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Thread: Dark lethargic discus

  1. #1
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    Default Dark lethargic discus

    Something is going on with my discus and I can't figure out what it is.



    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'm not sure what has suddenly happened I've had these discus for about a month now and over the last two day's by discus have been acting odd. They used to all swim together and show much better colors. Now they seem lethargic, are very dark and huddle closely together in the corner on the tank. They also twitch or shiver sometimes. I noticed this 2 day's ago but when this started they were behaving like this for only a short period of time and it was very infrequent I figured something spooked them just before walking into the room. They seem to perk up after a water change but after a few hours return to the same state. I haven't fed them since the last water change which was yesterday afternoon around 3pm. The only thing I can think is causing this was that 2 day's ago the food in the auto feeder looked a little clumpy. I tossed the food just to be sure. I also started feeding them frozen brine shrimp and frozen bloodworms around the same time. I've also been feeding my other fish these brine shrimp bloodworms and they are fine. In fact my rams spawned again yesterday.


    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).

    lethargic, turning dark, excess slime, hiding, 1 white spot on one fish on the tail fin, discolored or missing scales, the odd shivering or twitching one is also clamping fins and rapidly breathing




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

    NONE


    Tank/Water

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

    75 gallons bare bottom, 7 adult discus about a year old


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

    75 percent everyday

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

    bare bottom running about a month now


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

    yes water is aged 24 hours ph swings about .3


    8. What type/brand water conditioner do you use? Do you add it to the tank or aging barrel? How much do you use?

    conditioned with seachem safe 1/2 tsp I have chloramines I double the recommended dosage


    9. Parameters and water source;

    [B]City water, ammonia after a couple hours (chloramines) nitrite 0, nitrates 5-10, ph after aging 7.6
    - temp 85

    - ph 7.6 after aging

    - ammonia reading 0 a few hours after WC (chloramines)

    - nitrite reading 0

    - nitrate reading 5-10

    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

    - municipal water yes

    - RO water NO

    10. Any new fish, plants or inverts added recently. NO


    11. 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.

    Discus D-50 auto fed 2x day (stopped yesterday)
    Freeze dried balckworms 1x day sometimes 2x day
    frozen brine shrimp fed only once 2 day's ago
    Frozen bloodworms fed once only yesterday.

    on average they are fed a total 4 x per day




    12. 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.

    here is a video https://youtu.be/EeYMFinvX7Y they colored up a bit when I was recording.

  2. #2
    Administrator jeep's Avatar
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    Default Re: Dark lethargic discus

    You seem to be doing things correctly. Good job!!!

    What's in the bag?

    Try raising the temp to 93 and add about 3 TBS salt per 10g for around 10-14 days (replace salt removed during water change) and see if things change.

    I never recommend reducing water changes, but winter water supplies can cause trouble in some water sources. You may want to consider reducing to 50% for awhile. I also don't think there's a need to double dose Safe. Keep us updated!!

  3. #3
    Administrator and MVP Dec.2015 Second Hand Pat's Avatar
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    Default Re: Dark lethargic discus

    Hi Filipe, I am not seeing anything obvious. Perhaps you could try adding 5 tablespoons of regular salt per 10 gallons and see if that perks them up.
    Pat
    Your discus are talking to you....are you listening


  4. #4
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Dark lethargic discus

    Are they eating well?
    Mama Bear

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Dark lethargic discus

    Thanks for the responses The bag just has some bio balls in it.

    OK I'll start the salt treatment today. My first instinct was to add salt but I wanted to get your opinions.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Dark lethargic discus

    Quote Originally Posted by LizStreithorst View Post
    Are they eating well?
    they were yesterday but did not attack the food like they normally do. I haven't fed them this morning I wanted to get this posted before I did.

  7. #7
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Dark lethargic discus

    Let's see how the eating goes. I don't know that this is the problem or not, but dark and lethargic is the first little sign of hex. Go with the salt first, and heat first and see if it works. keep us up-dated.
    Mama Bear

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Dark lethargic discus

    3 tablespoons of aquarium salt per 10 gallons seems like a lot is that correct?

  9. #9
    Administrator jeep's Avatar
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    Default Re: Dark lethargic discus

    That is correct. It's actually not that much... more of a "feel good" tonic...

  10. #10

    Default Re: Dark lethargic discus

    Have you checked your tank ph lately

    Jeanne

  11. #11
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    Default Re: Dark lethargic discus

    Yes I checked the ph before posting this. It's stable. It's higher than normal but stable

  12. #12
    Registered Member bluelagoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Dark lethargic discus

    I see in Nov. you had them in a planted tank with CO2 with PH swings. My guess that it stems from the past from the dirty tank they went in. You mentioned you had other fish species in that tank. You've only had a bare bottom for about a month.

  13. #13
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    Default Re: Dark lethargic discus

    Quote Originally Posted by bluelagoon View Post
    I see in Nov. you had them in a planted tank with CO2 with PH swings. My guess that it stems from the past from the dirty tank they went in. You mentioned you had other fish species in that tank. You've only had a bare bottom for about a month.
    My Discus have never been in my planted tank. They were purchased in the first week of December and have been in their own 75 gallon BB tank since.

  14. #14
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    Default Re: Dark lethargic discus

    So I used api aquarium salt but from the looks of things with 50 wc's for 2 weeks that is going to be quite a bit of salt. Can anyone recommend a rock salt that I can buy that is known to be safe for discus or aquarium use in general?

  15. #15
    Registered Member + MVP danotaylor's Avatar
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    Default Re: Dark lethargic discus

    I use this from home Depot for $8 for #40, works exactly the same as it 99.8% pure sodium chloride
    shopping.jpeg

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