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Thread: Need advice on a problem tank

  1. #1
    Registered Member banks2's Avatar
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    Default Need advice on a problem tank

    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 purchased three Marlboro from a trusted, local Fish retailer added to my established tank after a 3 week quarantine. My existing 5 year old discus seem to be fine. two of the 3 new Discus are ok until they start swimming around the tank and hitting the glass and both have died.


    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).
    physically they are completely fine, eating, swimming no visual symptoms except the one that died today had a zit on his side...


    3. What medications/ treatments have you already tried and what were the results. Include dosage and duration of treatment.
    No treatment as of today.



    Tank/Water

    4. Tank size and ages, numbers and sizes of fish.
    55gallon, 2 five year olds and was three 3" marlboros


    5. Water change regime (What percentage and how often).
    50% Twice a week.


    6. How long has tank been running? Is it bare bottom? If you have substrate, what type and how deep is it?
    it's been running for at least 2 years as it is now.
    Sand substrate 1/4 "

    7. Do you age your water? If you do for how long and what is the ph swing.
    No aging, but I do check the PH and there's no swing.
    There is a cloudiness after a hour or so that seems to be getting worse over time..


    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 __85___

    - ph _7-7.50____

    - ammonia reading __0__

    - nitrite reading __0__

    - nitrate reading _0___

    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,


    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.
    Australian Black worms
    Agcore Krill,Spirulina
    Fluval Bug Bites
    Colbalt Probiotics
    Frozen Beefheart
    Frozen Bloodworms
    Tetra Bits
    Usually feed twice a day of a mixture, but not of everything. I mix it up daily.

    Thanks for any advice..
    Dave



    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.
    Last edited by banks2; 12-10-2018 at 07:28 PM.
    In the process of building a 75 gallon BB..

  2. #2
    Homesteader Altum Nut's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need advice on a problem tank

    I'm thinking you may have had a mini cycle since your not reading any Nitrates.
    When you mentioned new fish hitting glass...was it darting or a light tap ? If darting/spooked...it's possible cause maybe just hit hard enough that killed them.
    Cloudy water could be the cause of the "break in cycle" or mini cycle I mentioned already. Usually it clears after the bacteria catches up.
    As for the zit...either Ich or just poor water quality. Hard to tell without photos.

    ...Ralph
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  3. #3
    Registered Member Swedgin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need advice on a problem tank

    I agree with Ralph here, seems to be a cycle issue. What’s your filtration like?
    Regards,
    Tobi

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  4. #4
    Registered Member banks2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need advice on a problem tank

    Thanks for the replies, I have a CF 80 canister, a HOB Penguin, one sponge, and a UV sterilizer. My remaining Discus are very calm and looking good, also eating normally. The Discus that died was darting moving around the tank hitting everything. The second one darted out of the tank when I was out of the house and died. I'll keep you updated and any suggestions would be great,as far as water changes or anything else.
    Thanks Dave
    In the process of building a 75 gallon BB..

  5. #5
    Administrator and MVP Dec.2015 Second Hand Pat's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need advice on a problem tank

    Hi David, can you measure your water parameters? Ammonia, nitrites and nitrates?
    Pat
    Your discus are talking to you....are you listening


  6. #6
    Registered Member banks2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need advice on a problem tank

    Good afternoon Pat,
    Family emergency but the Discus are doing good.
    I just tested the water and we have Ammonia 1.0 pmm
    Nitrite 0.50 ppm
    Nitrate 5- 10 ppm
    I've been doing 50% water changes every 2 days and they appear to be good. Body structure is good and their stress bar are minimal. I still have the cloudy water though.
    Any thoughts would be fantastic.
    Thanks
    In the process of building a 75 gallon BB..

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Need advice on a problem tank

    make 50% WC and 100g on 100L non ionized salt trow in aquarium(redose when WC) and kabooom

  8. #8
    Registered Member + MVP danotaylor's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need advice on a problem tank

    If you have Seachem Prime use the ammonia toxicity dose which I believe is 5 times the regular dosing. Prime immediately converts toxic ammonia to non-toxic ammonium for 48 hours and then your bio filter will remove it.

