Discus still sick after medication

[Copperdash]

DISEASE QUESTIONNAIRE


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?

7 Days ago, my Discus (Blue) suddenly began to have sever swimming issues. I found her struggling first thing in the morning. Nothing has changed in my tank. Immediate removal to QT Tank.

Blue is about 4 inches, might be a blue turquise

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).

1) Found doing barrel rolls, gasping for air at surface
2) Removed to QT, barrel rolls/gasping stopped immediately. Began Headstanding, difficulty moving around
3)Loss of Appetite
4)Found a half dozen pin prick sized white dots on her sides (came off shortly after starting medication)
5)Very pale (Colour not returned)
6)After 5 days meds appeared to be doing well, eating well, swimming beautiful (Still pale)
7)7th day (2 days no meds) sitting in bottom corner, no appetite (Evening, ate breakfast fine), minor left side tilting, mouth opening with each breath, body curved with corner of tank.
8)Appears to be losing slime coat
9) Colour not returned

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

1)Removed to QT tank 2.5 Gallon
2)Temp raised to 86
3)Salt added to water first day (Non-iodised)
4)Marineland All-in-one-remedy half tab for 5 days
5)Carbon filter removed
6) 40 - 50% WC every second day, new water sits overnight, prime added, heated

With Treatment Blue got better each day, she looked fantastic on the morning of the 7th day. Tank light was turned on early evening (First time since QT started) Slime coat coming off/peeling. Corner sitting, slight tilting left side, not interested in food. Colour not returned.


Tank/Water

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

Community Tank: 46 Gallon Bowfront. Running for 3 months currently. Filter fully cycled as I have used before. Confirmed Cycle prior to adding Blue. All Fish get along well.

5 - Neon Tetra 1-1/2 inches
2 - Gold Gourmis 2 inches
3 - Red Wag platies (Now plus 16 babies currently separated)
3 - Peppered Corydovas 1-1/2 inches
1 - Albino Long-fin Pleco - 2 inches
1 - Red Bristlenose Pleco - 2 inches
1 - Discus (Blue Turquise?) - 4 inches


QT Tank - 2.5 Gallons (Was planned for Platy babies)

Holding Blue Currently


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

Community Tank: 46 Bowfront. WC every 3rd day 30%. New water sits 24/48 hours, Prime added. Heated.

QT: 2.5 Gallon. WC every 2nd day 40 - 50%. New water sits 24/48 hours, Prime added. Heated.


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

46 Bowfront running 3 months currently. Fully cycled.
Black Gravel Bottom. 1 inch deep.
3 plants. Potted in sand/clay.


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

Water ages usually 48 (Sometimes 72 hours). Prime is added direct to buckets when filling. Water is heated prior to change. PH is consistent from tap to bucket.

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.

Community Tank: 46 Bowfront

- temp __82___

- ph __6.8___

- ammonia reading __0__

- nitrite reading __0__

- nitrate reading _<10ppm___

QT Tank: 2.5 Gallon

- temp __85___

- ph __6.5___

- ammonia reading ___0_

- nitrite reading __0__

- nitrate reading __<15ppm__

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 ____

- municipal water __100%__

- RO water ____


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

No. Did find a damsel fly baby (Removed)

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.

Omega One: Super Color: Color Flakes. twice daily.
San Francisco Bay: Frozen Bloodworms: Bi-weekly

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.Blue - Start of illness Oct 6.jpgBlue - Sick Oct13.jpgBlue - Normal.jpg

Sorry I am unable to upload video. Computer will not allow, I have no idea how to get my videos online.

Thank you in advance for you assistance

[Filip]

Hi Kate and im sorry to hear about your troubles.
First I want to address your general discus upkeep . Keeping only 1 discus is ussualy a bad scenario because they are schooling fish and feel insecure when kept alone , and that leads to stress and diseases. Considered minimum is school of 5-6 discus fish.
Another problem might be your Waterchange regime which I think should be doubled since you keep a substrate tank and those are notorious for keeping dirt and bacteria in it.

As for your 2.5 gallon QT tank that's less than sufficient for anything more than 1 day transport of discus . You are doing him more harm than good keeping him there IMO .
Get the fish back in the display if you can't set at least 10 gallon QT for it and treat the medications there instead in the 2.5 gallon bottle / tank .

If you saw an improvement with your current med. maybe you can repeat the treatment but in your main tank , along with better maintenance and doubled WCs .

Good luck Kate.