Stunted Discus?/General Discus Questions?

[NuclearMuse]

Hello!
I recently purchased (as in yesterday) a young pair of discus fish about 2.5" in length from my lfs. I went in to pick up some aquarium-safe silicone, and instead I walked out with my new fish... Unfortunately, all I knew when I bought them was that they were supposed to be extremely sensitive, would eventually need at least a 55 gallon, and need soft, acidic water. (I know, I really should have done my research first...) I've been doing bunches of research to try and get their temporary tank (a 30 gallon) perfect, because I'm already madly in love with them. :blushing:
I'll be getting a 55 or 125 gallon tank in May, because right now I live in a dorm room. :P But as of May 15, I will have my own apartment, and so will have room for their permanent home (and then add a few friends since they like to shoal).

After reading through the stickies here, I've become paranoid that I bought a stunted pair, and since I'm still inexperienced I can't tell. Can anyone tell from these pictures I took? Also, they're currently sharing the 30 gallon with a few swordtails, so would it make more sense to just keep the swordtails in there because they'll only be there for a month, or should I perhaps get rid of my swordtails (though I do love them, I'd rather preserve the lives of my more costly fish so I didn't waste all that money...) to ensure tank cleanliness and then use the 30 gallon as a quarantine tank later? But maybe add a few otos (compatible?) to help keep algae under control?

Also, for the larger tank I get, would some whiptail catfish be alright with the discus? Or would scavengers not really do anything for the tank because they'd just add to the bioload? I plan to keep it bare-bottom.

Sorry for all the questions! I just want to make sure I do everything right... :embarassed:

73072
73073

[Chicago Discus]

Ok I will bite, welcome to Simply Discus and start reading the beginner sections on how to set up a new tank and care for Discus. Congratulations on your new Discus and you should look at this adventure as a learning experience. Ok now the bad news from what I can tell they do look (second photo) a little stunted but thats ok you don't plan on showing them or breeding them right. These little guys are going to be your pets so it really doesn't matter if they are stunted you can learn a lot about Discus keeping from these guys you just need to keep them healthy and happy. lots of water changes and good quality foods go a long way. welcome to the world of Discus..................Josie

[Altum Nut]

First before anything...Welcome to Simply
Secondly, you should have done your homework before getting into Discus.
Your LFS sold you just 2 stunted discus. These poor Discus would not see adult-hood to ever become a pair. How would your LSF know who is male or female?
I would really check to see if they can refund your hard earned money.
Did you QT these fish? and how did you prepare your tank parimeters to recieve them?
Did you have an established tank with active Biofilter?
We are here to walk you through if in need.

...Ralph

[warblad79]

You just wasted your money for something that's almost dying.

[LizStreithorst]

Forgive me, but these Discus are not just stunted, they are not healthy. The second one is emaciated. I can't tell much from the pic of the first. Return them to the fish store if you can. Do your homework, and when you are set up, buy from someone who knows Discus.

I don't like being all gloom and doom, but with these, the writing is on the wall. I'm sorry.

[brewmaster15]

My honest Advice... Bring them back...That LFS should never have sold them to you... If you can get your money back I would definetly try... better to start your discus Journey with good, healthy stock....Sorry.

-al

[JenTN]

Ill let everyone else chime in on the health, as to swordtails, ime they were extremely active and stressed my angelfish out tremendously, I would think they would do the same for Discus. Good luck, this site is very helpful.

[Skip]

Yep.. Not good quality, stunted..

but don't worry, Everyone of us did same thing.. Well at least I did when i first started..

It ok u will learn.. We all did, eventually

Except LIZ, she is Discus DIVA.. lol

[NuclearMuse]

Well, I feel dumb because I couldn't even tell they were that unhealthy. :( I guess it comes with experience, but still. I'll have to call tomorrow and see if I can return them, I suppose. That's disappointing. V_V Is there no way to nurse them back to health?

