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Thread: Sick discus despite my efforts

  1. #61
    Registered Member cooper666's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sick discus despite my efforts

    By no means am I experienced with discus, but I know fish. I think that daily temp drop during water exchanges might be an issue. Especially if the tank takes several hours to get back up to temp. I really think you should look at adding warmed water during the exchanges while your fish are ill.

    Are there fine solids filter pads in the canisters? If you are only cleaning them every couple of weeks, there could be massive populations of protozoans and other stuff in there that could be acting as an irritant.

    EDIT - sorry, please ignore this post, it was a response to something on page 1. I am derp
    Last edited by cooper666; 08-18-2019 at 12:09 AM.
    My tank - http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?135251-coopers-6x2x2&highlight=

  2. #62
    Registered Member LoGeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sick discus despite my efforts

    I'm not adding cold water. Usually I add water with tank temp.

  3. #63
    Registered Member LoGeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sick discus despite my efforts

    The fish tonight. Not visible in the picture but most of them have foggy eyes.

    The smallest one and a yellow (not in the picture) look in worst shape. The yellow one tries to eat over and over again but just misses the food, or doesn't suck in hard enough.


  4. #64
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sick discus despite my efforts

    bad eyesight is not a rare thing in Discus. If the fish picks up the food and then spits it out it has hex. If he tries to hit the food but misses he had bad eye sight. The only thing you can to to make sure they get enough is to over feed the tank and then vacuum up all the left over food. It's a pain, plus wasting fish food is almost a sin.
    Mama Bear

  5. #65
    Registered Member LoGeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sick discus despite my efforts

    Quote Originally Posted by LizStreithorst View Post
    bad eyesight is not a rare thing in Discus. If the fish picks up the food and then spits it out it has hex. If he tries to hit the food but misses he had bad eye sight. The only thing you can to to make sure they get enough is to over feed the tank and then vacuum up all the left over food. It's a pain, plus wasting fish food is almost a sin.
    Ok, might be bad eye sight due to old age then... Never spits out.

    Almost all fish having cloudy eyes is another thing, that I never seem to get rid of

  6. #66
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sick discus despite my efforts

    That's strange. I can think of what to do since the fish are otherwise well.
    Mama Bear

  7. #67
    Registered Member LoGeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sick discus despite my efforts

    Quote Originally Posted by LizStreithorst View Post
    That's strange. I can think of what to do since the fish are otherwise well.
    I think they are 3 years old now. Cloudy eyes like half of that time. Never any courting behaviour... I'm sure something is wrong with the water or me and probably not discus again for me...

  8. #68
    Registered Member LoGeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sick discus despite my efforts

    This is what the eyes have looked like constantly for more than a year.






  9. #69
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sick discus despite my efforts

    What you are seeing is the last vertical bar which is through the eye. This a normal thing. Relax.
    Mama Bear

  10. #70
    Registered Member LoGeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sick discus despite my efforts

    Quote Originally Posted by LizStreithorst View Post
    What you are seeing is the last vertical bar which is through the eye. This a normal thing. Relax.
    Hmmm... I wish, but are you sure? The eyes used to be clear and bright despite vertical bars, and in some of my fish still are. Now they look a bit foggy or cloudy on the inside, constantly.

  11. #71
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sick discus despite my efforts

    Yes, I could very well be wrong.
    Mama Bear

  12. #72
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    Default Re: Sick discus despite my efforts

    Quote Originally Posted by LoGeek View Post
    Hmmm... I wish, but are you sure? The eyes used to be clear and bright despite vertical bars, and in some of my fish still are. Now they look a bit foggy or cloudy on the inside, constantly.
    I see what you're talking about. Sometimes I have this same thing happen to my fish and it goes away on it's own. I could never pin point as to why it happens but, it does clear up. I never noticed any other adverse effects on my fish. All your fish look healthy except for one (center discus of your post #63). He looks a little skinny compared to his mates.

    Maybe your problem is your water parameters. Don't do 50% water changes daily. Try 25% every two days and see how that goes. These are adult discus and you are feeding lightly, so reduce your water changes. Mine get 3 x 30% water changes a week and sometimes I get lazy and it's just 2 a week.

    Test your water before and after the water change and see if there is a drastic change. Also do the same for GH and kh. might as well test everything 100%. I have tried various other dechlorinators and ultimately, I stick with Prime. Switch to Prime, it's safe up to 5x the dose.

    Your discus have lightened up a bit since you first started this thread and they look healthy, I would not use any medications.

    The algae could also be from your 8.5 hour light cycle. I changed mine a bit that has worked even better. I have the lights on from 6am to 8am and 6pm to 9pm. During the day they get natural light from the windows.

  13. #73
    Registered Member LoGeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sick discus despite my efforts

    Thank you Mando, this was a very encouraging post. I will try to change the lighting and see if it affects algae growth, and test all parameters before and after water change (I only have constant measuring of temp and pH).

    I'm using Seachem Safe, and my understanding is that the ingredients are the same as Prime, without the water and hence cheaper.

    I agree that they have lightened up a bit, I suspect because I removed driftwood and plants.

  14. #74
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    Default Re: Sick discus despite my efforts

    SPINACH CAN BE TOXIC!!!! (adding it to Beef Heart mix)
    I am brand new to the exciting passion of Loving and caring for Discus. But I have to chime in about SPINACH. Spinach given in large doses is one of the most toxic plants for human consumption in the world of edible greens. Please read about 'oxalic acid'. Spinach is also high in Lectins! "Lectins are a type of protein that can bind to sugar. They're sometimes referred to as antinutrients." "Animal studies suggest that certain lectins can reduce the body's ability to absorb nutrients."
    "Spinach is LIKELY UNSAFE for infants that are less than 4 months old. The nitrates in spinach can sometimes cause a blood disorder (methemoglobinemia) in young infants."
    "Consume too much and you may be in for unpleasant symptoms such as kidney stones, abdominal pain, low blood pressure, tremors or convulsions, vomiting, and weak pulse."
    I will NEVER, EVER add SPINACH to my beef heart mix or add vitamins. If Spinach can have this effect on humans imagine what it can do to your Discus Fish you are serving it to every day in their Beef heart meal.
    I use organic Peas with outer skin removed and Spirulina. Peas are Great to help rid the ammonia waste they release there fore lessening the nitrogen in your tank. Peas are an excellent source of A,C and K vitamins.

    VITAMINS CAN BE TOXIC!! We all know this so I am not a proponent of adding vitamins to the Beef heart mix or any other method of introducing vitamins except through natural foods.

    Spirulina is a natural source of nutrition and therefore really great and has no lectins in it and is Super loaded with Vitamin A & K as well as many other vitamins and minerals.

    If you feel you must introduce a leafy green to Your Beef heart mix please consider organic Romaine lettuce. It is at the bottom of the list for least amount of Lectins and is also packed with vitamin C, K and folate.(folate is a B vitamin)

    "What vitamins do fish need?
    Vitamins your fish need:
    Vitamin A - from greens and crustaceans. ...
    Vitamin B-Complex - from greens, eggs, and fish. ...
    Vitamin C - from greens, algae, and fish eggs. ...
    Vitamin D - from snails, shrimps, and earthworms. ...
    Vitamin K - from water fleas, greens, and liver. "

    Thanks! Regina

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