Need advice on spots

1. I recently purchased 5 new discus from a hatchery (actually went to the hatchery to purchase ) I have had the fish for 3 days and they were acting fine then I noticed they are not eating and are all in one corner of the tank. I also noticed greyish white spots about the size of a of eraser on the side of one of the fish. another has a white spot and a white line running from the spot . It is a planted tank but not very heavily.

2. No other symptoms other than the spots

3. Doing 30% water changes daily no other meds because I'm not sure what to do . New to discus.

4. Tank size is 125 gallon, set up for 1 year, all fish in tank beside discus are in the 1 to 1 1/2 inch around 30 in number and will be removing most as soon as I get my 75 gallon cycled. 5 discus range in size from 2 1/2 to 4 "

5. 30 to 35 % water change daily

6. tank set up and running over a year, it is planted but not heavily and use Seachem Flourite Planted Aquarium Natural Substrate 1 1/2 inches deep

7. I use well water so I don't age the water because it doesn't change but a few tenths of a point in ph

8. temp 82 degrees
ph 7.0
cant remember ammonia off the top of my head
nitrate 20
nitrite 0.5
all readings from API test strips

9. Only new fish are the discus

10. Food
tetra pro tropical color crisps
api tropical pellets
omega one freeze dried blood worms
I switch up on food to give a balanced diet 2 feedings per day.

Keith,
It looks like your fish either picked up an infection or came with one. Bacterial,viral or parasite is hard to tell but the time frame probably indicates protozoans.

It sounds like you didnt quarantine these fish, just added them to the 125?

Thats going to make treatment harder with the substrate. I think a good action plan would be to try seachems paraguard or formalin+malachite green. You will also want to increase your water changes to 80+% a day.
This all goes under the assumption its parasites.

The alternative is to assume its bacterial. If so, Then 10days of furan 2 is worth trying instead of the other meds. The problem is symptoms for the two look similar.

I would definitely get in touch with your hatchery. The fish either came with the problem or picked it up in your tank. The seller may have more suggestions or insight.

I cant stress enough why its so important to quarantine new fish.. What you have going on here illustrates it . 6 weeks is a good quarantine period.

hth,
al

Thanks for your advise. I am waiting on a call back from the hatchery as I type. Yeah I will be quarantining from now on. Also setting up new 75 gallon tank for the other fish and substrate and plants and going to keep the 125 bare bottom just for the discus.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by keithinpa

Thanks for your advise. I am waiting on a call back from the hatchery as I type. Yeah I will be quarantining from now on. Also setting up new 75 gallon tank for the other fish and substrate and plants and going to keep the 125 bare bottom just for the discus.

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Sounds like a good plan. Please keep us posted.

good luck,
Al