And, Ralph, after doing research I know I really should have done a lot more preparation before getting them. :blushing: But, after this I'll know for next time, at least. The tank has been established for some time and is well-filtered, but the only QT tank I had on hand was a 5 gallon and I thought it a very bad idea to cram two discus in there, even though they're small. :/

Unfortunately I don't think there are any breeders anywhere near me because I live in a tiny college town in Iowa, so I'd have to order offline, which is very worrisome to me. ._. I guess I'll worry about that when I get a large tank ready, though, so I can do it right this time and actually get some quality fish. Or at least unstunted ones. lol. I've only had these for a little over 24 hours and I'm already extremely reluctant to have to take them back because they're so cute. :cry:

Thanks for the help, everyone!

[Chicago Discus]

I tried to be nice but they really don't look that great.

[LizStreithorst]

You would be easy to hate if you weren't so funny, Skip:kiss:


Yep.. Nt good.. Everyone of us did
same thing.. Well at least I did.. It ok u will learn.. We all did

Except liz.. lol

[Chicago Discus]

Yep.. Nt good.. Everyone of us did
same thing.. Well at least I did.. It ok u will learn.. We all did

Except liz.. lol


LOL thats funny;)

[LizStreithorst]

Well, I feel dumb because I couldn't even tell they were that unhealthy. :( I guess it comes with experience, but still. I'll have to call tomorrow and see if I can return them, I suppose. That's disappointing. V_V Is there no way to nurse them back to health?

And, Ralph, after doing research I know I really should have done a lot more preparation before getting them. :blushing: But, after this I'll know for next time, at least. The tank has been established for some time and is well-filtered, but the only QT tank I had on hand was a 5 gallon and I thought it a very bad idea to cram two discus in there, even though they're small. :/

Unfortunately I don't think there are any breeders anywhere near me because I live in a tiny college town in Iowa, so I'd have to order offline, which is very worrisome to me. ._. I guess I'll worry about that when I get a large tank ready, though, so I can do it right this time and actually get some quality fish. Or at least unstunted ones. lol. I've only had these for a little over 24 hours and I'm already extremely reluctant to have to take them back because they're so cute. :cry:

Thanks for the help, everyone!

If you nurse them back to health you will have spent a huge amount of time and money on 2 fish that will be stunted and ugly ugly. Some people accept that and do it. What you do is up to you.

[walt3]

if you keep them nice and warm, 84 degrees, lots of water changes and can get them to eat they may come around. you never know. its not a great start but they may suprise you if you can not get your money back. just a thought. however you need to do lots of research and fast!!!!!!!! good luck.

[LizStreithorst]

I'm sorry, Walt but you are wrong. These Discus will allways be stunted and ugly.

Mama Bear

[NuclearMuse]

if you keep them nice and warm, 84 degrees, lots of water changes and can get them to eat they may come around. you never know. its not a great start but they may suprise you if you can not get your money back. just a thought. however you need to do lots of research and fast!!!!!!!! good luck.

Well, I guess if I can't get my money back then I'll give it my all. xD And in the meantime, I'll see if anything changes! Even if I save them and they don't grow up to be super beautiful, I'll hopefully have other discus later on (that definitely won't come from my lfs), and they can look pretty for me. :P

[LizStreithorst]

If you decide to keep them we will help you. To each his own.

Are you a teenager? just curious...

[NuclearMuse]

If you decide to keep them we will help you. To each his own.

Are you a teenager? just curious...

I guess I'll watch them for a few days and see what happens before I really decide anything for sure. And yeah, I'll be 19 in July. So I'm almost out of my teen-dom, haha. I'm a biology major, and want to specialize in aquatic ecology, I think.

Is there anything specific I can do to see if I can get improvement in the next few days? And is there a good way to make sure they eat? They've only been passively interested in food so far, but I just put it to being stressed. They eat a little, but don't seem overly enthused about it.

[Orange Crush]

Is there anything specific I can do to see if I can get improvement in the next few days? And is there a good way to make sure they eat? They've only been passively interested in food so far, but I just put it to being stressed. They eat a little, but don't seem overly enthused about it.
The only chance they have is if you do large daily water changes (preferably 2 wc's a day since juvies have to be fed a lot and need prestine water), keep the heat at least 82 (but 84-86 is better since it will increase their metabolism) and feed them high quality food 5 or 6 times per day.

