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?

I am in week twelve of raising 8 2.5 inch brilliant turquoise from Hans. They have been nervous/skittish from day one. They have grown well and are about 4.5 inches and have always eaten, always had fins up and never turned dark or refused food. They do not come out to see me when I come in the room. Instead they run and hide in the far corner as if I abuse them. I noticed some head nodding early last month and have since seen occasional darting and flashing. Does not seemed to have progressed much and some days are better than others with all symptoms.

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).

Infrequent darting, flashing, and nodding. Shy and nervous. Easily spooked.


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

I am finishing up three weeks of Prazipro with full dosage day one then half dosage each day after a 50% water change for days two through five then two days no dosage at all. The prazi hasnt helped or hurt...I have seen the same behavior almost immediately after dosing. Also they do not do it more or less after the daily water change. Its not constant but enough to worry me and obviously bothering them. I dosed the prazi suspecting gill flukes but have not seen any heavy breathing or gill/pectoral clamping in any of them.

Tank/Water

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

55 gallon with 8x 4-4.5 inch discus. Fish were 2.5 inches 12 weeks ago so guessing they are right at 6 months now.

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

50% daily.

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

Set up two years low tech planted. Converted to barebottom 12 weeks ago just prior to adding the discus. Underwent small re-cycle after adding discus and heavy feedings.

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

Aged 24 hours in 32g Brute. PH from tap after 24hrs is 7.2 in tank is 6.4. No behavioral changes noticed directly after water change.

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 __6.4___

- ammonia reading __0__

- nitrite reading _0___

- nitrate reading __10-20__(I realized I have been using the saltwater nitrate card and cant find my freshwater one so what I was reading as 20ppm on the saltwater looks more like 10ppm on the fresh.)

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.
none


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.

First two months Hans mix plus Tetra bits, Sera blue and red bits and FDBW cubes. Last month I stopped the Hans mix as they showed little interest in it anymore. so just the dried food the past month. Once early morning and at least twice in the evening. Fish always eat everything and look for more but are not aggressive about it...will shy away from food if I come up too close to the tank and only come out to eat after I put the food in and walk away.

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.