyist with a 90 gal planted tank. He wanted to buy the juveniles and I refused and sold him the adult pair that will survive in a planted tank instead. I think one pair is good enough for a planted tank. They'll spawn and carry fry in there. Here is the Pic. Do you think they'll look nice in a heavily planted 90 gal. tank?

http://photo.msn.s8.com/MS8zLzEwMzYzMzcyMzkvMS80MDE4LzE1NS8zMi9HMnNLLUItbT B0VFFNc2JVc0VtRlVB/36c6333b633f26dafc7adce3ab3d711d/clbk=HcZNnT9kkUgHBnZCLqii7Obzja1Hrc8Z5EqGqQvaSinOg *e3jjbLJIMJmlIFQrkywFStvcSMQXM$/jpg.jpgURL



Jimmy

[DarkDiscus]

Jimmy,

If every you are feeling generous with pairs like that, let me know!

;D

And to answer my question - yes, they would be spectacular in a heavily planted 90 gallon.

John

[Ralph]

I realize that the argument between planted vs. BB is an old one that has been kicked around far too many times. And I certainly don't want to go through it again.
But I don't understand the necessity of blaming every fish problem on gravel. As I stated in my previous post on this thread, this is most likely a problem with diet that led to constipation. Unless his fish are eating the rocks, it probably has nothing to do with his gravel. Your doctor doesn't do an appendectomy every time you have a stomach cramp.
In general I think that it is best to identify as specifically as possible the cause of the discus problem before initiating any radical treatments.
Again, this is not an invitation to reopen this argument, if anyone is curious, there are various threads on this forum already that deal with this issue. The general conclusion from those threads was basically that a BB tank is safer and easier but that people have successfully kept discus in planted tanks.

Fish stop eating when something upsets them. That could be water conditions, parasites, bacteria, disease, intestinal problems etc. A tank with gravel is much more likely to harbor bacteria and to have worse water conditions then a bare tank, period. That doesn't mean that it must be the cause and that all planted tanks are doomed to fail, it just means that the presence of gravel that provides a place for dissolving crap & uneaten food is much more likely to be the cause then a bare tank bottom that is siphoned & wiped clean daily. While the fish don't eat the gravel they do live in the dissolved organics that come from the gravel. If you go to a doctor complaining about a sick stomach and you live in a spotlessly clean environment he will probably rule that out as a cause and look to your diet. But if you live in a room that has piling up fecal matter on a shag rug carpet, and if you were to pick up that carpet and shake it violently there would be pizza crusts from a week ago and decomposing crap then he would probably start by addressing your environment. I haven't seen Chi's tank and I doubt that he's maintaining it poorly but there's no way it's as clean as a bare bottom tank so the most likely cause of a fish not eating (one that's not bloated and showing signs of intestinal problems) is the overhead that he's forced to live in due to the dissolved organics coming from the gravel. If anyone with gravel doesn't believe me or thinks I'm exaggerating re: the flying pizza crusts & decomposing crap, I suggest you go to your tank, stick your hand down under the gravel line about and inch and swish your hand back & forth to stir up the gravel. Those clouds are what the fish are enduring 24/7. They're just not visible until you stir them up.

Dave

Dave C..... :thumbsup: AMEN :thumbsup:

Chi.... my comment before was "just a suggestion" since I know you have been having problems off and on for awhile.... I only want the best for you and your discus. When you asked for help, I was just merely giving you my experience when I switched to bare bottom and letting you know how I achieved the fabulous results I got.

[EthanCote.com]

Thanks gang,

I am going to keep my tank planted, not to say I didn't respect what suggestions were offered.

Although I totally agreed that a BB tank would be much cleaner and less chance of having nasties hiding between the gravels, but I like the look of a planted tank ;D

But for all those BB tanks lover, I plan to have 2 more tanks in the near future and they will be BB ;D.

As for my fish, no change in behaviour. He is still not eating..sigh. I think it is Hex since I did see stringy white poop coming out of him. I have placed an order for Metro online and hopefully will receive it soon so I can start treatment on him.

I'll keep u all posted. Thanks for all of the wonderful response and help.


Cheers,

Chi.

[h317]

Chi:Make sure your plants love salt and heat or they'll turn into a slimmy mess. Best do it in a small hosp. tank that you can make 100% W/C easily. I just sold a pair of True Wattley's Turquoise breeder to a hobbyist with a 90 gal planted tank. He wanted to buy the juveniles and I refused and sold him the adult pair that will survive in a planted tank instead. I think one pair is good enough for a planted tank. They'll spawn and carry fry in there. Here is the Pic. Do you think they'll look nice in a heavily planted 90 gal. tank?

Jimmy


Hi, Jimmy. This is how your discus look in my 90G tank ... After 2 days into the new tank, the male started eating now (only bloodworms though). I actually hand-fed them. The female still only picked and spitted :( What a nice pair of discus you sold me. Thanks.

http://www3.sympatico.ca/albatross/images/DSC00051.JPG

That is a BEAUTIFUL tank!!!!!! ;D Great job!!!