[farebox]

Hey dude, don't feel bad about all the replies, I just want to let you know that I did the same thing when getting started in keeping discus fish. Read, read, read Simply Discus and you won't go wrong again. Take your time, the key is to be patient. Welcome my friend, take all the advise these folks dish out and success will follow!
One Happy Camper,
farebox

[NuclearMuse]

The only chance they have is if you do large daily water changes (preferably 2 wc's a day since juvies have to be fed a lot and need prestine water), keep the heat at least 82 (but 84-86 is better since it will increase their metabolism) and feed them high quality food 5 or 6 times per day.

OK, the heat has been at 82 so that's good! I did something right. lol. What are some foods you guys have had success with? I have BBS (for my bumblebee gobies and swordtail fry), three kinds of flake food--I use spirulina flake for my livebearers, the other two were extras that came with tank setups so they probably aren't great quality, but are protein-based--some freeze dried blood worms and frozen brine shrimp cubes. They've nibbled at the frozen brine shrimp and freeze dried bloodworms so far... I've read a bit about beef heart, but don't know much about preparing it and it's probably basically impossible in a college dorm room. lol.

Also, thanks, farebox. :) I feel pretty dumb because I acted on impulse when I shouldn't have, and because I barely know anything! Hah.

[Eddie]

OK, the heat has been at 82 so that's good! I did something right. lol. What are some foods you guys have had success with? I have BBS (for my bumblebee gobies and swordtail fry), three kinds of flake food--I use spirulina flake for my livebearers, the other two were extras that came with tank setups so they probably aren't great quality, but are protein-based--some freeze dried blood worms and frozen brine shrimp cubes. They've nibbled at the frozen brine shrimp and freeze dried bloodworms so far... I've read a bit about beef heart, but don't know much about preparing it and it's probably basically impossible in a college dorm room. lol.

Also, thanks, farebox. :) I feel pretty dumb because I acted on impulse when I shouldn't have, and because I barely know anything! Hah.

Don't feel dumb, you are not alone in your first attempt with discus. I assure you, there have been worse. These guys are pretty bad off, more than likely ill too so its going to be a rough road. But your gonna learn, and thats what matters. ;)

[Orange Crush]

Variety is good but they also need a lot of protein, hence the beef heart. I would recommend ordering some FDBW. They are high in protein and many people on this forum feed them. They are sold by Al (the owner of this forum). Here is the link...http://aquaticsuppliers.com/Freeze-dried-foods_c2.htm

[NuclearMuse]

Yeah, everyone's saying they're most likely gonna die so I feel really bad. :( They're so cute, and they already come up and look at me when I'm watching them, so it would be heartwrenching to have to take them back. Even though I really don't want to waste all that money... argh. lol. So I guess I'll just have to try my hardest until I decide what to do. :P

As for them being ill... the only thing I can say with certainty is that they have dark feces, so that's a good sign, at least. :) I'll have to go order some of those black worms and see if they'll eat them!

[Orange Crush]

I wish you the best of luck with them. At the very least you are going to learn a lot! :)

[warblad79]

Return it no matter what and get your money back

[strawberryblonde]

Since you are keeping them for the time being, let's see if I can add a couple of thoughts to help you out in the interim.

1) The black poop is a positive thing! They may not actually be sick at the moment, but instead may simply be emaciated/stunted and failing to thrive because of the actions of the LFS. Many LFS don't bother to feed juvie discus as often as required and they don't change the water often either...both of which can cause discus to get thin and look like death warmed over (like your discus)

Soooo, the first thing to do is to commit to 5-6 small feedings per day. Beefheart is out of the question in a dorm situation, but fill them up on your flake food and BBS if they'll eat them. Spirulina flakes are great stuff. Also, order or purchase discus flake food and discus pellet food promptly. Al's FDBW's are AWESOME nutrition and your discus will stuff their bellies on them. You'll only need a small packet of them for now.

2) Water changes are critical for juvie discus. Commit to doing twice a day changes and make the changes large. Wipe down the sides of the tank at least every other day in order to get the discus slime off of them.

