Need help. My discus are all stressed, and showing all different symptoms.

[ripa89]

Problem

I recently posted about a sudden death on a seemingly healthy discus, and things have gone downhill from there.
I am aware that I had been making many mistakes, and appreciate any criticism and anything else that will be constructive.

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

Various Discus becoming very dark, reclusive, and lethargic. One recently treated for Hexamita, and another for Fin Rot in a Quarantine Tank. 7 in total. 3 Seem to be mostly healthy (colorful and eating some) But still very skittish. When filling a jar to thaw their food I used to have to fight them away from going into the jar, they would be that excited. Along with following me around everywhere I was in the room. Now they are terrified most of the time I approach the tank. The remaining discus are usually very dark in color, and rarely expose themselves in the open. However every now and then they will emerge, though slowly, and show signs of their normal color returning, and then hide and become quite dark.

Along with the ailing discus, I had several Hatchetfish and some tetras die.

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).

Dark, clamped fins, some interest in food, but only if it floats by them. Marlboro may have white spots/zits. Hard to tell (picture provided)

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

None in main tank.

Treated one for HITH in a hospital tank with API General cure per instructions. That fish showed massive improvement, and was returned to the main tank. He now looks a lot better than before, but is still dark and reclusive.

Tank/Water

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

125 Gallon. 7 Discus, 3 @ 4 inches, 3 at 3.5 inches, 1 at 4.5 inches.
6 Rummy nose Tetras
6 Cardinal Tetras
2 Hatchetfish
2 Burmese Border Loaches
3 Clown Loaches (purchased for the dispatch of a snail outbreak)
5 Singapore Flower shrimp

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

Was 40-50% once per week, now 30% every day or every other day.

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 about 6 months - cycled off of another tank which was running for 2 years. Substrate is a combination of black and red Flora-max mixed with small natural colored pebbles. I always vacuumed the gravel, but I believe I was doing a poor job. It has since been rigorously vacuumed until the water coming out was 100% clear. Will be switching to PFS soon.

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

no

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 84.9F

- ph 6.6-6.8

- ammonia reading 0

- nitrite reading 0

- nitrate reading ~5ppm

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.

The Singapore Flower shrimp were added about 7 weeks ago, along with some plants.

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.

They are fed 3 times per day.
Dry food in the morning - Ocean Nutrition reef Flakes, Hikari Discus Bio-gold pellets, sometimes freeze dried blood worms.
Frozen food (thawed) around 5:00 - 2 Blister Packs of Blood Worms, 1 blister pack of Brine Shrimp.
Dry food about an hour before lights out - Ocean Nutrition reef Flakes, Hikari Discus Bio-gold pellets, sometimes freeze dried blood worms.

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.

[ripa89]

Problem

I recently posted about a sudden death on a seemingly healthy discus, and things have gone downhill from there.
I am aware that I had been making many mistakes, and appreciate any criticism and anything else that will be constructive.

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

Various Discus becoming very dark, reclusive, and lethargic. One recently treated for Hexamita, and another for Fin Rot in a Quarantine Tank. 7 in total. 3 Seem to be mostly healthy (colorful and eating some) But still very skittish. When filling a jar to thaw their food I used to have to fight them away from going into the jar, they would be that excited. Along with following me around everywhere I was in the room. Now they are terrified most of the time I approach the tank. The remaining discus are usually very dark in color, and rarely expose themselves in the open. However every now and then they will emerge, though slowly, and show signs of their normal color returning, and then hide and become quite dark.

Along with the ailing discus, I had several Hatchetfish and some tetras die.

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).

Dark, clamped fins, some interest in food, but only if it floats by them. Marlboro may have white spots/zits. Hard to tell (picture provided)

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

None in main tank.

Treated one for HITH in a hospital tank with API General cure per instructions. That fish showed massive improvement, and was returned to the main tank. He now looks a lot better than before, but is still dark and reclusive.

Tank/Water

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

125 Gallon. 7 Discus, 3 @ 4 inches, 3 at 3.5 inches, 1 at 4.5 inches.
6 Rummy nose Tetras
6 Cardinal Tetras
2 Hatchetfish
2 Burmese Border Loaches
3 Clown Loaches (purchased for the dispatch of a snail outbreak)
5 Singapore Flower shrimp

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

Was 40-50% once per week, now 30% every day or every other day.

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 about 6 months - cycled off of another tank which was running for 2 years. Substrate is a combination of black and red Flora-max mixed with small natural colored pebbles. I always vacuumed the gravel, but I believe I was doing a poor job. It has since been rigorously vacuumed until the water coming out was 100% clear. Will be switching to PFS soon.

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

no

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 84.9F

- ph 6.6-6.8

- ammonia reading 0

- nitrite reading 0

- nitrate reading ~5ppm

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.

The Singapore Flower shrimp were added about 7 weeks ago, along with some plants.

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.

They are fed 3 times per day.
Dry food in the morning - Ocean Nutrition reef Flakes, Hikari Discus Bio-gold pellets, sometimes freeze dried blood worms.
Frozen food (thawed) around 5:00 - 2 Blister Packs of Blood Worms, 1 blister pack of Brine Shrimp.
Dry food about an hour before lights out - Ocean Nutrition reef Flakes, Hikari Discus Bio-gold pellets, sometimes freeze dried blood worms.

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. Red Turq.jpg Red Turq.jpg Marlboro white spots.jpg IMG_6634 (2).jpg IMG_6634 (2).jpgIMG_6634 (2).jpg