  9. #9
    Administrator and MVP Dec.2015 Second Hand Pat's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need advice on a problem tank

    Quote Originally Posted by banks2 View Post
    Good afternoon Pat,
    Family emergency but the Discus are doing good.
    I just tested the water and we have Ammonia 1.0 pmm
    Nitrite 0.50 ppm
    Nitrate 5- 10 ppm
    I've been doing 50% water changes every 2 days and they appear to be good. Body structure is good and their stress bar are minimal. I still have the cloudy water though.
    Any thoughts would be fantastic.
    Thanks
    David, you have a mini-cycle with existing ammonia and nitrite. Best to do 50% daily water changes to handle this. You can also add prime (for the tank volume) and salt (two tablespoon per 10 gallon) to the tank to help the fish deal with the ammonia and nitrites.
    Pat
    Your discus are talking to you....are you listening


  10. #10
    Registered Member banks2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need advice on a problem tank

    Gooooooood afternoon all,
    hope everyone had a fantastic holiday and New Year. Well the tank is doing good, everyone is feeding and I believe the mini cycle is complete......... I've been reading about Prime giving false readings of Ammonia and I'd like to know everyone's opinion about my readings. My Ammonia is .50-1.0 day after 75% water change everyday since advice given. Nitrite 0 Nitrate 0. My question is when should I remove the sand thinking it's the problem with the Ammonia and the continual cloudiness? I don't want to stress them out with any major changes...
    Also what's the best way to post pics so I can show my current set-up??
    As always thanks for the guidance....
    In the process of building a 75 gallon BB..

  11. #11
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need advice on a problem tank

    I also understand that prime can give a false ammonia reading. Still, the fact that you have 0 nitrate indicates that the tank is still not fully cycled. Ideally nitrate should be 5.
    Mama Bear

  12. #12
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    Default Re: Need advice on a problem tank

    Cloudy water could be due to dissolved gases coming out of solution. Cold water holds more gases which upon warming could cause the cloudiness. Does the cloudiness resolve after 1 h or get worse until the next water change?

    Nevermind, I saw you have nitrite. Mini-cycle it is. Prime will give false positive for ammonia. Nitrite peaks after ammonia so if nitrites were registering and are not now then I would suspect the mini-cycle is mostly over. You could hold off water change for 48h for prime to be cleared and re-test. Obviously observe and be ready to WC if your discus are looking unhappy.

    Did you clean filters or anything like that? I can't imagine adding 1 discus to your tank would crash the cycle.

  13. #13
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    Default Re: Need advice on a problem tank

    Quote Originally Posted by banks2 View Post
    ...My Ammonia is .50-1.0 day after 75% water change everyday since advice given. Nitrite 0 Nitrate 0...
    Its strange that you are still in a mini cycle after all this time. The filter should have caught up by now. You should test your tap water for ammonia, to see if there is chloramine. The next time you test the tank water, test it just before a water change, not after.

    What ammonia test are you using? Is the test that goes from yellow to green like API?

  14. #14
    Administrator brewmaster15's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need advice on a problem tank

    Dave,
    Mini cycle aside... a possible culprit for the mad dashing and death is gill flukes . Your existing 5 year olds may have them but not be bothered. Older fish tend to not even show symptoms. 2- 3" discus though really can get bothered by them. When you added the new fish to the tank they may have gotten irritated by the flukes and with more discus the fluke population jumps up.

    My suggestion is if you see the same symptoms again consider treating for flukes.

    hth,
    Al
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  15. #15
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    Default Re: Need advice on a problem tank

    I would like to add that your water changes are too big and too often. I had the same lingering issue. It wasn't water changes that I needed. I was taking too much good bacteria out. Test kits will show both ammonia and ammonium as the same. Just add a good bacteria supplement that instantly cycles the tank making it safe for fish. Since your tank is seasoned. You will wake up to Crystal clear water the next morning. Good Luck

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