3) If it was me I'd raise the temp of the tank to at least 86 in order to stimulate their appetites. That's going to be a problem for the swordtails though. They can only handle temps up to about 82. Not sure if you can relocate the swordtails temporarily or not. If not, maybe try getting the temps to 84 and see how the swordtails do?

Other than those things, just keep a sharp eye out for any signs of illness. At this point, the second discus is so emaciated that his immune system isn't going to be working well and he'll be susceptible to diseases.

I wouldn't try to medicate them, though lord knows that they probably need it, but for now it's more important to get some weight on them and just providing the food and plenty of clean water is a safer route.

Good luck with them. Hope you can return them, but if not, stick around and we'll all help you out with them.

[Eddie]

As for them being ill... the only thing I can say with certainty is that they have dark feces, so that's a good sign, at least. :) I'll have to go order some of those black worms and see if they'll eat them!

Internal issues won't always present themselves by the look of their feces. You can tell by the overall physical structure of the fish and the way its developed. A stunted fish is malnourished or set back in its growth. Malnourishment and poor care make fish vulnerable to disease. Maybe you can get them in better shape, more healthy at least.

All the best

[warblad79]

If you can return it. Please do so. If you intend to keep, trust me you'll regret it. You will have to spend a lot money to keep them alive.

[brewmaster15]

Can I ask you what you paid for these 2 fish?

-al

[Larry Bugg]

You have gotten some really great replies. It is hard sometimes to hear the truth but I want to stop and commend everyone that has replied to you on this thread. Although they had to give you some bad news they also stepped up to the plate to give you some really great advice either way you decide to go with them. Most of us started out this way and then found Simply and some great Discus advice givers. That is exactly what this forum is all about.

[NuclearMuse]

I paid too much for them. xD They were $60 alone or $100 for two, and all I knew at that point was they were supposed to be expensive. :/

I'm going to go back to the store I got them at today and see if I can return them. The larger one is eating frozen brine shrimp, but the second one doesn't seem too interested. I think I will start my discus adventure over once I'm all set up for it in my apartment next month, and do lots of research in the meantime. :) Thanks for the help, everyone! I learned a lot, and I definitely have a better idea of what to do next time. :D And what to look for when I buy them... haha.

[Eddie]

I paid too much for them. xD They were $60 alone or $100 for two, and all I knew at that point was they were supposed to be expensive. :/

I'm going to go back to the store I got them at today and see if I can return them. The larger one is eating frozen brine shrimp, but the second one doesn't seem too interested. I think I will start my discus adventure over once I'm all set up for it in my apartment next month, and do lots of research in the meantime. :) Thanks for the help, everyone! I learned a lot, and I definitely have a better idea of what to do next time. :D And what to look for when I buy them... haha.

DAMN!!! And at that size! That definitely isnt cool. :( Sorry to hear

[JenTN]

DAMN!!! And at that size! That definitely isnt cool. :( Sorry to hear

Yeah, I got 4 2.5 inch beauties from Hans for a little more than that, and that INCLUDED shipping. Some people have no ethic :(

[warblad79]

My honest Advice... Bring them back...That LFS should never have sold them to you... If you can get your money back I would definetly try... better to start your discus Journey with good, healthy stock....Sorry.

-al

Listen to this guy, He is 100% right! don't even thinking about keeping the fish because its just a waste of time, money, medication and WC. Even if they survie they will it turn out an very ugly fish.

[walt3]

i simply said they might live, not be big and beautiful.

[Skip]

i doubt an LFS would take the fish back and refund money.. but props if they do!

[Orange Crush]

Listen to this guy, He is 100% right! don't even thinking about keeping the fish because its just a waste of time, money, medication and WC. Even if they survie they will it turn out an very ugly fish.
Sometimes money and beauty are not the only things that matter in life. Some people do not care about looks (like peppered PB) and some people do not care about the money, the knowledge gained can be worth the price paid.

Should those fish have been sold by the LFS? Heck no!
Would the OP be better off returning them? That is for him to decide. We have told him the outcome of keeping them will most likely be costly and may still result in their failure to thrive or live. But, just because you would not pay for those fish do not presume that it is the same everyone else.
For me personally, I would be really bummed if I was in the OPs shoes but I would still try because I do not care about the cost or time and the learning experience would be worth it to me.

