Help - Parasites!

[Thome]

Hi,

About a month ago, I notice tiny parasites on the bottom of my tank that are extremely small, and look like small pieces of food, after feeding. :o I have done a treatment with Formalin (2 drops per gallon) and Salt (1 Tablespoon per 10 galloons), but have not had any luck at even reducing them. ??? The fish have been scratching and have been really effected by them as well. The tank is a 60 gallon bare bottom tank with a 2217 Ehiem Cannister filter, that is cleaned every two weeks. Also, I do at least a 10% W/C at least once a day. My questions are: Are these Gill Flukes, or another type of Parasite? Does anyone have a good way of eradicating them? I realize that Gill Flukes are extremely difficult to totally eradicate, but I feel I have lost control of this tank!

Thank you for all your help, as this website has been very helpful with learning more about these great fish!

Ryan

[Carol_Roberts]

Do they kinda hop and skitter about on the bottom of the tank?

If yes, they are next to impossible to get rid of, but they don't hurt your discus. They are scavengers and are a symptom of overfeeding. Cut back on amount fed, siphon bottom of leftovers and change more water daily. You will see a substantial decrease in numbers in the tank (because they are hiding in the filters just waiting for you to get careless and leave extra food in the tank for them, lol).

I've had them with eggs and fry even, so don't worry, just clean ;D

Carol :heart1:

[Thome]

Hey Carol,

Thanks for the reply! I feel so much more comfortable knowing what the solutuion to my problem is!! I will cut back on my feedings and do a major w/c and clean everything as you mentioned.

Thanks for your help and I really appreciate your feedback!

Ryan