kmckim
11-07-2010, 11:23 PM
Its a long one... I am posting here because it crosses into a few areas, and I am still new to discus...
I started keeping discus in my 54 gallon aquarium around this time last year, and since then i have had no end to my mishaps. First there was the filter failure, which went unnoticed (while I was working extra) and claimed a blue diamond, among others.
Then more recently, several somethings went wrong. First the heater's thermostat broke and the water temp reached nearly 100 degrees. Granted the discus didn't seem the slightest bit bothered, but the other fish died in droves. I lost an ancient ancistrus, some catfish, etc.
Two or three weeks go by, and I manage to only make a mess with some spilled water. The discus, a blue diamond, leopard, white scorpion, and two golden butterflies (all from Kenny) are happy.
I install a new light set up over the tank, a corallife set up that increased the wattage from 60 watts to 130 and the five fish retreat into the back of the tank, hiding from the light. This didn't strike me as unexpected, or even very odd, as they were steal coming out to eat.
I came home late from work Thursday night and found my blue diamond floating on the surface of the tank sideways, panting with a visibly distended belly. I assumed gas, a problem he had had before and waited a bit, but when he deteriorated more, I decided to perform an epsom salt dip, following the directions listed here on the site. The diamond was dead before I came back into the room, despite the fact i thought he could be left there overnight to pass his blockage.
Right away I did a water change, checked the filter, and water chemistry. Water was normal for me (ph 6.5, ammonia and nitrite 0, nitrate less than .25, and if I have the -ite and -ate backwards because I always confuse them, it is supposed to be good water...)
Came home Friday night to find my largest golden butterfly dead on the gravel, with an abrasion on its side, but it was hard to say if it was the cause of death or the result of scavenging. I did another large water change in response, and cleaned the filter. Suspecting poisoning with something I also put in a Pura scrubber pad, a combined carbon, medication, heavy metal, everything cleaner. However by morning, the smallest discus, the other golden butterfly was also dead.
Currently, I have the scorpion and the leopard. The leopard is out and about once again, eating and seemingly happy. Water chemistry also seems fine still. The scorpion won't come out of the back corner, and I haven't seen him eat in 3 days, despite attempts with my home made mix (seafood based), frozen mysis, or the various flakes and pellets the discus used to eat. I have seen the leopard bully him, but since they are the only two left, it doesn't seem excessive. The leopard just swims over to the scorpion to remind him who is the boss. I would say that the scorpion's breathing is slightly faster than normal, but with such an arbitrary measurement system as my memory I can't be sure.
After consulting with the boards here, and the lfs I get most of my other fish from, I have begun treating with metro, and the leopard's return to his usual behavior seems linked to that as I just started treating this morning, and he began eating again tonight, 12 hours later.
My questions, if you have read to here, are 1) any ideas as to cause of death(s)? 2) What can I do to help solve the aggression issue between the leopard and the scorpion, should I split them up, is there an alternative like added a pair of angels to squabble with the leopard until I can get the money and quarantine done for new discus?
Thank you gang, and thank you for going partially blind from reading this!
I started keeping discus in my 54 gallon aquarium around this time last year, and since then i have had no end to my mishaps. First there was the filter failure, which went unnoticed (while I was working extra) and claimed a blue diamond, among others.
Then more recently, several somethings went wrong. First the heater's thermostat broke and the water temp reached nearly 100 degrees. Granted the discus didn't seem the slightest bit bothered, but the other fish died in droves. I lost an ancient ancistrus, some catfish, etc.
Two or three weeks go by, and I manage to only make a mess with some spilled water. The discus, a blue diamond, leopard, white scorpion, and two golden butterflies (all from Kenny) are happy.
I install a new light set up over the tank, a corallife set up that increased the wattage from 60 watts to 130 and the five fish retreat into the back of the tank, hiding from the light. This didn't strike me as unexpected, or even very odd, as they were steal coming out to eat.
I came home late from work Thursday night and found my blue diamond floating on the surface of the tank sideways, panting with a visibly distended belly. I assumed gas, a problem he had had before and waited a bit, but when he deteriorated more, I decided to perform an epsom salt dip, following the directions listed here on the site. The diamond was dead before I came back into the room, despite the fact i thought he could be left there overnight to pass his blockage.
Right away I did a water change, checked the filter, and water chemistry. Water was normal for me (ph 6.5, ammonia and nitrite 0, nitrate less than .25, and if I have the -ite and -ate backwards because I always confuse them, it is supposed to be good water...)
Came home Friday night to find my largest golden butterfly dead on the gravel, with an abrasion on its side, but it was hard to say if it was the cause of death or the result of scavenging. I did another large water change in response, and cleaned the filter. Suspecting poisoning with something I also put in a Pura scrubber pad, a combined carbon, medication, heavy metal, everything cleaner. However by morning, the smallest discus, the other golden butterfly was also dead.
Currently, I have the scorpion and the leopard. The leopard is out and about once again, eating and seemingly happy. Water chemistry also seems fine still. The scorpion won't come out of the back corner, and I haven't seen him eat in 3 days, despite attempts with my home made mix (seafood based), frozen mysis, or the various flakes and pellets the discus used to eat. I have seen the leopard bully him, but since they are the only two left, it doesn't seem excessive. The leopard just swims over to the scorpion to remind him who is the boss. I would say that the scorpion's breathing is slightly faster than normal, but with such an arbitrary measurement system as my memory I can't be sure.
After consulting with the boards here, and the lfs I get most of my other fish from, I have begun treating with metro, and the leopard's return to his usual behavior seems linked to that as I just started treating this morning, and he began eating again tonight, 12 hours later.
My questions, if you have read to here, are 1) any ideas as to cause of death(s)? 2) What can I do to help solve the aggression issue between the leopard and the scorpion, should I split them up, is there an alternative like added a pair of angels to squabble with the leopard until I can get the money and quarantine done for new discus?
Thank you gang, and thank you for going partially blind from reading this!