[Orange Crush]

i doubt an LFS would take the fish back and refund money.. but props if they do!
+1

[NuclearMuse]

Well, they'll take them back for store credit, but then I'm really not getting my money back at all and they'll just sell them to someone else and make even more money, so I'm just going to treat it as a learning experience and see what happens. :) Of course, I think I just made the store owner hate me by even suggesting that they were stunted, and like three people told me that he spent "top dollar" on them and I shouldn't trust anything on forums. lol. But so be it!

I think I'm going to have to re-home my swordtails, though, because a) they're hogging all the food and they eat so fast I can't distract them long enough to feed the discus properly b) they might be stressing out one of the discus because it hides in the plastic plants quite a bit. The one that's hiding is a lot lighter than it was in the store, though, so it maybe at least feels better... but I can't get it to come out long enough to eat. The other one ate from my hand today (a slightly more successful way to keep the swordtails at bay), though, so I'm counting that as progress! haha.

As for the ugly part... they might not look like beautiful discus fish, but they're still pretty cute in their own way. And the one already has good personality. So at least that's something. :P

[brewmaster15]

Sorry to hear that..its unfortunate...But since you plan on keeping them...heres what I would do..

1) get rid of any other fish in the tank...tank should be barebottom at least for now. It'll be easier to maintain. Temps in the mid 80's...ideally 86F.
2) You've got them in a 30 gal tank....try to do at least 50% wc every other day...more if you can.
3) Try getting them to eat other foods.. Read up in the nutrition forum as to how to make some homemade foods....with 2 fish you don't need much. Drop me a pm with your address and I'll send you some Freeze dried Blackworms to try and see if they 'll eat it.
4) I would suggest a course of metronidazole (read up on this in disease board)...that smaller one most likely is dealing with parasites...and it will spread to the other eventually, so treat together.
5)I would then follow up by deworming with praziquantel for tape worms (read up on this in disease board)
6)next I would deworm with levamisol sold by IGOpro here as vermisol ((read up on this in disease board)

You need not medicate with these medications, but if you don't its highly likely you'll lose the smaller one, especially since its wasting away now...Truthfully, it may not survive medications.

Its important if you keep these fish and plan on getting more discus that you take all the steps I've suggested to protect the new discus from anything these may carry...either that or you do not mix these fish with any new stock at any time. Its also important that you consider the costs of these medications, the food and water etc, that you will spend trying to rehabiliate these fish.

As for your LFS Owner...
Of course, I think I just made the store owner hate me by even suggesting that they were stunted, and like three people told me that he spent "top dollar" on them and I shouldn't trust anything on forums. lol. But so be it!rather than condemn forums such as these. He should actually take the time to learn about the fish he sells... he may have paid top dollar...but these fish were not given top care prior to your purchase.

-al

[Skip]

As for your LFS Owner...rather than condemn forums such as these. He should actually take the time to learn about the fish he sells... he may have paid top dollar...but these fish were not given top care prior to your purchase.

-al

BINGO!!!!!!!!!

fish under 4" can drop in QUALITY!!! FAST!! if they stay at LFS that does not give them the CARE needed to continue to develop

[Eddie]

Sorry to hear that..its unfortunate...But since you plan on keeping them...heres what I would do..

1) get rid of any other fish in the tank...tank should be barebottom at least for now. It'll be easier to maintain. Temps in the mid 80's...ideally 86F.
2) You've got them in a 30 gal tank....try to do at least 50% wc every other day...more if you can.
3) Try getting them to eat other foods.. Read up in the nutrition forum as to how to make some homemade foods....with 2 fish you don't need much. Drop me a pm with your address and I'll send you some Freeze dried Blackworms to try and see if they 'll eat it.
4) I would suggest a course of metronidazole (read up on this in disease board)...that smaller one most likely is dealing with parasites...and it will spread to the other eventually, so treat together.
5)I would then follow up by deworming with praziquantel for tape worms (read up on this in disease board)
6)next I would deworm with levamisol sold by IGOpro here as vermisol ((read up on this in disease board)

You need not medicate with these medications, but if you don't its highly likely you'll lose the smaller one, especially since its wasting away now...Truthfully, it may not survive medications.

