Young Discus Not Eating for One Month

[Cindy-]

Hello All - Would really appreciate some advice on the best next steps for treating my discus. Thank you so much!!

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

I have one sick discus that I've been trying to treat for the past month with no success. Some history: Just over two months ago, I brought 5 young (2 or 3 inch) discus home to an established aquarium. There seemed to be two "bullies" that chased the other three into the back corner, especially when feeding. About one month later, I noticed that one of the discus that was constantly being chased had a thick white string hanging from the bottom. (the attached image, which I found via Google, looks just like the string/poop.) This sick discus mostly just hides in the back corner and I have not seen it interested or trying to eat any food for the past month.

discus.jpgdiscus.jpg

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).

• Does not eat.
• Hides in the corner
• Pale coloring with dark vertical stripes.
• White poop, initially. Have not seen that for the last couple weeks.
• Has not grown. (Is now only about 1/2 or less the size of the other 4 discus.)

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

• Removed carbon from canister filter.
• Have been adding aquarium salt with each water change since starting treatment.
• First 2 weeks: Treated with Seachem MetroPlex as per instructions (1-2 measures per every 10 US gallons in water every 48 hours). Increased temp to 90 degrees for the last week as per some advice I found online.
• Discus still not eating after two weeks, but no noticeable white poop.
• Last 2 weeks: Treating with 3-1/2 tsp. PraziPro every third day.
• Was encouraged after starting PraziPro because the sick discus starting coming out to the front corner of the aquarium and hanging out with the others. But, still did not eat and went to the back corner while the others ate. Now, for the last two the sick discus is no longer coming out to the front corner - just hiding in the back

Tank/Water

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

• 76 gallons
• 5 Discus ranging from ~2 to 4 inches
• 15 Harlequin Rasboras
• 3 Clown Loaches ~4 inches each
• 1 bristlenose pleco ~3 inches
• 1 german blue ram ~2 inches
• 1 yellow balloon ram ~ 1 inch

5. Water change regime (What percentage and how often).50% every two days.

6. How long has tank been running? At least five years.Is it bare bottom? NoIf you have substrate, what type and how deep is it?Gravel - Thin layer approximately 1/4 inch.

7. Do you age your water? If you do for how long and what is the ph swing. Do not age water. PH is consistent from tap water.

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 _86____

- ph _7.5____

- ammonia reading _0___

- nitrite reading _0___

- nitrate reading _0 today, but has gone up to max. 5 or 10 ppm in the past___

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.

- well water __No__

- municipal water _100%___

- RO water __No__

9. Any new fish, plants or inverts added recently. Discus are the only new fish.

10. Please tell us what you feed your fish and how often. This can be critical information for solving the problem so be as specific as you can. Alternate daily between freeze dried blackworms, frozen blood worms, and beef heart. Was feeding 4 or 5 times daily. Have decreased to 3 times daily for the past week.

11. 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.Please see attached example photo of white poop.

[Second Hand Pat]

Hi Cindy, can you attach a pic of your fish if possible. Is the fish swollen? How long was the metro treatment and how long did you continue with the heat treatment?
Pat

[Cindy-]

Thanks for your response, Pat. I am trying to catch a photo of the fish today.

The fish does not look swollen. The metro treatment was every two days for two weeks - total of 8 doses. I used up three 5g containers. I increased the heat gradually from 82 to 90 over a few days, then kept it at 90 for a bit over 3 days, and then gradually decreased temp to 86 over 4 days. (Was worried about the other fish at the higher temp.)

[Second Hand Pat]

Hi Cindy, as an FYI the best way to treat with metro is to use pure metro and dose at 500mg per 10 gallons daily after a large water change for a 10 day treatment. I have also used high temp during the treatment but maintain the temp until the fish start eating. Best to add extra air with high temp to aid with the fish breathing.

Since your fish is no longer pooping white might be best to ease the temp up a bit and do daily water changes. Allow the fish to flush the meds from its system and hopefully the higher temp will encourage the fish to begin eating. Please note that meds can put a fish off eating.
Pat

[Cindy-]

Hi Pat,

Good to know about the best way to treat with metro. Really wish I would have asked here earlier.

Just to make sure I understand your advice: Stop the PraziPro treatment and increase temp? Would 88 be high enough and not hurt the rasboras?

[Second Hand Pat]

According to the bottle;

A single treatment lasting 5-7 days is normally sufficient.& Repeat as necessary, but no more than once every 3 to 5 days.& May be used as a preventative, at the standard dosage, when disease is likely.& Do not use with other drugs or disease treatments.& May cause temporary foaming. Contraindications:&

It does no indicate a total length of treatment and you have been treating for two weeks. I would suggest you have treated long enough. However if you were treating for worms you would do three treatments a week apart for three treatments total.

You can try 88 and see where it gets you. No clue if it is safe for the rasboras. The net indicates the normal high range for rasboras is about 82.
Pat

[Cindy-]

Thank you for your time, Pat. I found a temporary home for the rasboras and will increase temp (fingers crossed).

[Cindy-]

UPDATE: Just noticed that the sick discus has white poop again (or still?) Am attaching a picture here. The fish has been coming out more since I increased the temp to 90 and tried to eat a couple of times, but almost looked too weak to try harder.

Could I please get some advice on what to do next? Have not been able to find pure metro locally. I could get it online, but it would probably take a few days to get here. The store where I purchased the discus suggested Benznidazole, which they have in stock. Should I try that, or should I restart the PraziPro treatments?

IMG_2526.jpg
IMG_2525b.jpg