Random discus deaths?

[Adoinc]

Before I start I'm just letting you know I have stopped keeping discus for a while because of this but might in the future.

Anyways, my former discus kept dying without showing any signs of symptoms. They were very dark and sometimes hiding but that can be normal right?

My discus were always hiding excessively after I got them and died after about 1-2 days. I went through 4 batches of 5 discus before giving up on them. I'm not sure what caused them to die but I think it might be the carbon in my filter.

They were dark as I mentioned before but also sometimes darted between cover in my tank as well. They didn't have ich or any fungus that I could tell, at least from the outside anyway.

I know that it wasn't ich or an internal parasite because I tried mild doses of ich meds and some parasite treatments as well.

The tank was a 55 gallon and I introduced about 5 fish each time. The discus were 2.5-3 inches.

At that time i was doing a 30% wc on wednesday and a 65% wc on Saturday.

The tank was running at least 8-9 months prior to adding any discus to the tank. Before the discus I did have some angels so maybe that is the problem? The tank wasn't bare bottom at the time and I also had gravel. Although I did a very thorough cleaning in the substrate every water change to the point there was no waste or debris left in the substrate.

I didn't age my water at the time but I didn't know how important that was then. The ph swing between water changes was very minimal if any. I'd say .2 at the most.

The water source was tap water, heavily treated with dechlorinator.

- temp 82

- ph 6.6

- ammonia reading 0ppm

- nitrite reading 0ppm

- nitrate reading 1-5ppm (right before a water change)

The only other thing in the tank was a breeding pair of german blue rams that I thought would add variety. Oh, I almost forgot, and a peppermint pleco that always hid but was around 4 inches.

Sorry for long post :|

(Oh yeah and I'm new to this forum and to discus, but not to fishkeeping)

[Madaboutdiscus]

Discus that small should have had bare bottom tanks and daily water changes of 50% at least. Small discus are very susceptible to things in the water and a substrate tank can go bad quickly. Plus where you were getting your discus could have impact on their health. They could've been sick to begin with. The carbon in your filter would not have bothered them. However most people around here remove and replace it with more bio stuff. Using it only to remove meds. Reading the stickies they have all over the forum will help you understand tremendously the care they require.

~Victoria

[ronald sherman]

gravel, is a big no bb, second tank should be sterial before starting either pp, of bleach and all discus from same source, no other fish, and daily wc, and most important buying from healthy discus from the beginning I was in ur shoes 19 month's ago exsp hobbyist 20 yr's and bew discus read this forum for 3 month before starting and doing 3 simply suggestion bought 18 disvus, from 2 different sources from this site lost 2 discus after 4 month in 1 of the 2 tank's as I got very ill and didn'r due a single water change for 3 week's and believe it or not the 2 that died was the smallest telling me as everyone say's the older bigger the discus the stronger there immune system since the lose of those 2 fish I did saily water changes 75-90% and today do every other day 90% and if possible daily big variety of food I must have 15 different have quality food's I'm sure 5-6 would be enough and giving a variety diet I wish you luck this time but please get rid of gravel 1 cup bleach run with filter 24 hr's get rid of reminding fish before bleaching cycle replace filter media, cycle tank either fishless or pure or fritz 7 and again please buy your fish from 1 of the sponcer and you will have healthy, fish without death, regular water change and really it's that simple unlike other fish where you can get way with monthy water changes not discusif this isn't possible 4 the health of the discus I suggest staying without other fish and I'm not trying too be mean

[pcsb23]

Before I start I'm just letting you know I have stopped keeping discus for a while because of this but might in the future.

Anyways, my former discus kept dying without showing any signs of symptoms. They were very dark and sometimes hiding but that can be normal right?

No, not normal, healthy discus rarely go dark unless carrying fry.

My discus were always hiding excessively after I got them and died after about 1-2 days. I went through 4 batches of 5 discus before giving up on them. I'm not sure what caused them to die but I think it might be the carbon in my filter.

Nope, impossible. Carbon cannot do that - sounds like another of the myths generated by the matrix to me ... darkness and hiding are stress responses.

They were dark as I mentioned before but also sometimes darted between cover in my tank as well. They didn't have ich or any fungus that I could tell, at least from the outside anyway.

I know that it wasn't ich or an internal parasite because I tried mild doses of ich meds and some parasite treatments as well.

Does the doctor ever give you "mild" doses? No, and the reason is because it has to be at therapeutic levels. You most likely compromised water quality is all. The darting/darkness points to water quality issues.

The tank was a 55 gallon and I introduced about 5 fish each time. The discus were 2.5-3 inches.

At that time i was doing a 30% wc on wednesday and a 65% wc on Saturday.

Given the above it is likely this wasn't enough water changes or the water wasn't suitable.

The tank was running at least 8-9 months prior to adding any discus to the tank. Before the discus I did have some angels so maybe that is the problem? The tank wasn't bare bottom at the time and I also had gravel. Although I did a very thorough cleaning in the substrate every water change to the point there was no waste or debris left in the substrate.

I didn't age my water at the time but I didn't know how important that was then. The ph swing between water changes was very minimal if any. I'd say .2 at the most.

Possible, but not probable, that the previous occupants had some influence, wouldn't rule it out but given the other evidence it isn't likely. A pH swing of 0.2 is irrelevant.

The water source was tap water, heavily treated with dechlorinator.

Why heavily? just use the correct amount for the amount of new water. Dechlorinators are chemicals, even though on balance they can be good, too much can also be bad.

- temp 82

- ph 6.6

- ammonia reading 0ppm

- nitrite reading 0ppm

- nitrate reading 1-5ppm (right before a water change)

params look good, if your water is pH 6.6 out of the tap you are lucky!

The only other thing in the tank was a breeding pair of german blue rams that I thought would add variety. Oh, I almost forgot, and a peppermint pleco that always hid but was around 4 inches.

Rams should be ok, pleco not so much, they are nocturnal and ime it is always a case of when they get the taste not if ...

Sorry for long post :|

I've seen worse

(Oh yeah and I'm new to this forum and to discus, but not to fishkeeping)

Believe it or not discus are easy to keep, clean warm water, decent food and decent stock.