Its important if you keep these fish and plan on getting more discus that you take all the steps I've suggested to protect the new discus from anything these may carry...either that or you do not mix these fish with any new stock at any time. Its also important that you consider the costs of these medications, the food and water etc, that you will spend trying to rehabiliate these fish.

As for your LFS Owner...rather than condemn forums such as these. He should actually take the time to learn about the fish he sells... he may have paid top dollar...but these fish were not given top care prior to your purchase.

-al

+1

[NuclearMuse]

Sorry to hear that..its unfortunate...But since you plan on keeping them...heres what I would do..

1) get rid of any other fish in the tank...tank should be barebottom at least for now. It'll be easier to maintain. Temps in the mid 80's...ideally 86F.
2) You've got them in a 30 gal tank....try to do at least 50% wc every other day...more if you can.
3) Try getting them to eat other foods.. Read up in the nutrition forum as to how to make some homemade foods....with 2 fish you don't need much. Drop me a pm with your address and I'll send you some Freeze dried Blackworms to try and see if they 'll eat it.
4) I would suggest a course of metronidazole (read up on this in disease board)...that smaller one most likely is dealing with parasites...and it will spread to the other eventually, so treat together.
5)I would then follow up by deworming with praziquantel for tape worms (read up on this in disease board)
6)next I would deworm with levamisol sold by IGOpro here as vermisol ((read up on this in disease board)

You need not medicate with these medications, but if you don't its highly likely you'll lose the smaller one, especially since its wasting away now...Truthfully, it may not survive medications.

Its important if you keep these fish and plan on getting more discus that you take all the steps I've suggested to protect the new discus from anything these may carry...either that or you do not mix these fish with any new stock at any time. Its also important that you consider the costs of these medications, the food and water etc, that you will spend trying to rehabiliate these fish.

As for your LFS Owner...rather than condemn forums such as these. He should actually take the time to learn about the fish he sells... he may have paid top dollar...but these fish were not given top care prior to your purchase.

-al

OK, so the first thing I did after doing some research was to turn the temp up and make the tank barebottom, so that's done, and I ordered some of your FDBW last night, actually! :) I was on the nutrition board a bit last night, but a lot of recipes seem to call for beef heart and with my dorm situation I don't think I can do that. I'll keep looking and see if there's something more manageable, though, because I wasn't able to dig too much last night.

Would a temporary separator be OK to keep the swordtails at bay? I have a friend coming next week who may take some of them for me because I told her about my situation, and the only other options I have at this point are moving them all to my 15 gallon with my bumblebee gobies, or taking them to my LFS. :/

And today, I will research those medications and probably buy them online because my LFS doesn't have a whole lot to offer in the ways of medicine.

And yeah... I'm a lot more prone to believe the advice on here because it's coming from so many people who obviously know what they're talking about... lol

[Skip]

And yeah... I'm a lot more prone to believe the advice on here because it's coming from so many people who obviously know what they're talking about... lol

+1.. yep.. cuz we experience and passion for HEALTHY discus.. not just to buy it cheap and sell it high like LFS

[Eddie]

General Cure, which is Metro and Prazi combined, is SUPER easy to find in the LFS, walmart or any place with pet supplies. For treatment of a few fish in a small tank, its not too expensive. At this point, I dont think you need them in bulk. LOL

[NuclearMuse]

General Cure, which is Metro and Prazi combined, is SUPER easy to find in the LFS, walmart or any place with pet supplies. For treatment of a few fish in a small tank, its not too expensive. At this point, I dont think you need them in bulk. LOL

Research accomplished. Off to Walmart. :P

[Eddie]

Research accomplished. Off to Walmart. :P

Mind you, the wormer won't be so easy so contact IGO Pro (David). While you are at walmart, get some epsom salt. Occasionally, when fish go through a metro treatment, they can get stopped up/blocked.

