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I have 16 small discus in a 55 gallon tank. I noticed today that one of them is black and not eating and just staying at the bottom of the tank and not swimming or moving around too much. All of the others in the tank seem to be ok. I moved this fish to a 30 gallon by itself. Any suggestions on what it could be and what to do about it?
Thanks, Annette
Hay
If discus turn to black maby have external parasites (gyrodactilus, dactylogyrus). Please read on this forum something about salt bath or something with formalin, praziquantel... and try. But if discus stop eating have internal parasites like Hexamita and company. In this case you must turn the temperature in your tank of 93-95F and left discus in this temperature 15 days. In two or three days discus must start to eat. If no, you must ad Metronidazole to ( 600mg/100liters) and have discus in this concentration of 3-4 days than wc 50%. You must repeat this treatment with 14 day. You have many discusion about metronidazol on this forum. Take one of this.
I have one question of about this to. One of my discus have black only one half of head from nose to end of the gill. Have any idea whats this? Discus eat and swim and breath normaly. Second side of head is normal color. Only this black color of his half of face.
Thanks
Roman
P.s.
My English is not good and I hope that youll understand me.
My discus:
http://www.akvazin.com/default.cfm?j...501&ID=272
Hi Netty:
Discus turn dark and storp eating as a sign of stress. WE will need more symptoms to guess a cause.
In the meantime daily water changes and salt at 1 or 2 tablepoons per 10 gallons is a good start. Does he eat at all?
HI Roman:
You have a beautiful wall of discus. Did you make the stand yourself? Your pigeons look like they are an inch thick - fat and healthy.
Those with planted tanks will want to see the interesting background in the first photo
My guess is your black discus has a bruise. I have seen photos of others with a similiar one sided or half body marking. This should fade with time.
Hi Carol and Roman. Thank you for answering my question. The fish is not eating at all and hasn't since the day he was black. Now he is all sunken in and I don't think he is going to make it. I did add salt and raise the temperature but no improvement yet...like I said I think it is too late to save him. It is strange because he was normal color one day and the next morning when I got up he was completely black. Should other fish be treated for anything? I am afraid this will happen to them too. Thank you again and I am up for any suggestions on what to do with this guy. Hate to see him suffer like this. Annette
If you are in the US you might try a course of metronidazole (hex-a-mit). If you decide to try it post here for directions
Hi Carol and Netty
Thank you Carol for your compliment. The stand is whole home made of my father and me. Made from masive pine tree wood.This Pigeons are my first breeding babies. Now they 16 months old and 15 cm long. In this moment I have 10s brood of 1-2,5 cm young frys of Cobalt blue, Pigeon and Marlboro red. I think that must be nearly 500 young discus.
About this black color in a half of head of my Leopard I think that you are wright. We will see what happening.
Natty, if your discus are without resource, maby you rise tank temperature on 96 or maby 99 F. And you will see whats happend. If the discus realy near to death you must do this. Maby you save it. This is only my experience.