An Odd QT-procedure experience

[Filip]

I just wanted to share my unexpected QT experience here .
I bought 3 new 5-6 inch discus on Black Friday from my LFS (no suppliers nor quallity breeders in my country so my LFS is the only discus source ).
After the initial non eating and white poop problems that I've over overcomed with metronidazole and 34 C treatment I decided to put the hero discus on test with them .
2 Weeks of no signs of cross contamination between them and I decide to give just a couple more days to deworm prior mixing them with my current batch .
Just when I was set and ready to finish the deworming and put the two groups together they got hit by some bacterial infection .Sympthoms as usual - all Black and rough , huddled together sitting in a corner all the time not moving , but they still came out to eat .
Tried salt 1 TBS per gallon first for a couple of days that didn't help and I decided to treat with antibiotic Similar to Furan along with small dose of salt left in the tank . They accepted the antibiotic treatment well and started swimming and getting light colours again on the 3th day o the treatment . I proceeded the treatment for 10 days though.
Now they are all at their prime again and I guess I'm ready for the second time to mix them together . Propably next week though .

I never thought that cross contamination could happen after more than 2 weeks after mixing but It seems to me that that's what happened here .

I wonder if anyone else experienced such a late reaction after mixing 2 groups ?

[jeep]

Filip, I always QT fish for a minimum of 6 weeks. Water born pathogens can begin showing signs at around 2 weeks or longer, and internal pathogens can take a little longer to show up...

[brewmaster15]

Filip, when they got sick was it both the hero fish and the new group?
al

[Filip]

Filip, when they got sick was it both the hero fish and the new group?
al

Yes , I tend to think so Al , but not 100 % sure .
Because my test discus suffered a lot of agression from the alpha in the QT right from the start . That made him very timmid and with lower appetite even before the cross contam . On top of that he is a PB that cant obviously turn black when ill like other strains do.

I know where are you heading with your question , and honestly I'm a little scared too that the outbrake may occure once again on the rest of my unexposed discus in display tank once I add the new ones in there .

One thing that encourages me is how well and quick this "thing "reacted to the Furan based antibiotic and I'm hoping that in a case of outbrake among my unexposed discus in the Display tank it will do the trick once more for them too .

If you have any other suggestions or ideas where should I head from this 50/ 50 point , please suggest .

[brewmaster15]

Filip my best guess is your new fish had at one point been sick from a bacterial infection and recovered. They probably still carried some bacteria but at the levels it was at their immune systems held in check.Your hero fish was getting beat up and stressed. Its immune system got weakened and it got sick from the bacteria the new ones carried... it then served as an incubator and shed more bacteria into the tank....which over powered the still recovering immune systems of your new fish. That it was treated easily with an antibiotic indicates its probably bacterial and not a terribly virulent one. my guess is when you introduce the fish again you may see a silmilar event happen.

Your hero fish did what he was supposed too. showed a potential problem.
Al

[jimmyjoe]

Filip my best guess is your new fish had at one point been sick from a bacterial infection and recovered. They probably still carried some bacteria but at the levels it was at their immune systems held in check.Your hero fish was getting beat up and stressed. Its immune system got weakened and it got sick from the bacteria the new ones carried... it then served as an incubator and shed more bacteria into the tank....which over powered the still recovering immune systems of your new fish. That it was treated easily with an antibiotic indicates its probably bacterial and not a terribly virulent one. my guess is when you introduce the fish again you may see a silmilar event happen.

Your hero fish did what he was supposed too. showed a potential problem.
Al

Yeah but what is an alternative, I'm going to have a similar problem once I get my new discus in from another source. I have no culls just some tetra's from a previous aquarium adventure so what can I do just treat them as having all those aliments and hope for the best after 6 weeks or what?????????????????? Jim in Ohio

[Cove Beach]

Here is another thought on this situation, a second hero may be a good idea and this time install an egg crate barrier to make it a no fight zone. This will prove out whether your display will suffer the same illness. The smaller water volume will be way cheaper to medicate.