[Second Hand Pat]

Mind you, the wormer won't be so easy so contact IGO Pro (David). While you are at walmart, get some epsom salt. Occasionally, when fish go through a metro treatment, they can get stopped up/blocked.

If you get the wormer from Dave you will need a gram scale to measure the dewormer. Here's a thread on gram scales recommended by some of the members and use of the gram scale.

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?94918-Gram-Meter&highlight=gram+meter
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?95140-Correct-use-of-Gram-Scale&highlight=gram+meter

[NuclearMuse]

Actually I think I might have some Epsom salt somewhere on my shelves from when I had a toe infection. :P I'll see what there is in the way of scales at walmart while I pick up the General Cure, and if I can't find anything there I'll go check out some of the websites on that thread.

Also, how can I contact David?

[Second Hand Pat]

NM, try this link...

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?94904-VERMISOL-Powder-DeWormer-100-gram-bottle-15.99

Walmart should have the scales.

[dghby]

Wow, here is my 2 cents. as already stated several times, you are not alone. many of us have been thru this. use it as a learning curve. I had this happen back in Dec of 2010. came to this forum just like you and have been learning ever since. i will be purchasing my first Healthy Discus from Kenny on his next shipment, so take your time and learn. and i noticed you mentioned about being worrisome on ordering online. my fish will be ordered online and shipped from California to Pennsylvania and i really have no concerns because i know the quality i am purchasing now.
I am not an expert so will not attempt to offer any help in working with your current Discus, But many of these people are definitely experts and you can trust in what they tell you.
Good Luck,
Tom

[Cevoe]

I would take advantage of the store credit and bring them back.
Coming out of the gate right away with having to treat small, sick discus is not the best way to start off.
Getting your water right and getting a feel for what it normally takes daily would be time better spent.
You will always need something at the local fish store and a hundred bucks is still a hundred bucks.
I bet you can find home bred discus near you that would be a lot cheaper and a lot healthier.
Good luck either way.

[NuclearMuse]

Cat find general cure. Is parasite cure ok? Has prazi, metro, diflubenzuron, and acriflavine

[Eddie]

Cat find general cure. Is parasite cure ok? Has prazi, metro, diflubenzuron, and acriflavine

Im not a big supporter of using combination meds or Molotov cocktails. It's best to use something alone, or maybe 2 things tops but 4, its a bit much. If its ALL you can get, its a personal choice.

[NuclearMuse]

I'll run to the other place I might be able to find it but I'm restricted to a bus system so this is gonna take a while. :p

[NuclearMuse]

Also, Eddie, I read your seafood mix recipe in the nutrition section and I don't hav anything that I can mix ingredients to a paste with, so for trying to get one of my discus to eat, can I just buy some raw salmon and try to feed him small chunks? And freeze it so it won't go bad too fast?

[Eddie]

Also, Eddie, I read your seafood mix recipe in the nutrition section and I don't hav anything that I can mix ingredients to a paste with, so for trying to get one of my discus to eat, can I just buy some raw salmon and try to feed him small chunks? And freeze it so it won't go bad too fast?

It won't really attract them. I've tried before and it was a no go. Can you pick up a small food processor? Its what I used before I bought my industrial meat grinder. I still use it to process all the non meat ingredients.

[NuclearMuse]

It won't really attract them. I've tried before and it was a no go. Can you pick up a small food processor? Its what I used before I bought my industrial meat grinder. I still use it to process all the non meat ingredients.

I'll go check target and Walmart to see if there's anything there I can use. Do you think a chopper would work if I kept everything in long enough? :p

[Eddie]

I'll go check target and Walmart to see if there's anything there I can use. Do you think a chopper would work if I kept everything in long enough? :p

Are your discus 2 feet long? LOL

[NuclearMuse]

Are your discus 2 feet long? LOL

If they were then I could probably just throw all the ingredients in the water and I'd be set! :D

[brewmaster15]

For the number of fish you have, you can pretty much slice and dice on a cheap plastic cutting board...do this...slice thinly, as thin as you can, then chop...then mix well...use the Flat side of the knife to smear the food into a paste...store in a zip lock bag.

-al