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Thread: Help-Losing discus

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    Default Help-Losing discus

    Hi everyone, new to this forum, but not the hobby or fish forums. For the sake of ease, I'm going to copy my post from another site to give you all the info
    (originally posted February 23rd) I will add how everything is going now down below.
    Tank

    What is the water volume of the tank? 75g
    How long has the tank been running? Almost 2 years
    Does it have a filter? Yes
    Does it have a heater? Yes
    What is the water temperature? 85-86
    What is the entire stocking of this tank? (Please list all fish and inverts.)
    5 disus, 10 cardinal tetras
    Maintenance
    How often do you change the water? Every 2-3 days
    How much of the water do you change? 50%
    What do you use to treat your water? Seachem Prime
    Do you vacuum the substrate or just the water? I do both

    *Parameters - Very Important
    Did you cycle your tank before adding fish? Yes
    What do you use to test the water? API master test kit
    What are your parameters? We need to know the exact numbers, not just “fine” or “safe”.

    Ammonia:0
    Nitrite:0
    Nitrate: 10-15
    pH: 6.8

    Feeding
    How often do you feed your fish? 2-3 times a day
    How much do you feed your fish? What they will eat in ~5 minutes
    What brand of food do you feed your fish? Bug Bites, some API, brine shrimp
    Do you feed frozen or freeze-dried foods? Yes

    Illness & Symptoms
    How long have you had this fish? Just shy of a year
    How long ago did you first notice these symptoms? Maybe 3-4 days ago, but I wasn't sure anything was wrong
    In a few words, can you explain the symptoms? Turning black/getting very dark (it's a discus thing) clamped fins, lethargy, nipped or rotted tail fin, whit spots (look too large for ich)
    Have you started any treatment for the illness? No
    Was your fish physically ill or injured upon purchase? No
    How has its behavior and appearance changed, if at all?
    Lethargy, turning black
    Explain your emergency situation in detail. (Please give a clear explanation of what is going on, include details from the beginning of the illness leading up to now)
    So about Tuesday I guess, I thought they looked darker, but upon closer examination nothing seemed wrong. Today, things are very wrong.
    I'm aware though that it's 100% my fault because I rushed quarantine on a new discus because it was not doing well being alone, when I added it to the tank it immediately improved and began to eat normally. Apparently that got at least two of my others sick (turqs) but at least they're all eating still.

    So after that I was told to get something to de-worm them. I used levimasole at 1/4 cup per 100 gallons. So roughly 0.1875 cups. After that I had the lights off for 2 weeks, vacuuming the bottom every day as well as a 60% water change every day as a 10 day follow up treatment with metronidazole.

    After that all seemed well, everyone was acting normal and looked good. That is, until yesterday I came home to find a turq dead with a giant bulge on her side when just 2 hours before she was eating acting normal, not darkening at all. Then today, my pigeon blood was on its side less than 30 minutes after feeding, again with no indication of anything being wrong. I went to get my net, but as soon as I touched the fish it went ballistic and half swam half spased to the other side of the tank. I don't suppose I can do anything for it at this point? It would kill me to lose one a day if it keeps up at this rate

    Hopefully that's enough detail, will hapilly answer more clerification questions

  2. #2
    Administrator jeep's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help-Losing discus

    Quote Originally Posted by nikm128 View Post
    So after that I was told to get something to de-worm them. I used levimasole at 1/4 cup per 100 gallons. So roughly 0.1875 cups. After that I had the lights off for 2 weeks, vacuuming the bottom every day as well as a 60% water change every day as a 10 day follow up treatment with metronidazole.
    Is this correct? 1/4 cup of levamisole for 100g? The correct dosage is 1/4 tsp per 100g.

    Can you post a photo?

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    Platinum Member fljones3's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help-Losing discus

    I cannot remember where but I have read of some reviewers who fed bug bites and had issues with their discus. If I remember they thought it had to do with something in the food that was not readily digestible. FWIW.

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    Default Re: Help-Losing discus

    Quote Originally Posted by jeep View Post
    Is this correct? 1/4 cup of levamisole for 100g? The correct dosage is 1/4 tsp per 100g.

    Can you post a photo?
    Right, 1/4 tsp, I misspoke. I will post some pictures as soon as I figure out how that works

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    Default Re: Help-Losing discus

    Quote Originally Posted by fljones3 View Post
    I cannot remember where but I have read of some reviewers who fed bug bites and had issues with their discus. If I remember they thought it had to do with something in the food that was not readily digestible. FWIW.
    Oh, I had no idea. Should I start taking them off it and get Cobalt discus flakes or something?

  6. #6
    Administrator jeep's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help-Losing discus

    Click on this button. Choose photo then upload...

    post photo.png

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    Default Re: Help-Losing discus

    It sounds like a cross contamination from you newly added discus to me . Going dark , lethargic and buldging sounds like they got some bacterial issues.
    I would start with Antibiotic an salt ASAP since they are already dying .You can try Furan along with 2 PPT salt if you have that on hand.

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    Administrator jeep's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help-Losing discus

    Quote Originally Posted by Filip View Post
    It sounds like a cross contamination from you newly added discus to me . Going dark , lethargic and buldging sounds like they got some bacterial issues.
    I would start with Antibiotic an salt ASAP since they are already dying .You can try Furan along with 2 PPT salt if you have that on hand.
    Also, keep water changes at 50%+ daily. This will reduce the count of any pathogens in the water...

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    Default Re: Help-Losing discus

    the pics I have are from when they were getting dark and lethargic a month ago. However I do have a video of the one that's having issues now
    https://youtu.be/YhFmFF1VfuQ
    If you look closely you can see the bulge I'm talking about
    I'll keep up the daily 50%, and I also put in a UV sterilizer

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Help-Losing discus

    epsom salt bath fast

  11. #11
    Administrator jeep's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help-Losing discus

    Yes, epsome salt! This looks like an internal infection. How many discus are affected at this time? Kanamycin is a great antibiotic for internal infections...

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    Default Re: Help-Losing discus

    is it me or is there a lot of current in that tank ?
    he seems to be swimming like crazy !

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    Registered Member + MVP danotaylor's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help-Losing discus

    Don't think there's a high flow of current when you see a scrap of plant material kinda drift by...the way its lolling side to side and swimming constantly head down looks to me like a bouyancy (?spelling) issue...the abdomen is definitely swollen...perhaps a swim bladder infection??

  14. #14
    Administrator jeep's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help-Losing discus

    I can't see any swelling in the swim bladder area, although it does struggle like it would with a bad bladder.

    I would isolate this fish immediately in a 20g tank and lower the water level to just above the dorsal and treat with epsome and Kanamycin. Lowering the water level will reduce the energy exhausted as well as stress.

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    Default Re: Help-Losing discus

    OK, I will do an epsom bath ASAP
    @jeep I'm assuming the remaining 4 are infected, but it only shows up on one at a time
    @klr-dude There's some mild current, but she's been swimming/twitching like that since last night.
    @danotaylor Can I do anything for swim bladder? I can't remember

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