Bloated Discus

[MatthewJanssen]

Problem

1. Please explain the problems with your fish. When did you notice the problems and did anything unusual happen that you think started them?

The discus became bloated around 5 days ago, probably due to overfeeding dried foods. I noticed that the fish was swimming down. The discus is no longer swimming down, but is not eating and occasionally only uses one of the side thins, and clamps the other.

2. Symptoms (i.e. turning dark, excess slime, not eating, clamped fins, flashing, darting, clamped gills, white/yellow/green poop, hiding, headstanding or tailstanding, white on tips of fins, rotting or fungus, blisters/white zits on fish, bloated, cloudy eyes, wounds).

Originally swimming down, only symptoms now are occasionally clamping one side fin, and not eating.

3. What medications/ treatments have you already tried and what were the results. Include dosage and duration of treatment.

Epsom salt 5 teaspoons per 10 gallons. Also epsom baths of 2 tablespoons per 3 gallons. (30 minute bath daily)


Tank/Water

4. Tank size and ages, numbers and sizes of fish.

55 gallon, 4 discus 10-13cm, 2 bristlenose and a group of pristellas. Moving into a 70 gallon in the next couple weeks. Is currently being custom built.
5. Water change regime (What percentage and how often).


6. How long has tank been running? Is it bare bottom? If you have substrate, what type and how deep is it?

Tank has been running for half a year. Planted tank, with substrate about an inch thick.

7. Do you age your water? If you do for how long and what is the ph swing.

No, I don't notice any PH swings, but likely .1-.2 swings.

8. Parameters and water source;

Note: Water Parameters are important in diagnosing problems within a tank. If you don't own test kits for the following information, you can purchase them, test your parameters and post this info as soon as possible.


- temp 28.5 celcius

- ph 7.6-7.8

- ammonia reading 0.0

- nitrite reading 0

- nitrate reading 5-10ppm

What type of water or combinations of water sources do you use? If it is an RO/tap/well water mix, please list percentages in the mix.

100% tap water, there is no chlorine in the tap water where I live. (Christchurch, New Zealand).


9. Any new fish, plants or inverts added recently.

The discus were introduced 2 weeks ago.

10. Include any pictures or videos you have which shows the symptoms. If you can't add them to this post, please provide a link to them.

Any help would be very appreciated. I don't want to lose this discus!

[warblad79]

You forgot to answer the most important question

5. Water change regime (What percentage and how often).

[MatthewJanssen]

oh sorry lol, 30-50% daily.

[Second Hand Pat]

Probability better to use Epsom salts in a 2 to 4 (up to 24) hour bath vs a 30 minute bath. One to two teaspoon per 10 gallons http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...ght=epsom+salt.
Pat

[MatthewJanssen]

A bit of an update;

Dosed his main tank with 1 tablespoon epsom salt per 10g. No improvements sadly. I will be moving him into a hospital tank and up the dosage to 2 tablespoon per 10g. I have ordered some Mardel Maracyn 2 from amazon, which should be here by the 20th.

Hopefully he can recover.

Thanks for the help Pat.

[MatthewJanssen]

Another update,

Discus made a full recovery with epsom salt and api general cure. He is now swimming happily with his friends again.

Thanks for the help.