HELP!!!! ASAP.. Discus DYING/ new tank... how to fix this

[Second Hand Pat]

Good!!! Hey I just posted some photos in my profile... if you all want to see my tank and babies..... ps.. I really love the colors you have on yours Second hand.. what are these one called?

Hi Sunshine, the fish in my avatar and signature are wild discus called Cuipeua. It is a red based discus from the Alenquer region of the Amazon.

[sunshine]

hopes this works.. here is our new tank....... a work in progress..

[Greghp90x]

Should always quaratine new fish at least 4-6 weeks before introducing to your display tank no matter where or who the discus are from. I learned my lesson long time ago!

[a volar]

Good!!! Hey I just posted some photos in my profile... if you all want to see my tank and babies..... ps.. I really love the colors you have on yours Second hand.. what are these one called?

I just saw those pictures in your profile, some of your discus are going to pepper a lot with this new black substrate……. What you had before?

[sunshine]

Should always quaratine new fish at least 4-6 weeks before introducing to your display tank no matter where or who the discus are from. I learned my lesson long time ago!

Yes, we too just learned the hard way.... we will next time.. once we we recover from this.. thanks

[sunshine]

I just saw those pictures in your profile, some of your discus are going to pepper a lot with this new black substrate……. What you had before?

we had brown basic gravel, but would hold to much gook, and when we removed it we found some long red worms living at the bottom... anyone know what those are?????

RED WORMS.. where did they come from..??

[a volar]

we had brown basic gravel, but would hold to much gook, and when we removed it we found some long red worms living at the bottom... anyone know what those are?????

RED WORMS.. where did they come from..??

Ok, wait..... when you remove what you call brown basic gravel, how you did't? did you remove it when fish still in the tank?

[Skip]

Somethingphishy is a terrible source..

Do a search in them... please don't get more..

AS told. All u can do now is water changes

Good luck. .

Ps check out sponsor pages to see how reputable discus dealer fish should look like. .

[Tazalanche]

Somethingphishy is a terrible source..

Do a search in them... please don't get more...

You're being too polite.

[sunshine]

Ok, wait..... when you remove what you call brown basic gravel, how you did't? did you remove it when fish still in the tank?

no we put the fish into a large container, put a the filter, air stones/heater in it and then put all the fish in their for the night. stripped the tank, scooped out gravel, cleaned alge off, and used some of the "aged" water from the old tank that held the fish and drift wood and then filled rest with fresh water after we put in substrate.

[sunshine]

Somethingphishy is a terrible source..

Do a search in them... please don't get more..

AS told. All u can do now is water changes

Good luck. .

Ps check out sponsor pages to see how reputable discus dealer fish should look like. .

Good to know... we didnt see to many sites out there to order from at first.. but we will for sure look at the sponors going foward.... thanks

[PP_GBR]

The key is to stay calm. Add 2 TBSP salt/10 gal and do not feed them until your water is cycled.

[sunshine]

You're being too polite.

OHMYGOSH>>>>> i had no idea.. just read the posts about them..... oh boy.. i pray pray pray mine make it.. but yes they are tiny.. their two inch is more like 1 inch and their 5 is more like 4.. I hope mine will be okay.. live and learn....... they have great colors... but shame on them for being such a bad company to treat their stock that way... UGGG.... i dont ever want any fish to suffer in bad conditions... thanks for the heads up

[sunshine]

The key is to stay calm. Add 2 TBSP salt/10 gal and do not feed them until your water is cycled.

I am calming down, its in God's hand now. We are taking all the good advice and doing just as you all are saying... questions though, wont the salt harm the live plants? I care more about my Discus then plants for sure.. and I have added a few things of salt yesterday.... but how much will that harm my plants? just so I am perpared... thanks

[strawberryblonde]

Hi again Sunshine,

I'm glad you've gotten so many responses with good advice. Now that you know that the tank isn't cycled, it's just a matter of LARGE daily water changes as often as necessary to keep the ammonia in check while it cycles.

I'm a firm believer in not doing anything but water changes during a cycle (I have mini-cycles when I add more discus, so I deal with this fairly often). The slime coat will clear up on its own if it's just a result of the ammonia spikes. If it doesn't clear up on its own in a week or so, come back, post pics and ask again. There's the possibility that one or more of the new discus brought something with them, but for now it's too soon to know for sure...so no meds, ok?

There's really no need to add salt to the tank for now. Just the clean fresh water will go miles towards helping them adjust.

No need to totally cover the tank either. You can just leave the lights off during the day and on for short periods at night. I think if you cover the tank and leave the lights off the whole time you're cycling you're going to end up with skittish discus who hide from you.

They may or may not want to eat, depending on how they are feeling on any given day. Try small amounts of flakes if they swim to the front and seem to be begging for food, otherwise, don't feed them for now.

The tank is going to take several weeks to fully cycle, but the discus should come around and be acting much better within a couple of days.