[EthanCote.com]

Hmm quick update.

I have treated the tank with Metro for a day and a half now. His tummie seem to be less swelled. Now he is turning a bit dark and it has been a week since he last ate.

I will continue treatment until 3 days has pass. My question is, how long does it takes before he starts eating again?

At this rate without food I can't see him lasting very long.

He is still pretty young about 3 inch long. How long can he go without any food??


Thanx.


Cheers,

Chi.

[jim_shedden]

Chi : I know just enough to be dangerous but I think you should consider espom salts at 2 teaspoons per 10 gallons. Drop Al or Cary and line to see if they concur.

Regards : Jim

[EthanCote.com]

Hi Jim,

I could try the epsom salt but I believe that only helps to relieve constipation and stuffs and will not kill the Hex.

I'll continue with the Metro treatment and see if this will cure them.

Is it possible to add Epsom salt to the tank while I do my Metro treatment???

If he does end up dying, I'll mark this up as experienced and will be better prepare next time the same thing comes around.

But he is not dead yet, so there is still a chance ;D


Cheers,

Chi.

[jim_shedden]

Chi : Maybe I have missed something.................why do you think it is hex? When I had fed my guys too much dry food they had become bloated and stopped eating> I then treated them with espom salts and they turned around. One other thing that I tried was rock salt. Jimmy L suggested I try this when a copuple of my guys were not eating. I threw in some rock salt and they began pecking at it. It eventually cleaned them out and all is well.

Jim

[EthanCote.com]

Hi Jim,

The one that has stopped eatting has been shooting out white stringy poop for the past few days now.

He is also hiding quite a bit and hasn't been quite himself lately. He was the most biggest and aggressive of the lot but is now pretty calm.

I did try treating him with some epsom salt but didn't see any change in his behaviour until I saw the white stringy poop...then I started the Metro treatment.

Actually Jimmy L suggested the same treatment but I was unable to find some at my local hardware store. Apparently I wasn't sure what the usage of the salt was for so the people at the hardware store was unable to help me out. I'll stop by again next time i'm in and see if I can pick some up.


Cheers,

Chi.

Chi:Tell them is for water softener.
Jim: Glad it works. Give them once bi-weekly and they'll never stop eating.
Lawrence: Nice looking clean tank. Don't add anymore fish. That's enough. They'll probably spawn on the drift wood soon.

Jimmy.

[EthanCote.com]

hey JimmyL,

You know the funny thing was, I think I had that bag of salt in my hand, it was like 10lbs or something, quite heavy. I was trying to read the label and stuffs but since it didn't say anything for aquarium I thought it was the wrong stuffs. Silly me.

At least now I think I exactly where those salt bags are located ;D

And man, that bag will last an eternity...don't see using it all up. Anyone care to share? ;D


Cheers,

Chi.

PS: How much salt to use per gallon? And do they dissolve pretty quickly in your tank??

[EthanCote.com]

Quick update:

Hello gangs of Simply,

I have a quick question for you all. It has been 8 days since my ill Discus last ate. Surprisingly he stills seem pretty healthy (ie. still swim around with fins erect and hasn't darken in colour).

I have been treating him with Metro, salt and epsom salt. I have stopped treatment as of today.

His condition right now:
- stomach still seems a bit bloated
- he has been excreting this "yellowish/white gelly like poop" during his treatment and is still excreting it now

My questions:
1. Has anyone else experience this with their Discus?
2. Can this be some sort of egg sacs from some worms or parasite??
3. If not egg sac, what could this be??
4. How long could he go without eating??


Please shed some light into this situation.


Cheers,

Chi.

[Carol_Roberts]

I've read here that capillaria symptoms include yellowish poop
Carol :heart1:

[EthanCote.com]

Oh boy,

What is that Carol?? Is that a new disease? Sigh, just thought I have him treated for Hex, now this?

What do I need to buy to treat him? He better not die since I have invested a lot of time and money on him already ;D

Here is a pic of the little bugger, he is the one on top. He still looks rather amazing for not having eaten in 8 days.

And Carol, is this Capillaria thingie infectious? Right now he is back in the tank with the other fishes.

Thanks


Cheers,

Chi.

[EthanCote.com]

Here he is again.


Cheers,

Chi.

[Carol_Roberts]

It's a type of worms and yes, treat all of them. Here is a link
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=4;action=display;threadid=4413

CArol :heart1:

[EthanCote.com]

Thanks Carol for the link.

I only have Fluke tab handy right now. Guess I'll give that a go and see what will happen.

Sigh, just when you think things are back to normal again....


Cheers,

Chi.

[KEEYEAN]

Hi, was your fish finally ate the food? I know, it was 13 yrs ago. :p, hope you still remember it. My fish has the similar problem now.. he puts the food in his month and split it out. End up, my another discus finish all the food.

Thanks,
KY