Discus dropping like flies, please help

[Paul_ds1985]

Thanks so much Jeep/Tammy for the advise. I’ve actually got esha Hexamita in my medicine draw, I have just put it in the main tank, thought it would be better so it doesn’t spread? It baffles me why half my fish have got this flesh eating bug and others don’t? I’ve even got a pair spawning in the same tank, so they must be obLivious to it

[jeep]

Just a possibility, but like I said before, the bacteria isn't that contagious, it' opportunistic. It could be that what started with a clown loach attacking the slime on the discus, or even simple HITH, turned into a serious infection,

[Megalodon]

What about potassium permanganate?

It might be effective on external infections but not in this case.

[Paul_ds1985]

Morning all,

Just an update on my pigeon blood. After medicating the tank with Esha Hexamita Discus disease treatment, it does seem to a bit more sprightly this morning. Although the skin decay on it's face looks very painful , still not eating but here's hoping.

Big water change today, salt and more meds.

9A0C7817-CF0B-4468-B993-1A7A54526188_1_105_c.jpg

[kev1310]

To be honest looking at the pics, I would say while hexamita may be present there's definitely a serious bacterial infection going on there. I had hexamita brought in on a fish I bought last year and due to me not wearing my reading glasses in the fish room (doh!), it developed into fairly large craters before I noticed, the holes didn't look anything like that though, they were really clean it was just missing flesh. Waterlife's Octozin will clear up Hexamita very quickly. Within a week of treatment the holes were already noticeably smaller. With a bacterial condition as well though, eSHA Hexamita might be a better starting treatment.

As for other fish attacking the slime coat on a discus, I've even seen corydoras doing this in the past, although it has only ever happened when there has been another issue causing a thickening of the slime coat so while the clown loach may have been a contributing factor it's possible there was already a problem and it was merely attracted to a change in the slime coat.

[jeep]

Paul, How are they doing today?

[Paul_ds1985]

Morning Jeep/All

Firstly, it's not allowing me to upload pictures (upload failed) so will send links to shared folders so not to confuse

Again, much love for your concerns. I am going to summarise all events to date and what's been happing the last few days

I have made a time line in the below link with the different discus (alive and dead in some cases).

https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...j4?usp=sharing

The first 3 pictures (Kobalt), looks to be some type of bacteria infection, although caught clowns nibbling on it, he's still alive and well and healed up good.


Next 4 pictures (Red turquoise) did have noticeable pitting on forehead, he was the first to start showing signs something was up in the tank, this in May 15th ish I did try quarantine using metro but it died shortly after, belly slightly bloated.

Next picture is the Santarem, Went dark, excreting mucus on occasions, did this for a few weeks still eating looked ok. It started to hide in what I call now the death corner, moved it to quarantine but died. I am noticing it's belly is swollen but no pitting or obvious problems like the others

Next picture is Solid Turquoise - This had the same symptoms as Santarem but wasn't excreting mucus, it was loosing its colour, not doing dark. I noticed it's belly was very swollen. Moved to quarantine and tried Epsom salts which did nothing. Moved it back into the main tank as I was doing the massive water changes, it lost even more colour and died shortly after. Belly still swollen

Next 3 pictures German Wonder - This started the whole thread, "fleshy" substance on gill a very small patch, which very quickly started eating away at it's face. Didn't have a swollen belly, died a few days after

And finally, the last 6 pictures the pigeon blood. Whilst doing massive water changes, salt, id thought I would try using Esha Hexamita treatment on the whole tank for 3 days, this literally did nothing in my opinion apart from make the water green, If you look at the very first picture when the decay/pus face started the belly was flat, as it started to take hold, Id noticed the it started getting a very swollen belly. I moved it to quarantine, using epsom salt and metro (which I had a small amount of, enough for this) white stringy poop came out and belly is now reducing and face healing up. Things are looking up for him, a mixture of water changes and proper medication seems to have worked for him

The remaining discus are happy, eating but I'm noticing their eyes are swollen or is it just me? I have been doing big water changes to get rid of all the salt and Esha meds I used:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...B7?usp=sharing

To summarise, does this look like a mixture of bloat, Hexamita and bacteria? Does Hexamita cause bloating but doesn't always cause pitting and/or skin decay?

If the pigeon blood (for example) had Hexamita, how can a product like Esha Hexamita cure it? What is the difference between this product (which doesn't contain metro) and API General cure (which does), how can they both claim to cure it when clearly the Esha meds did nothing? My head is spinning the last few days researching different meds that claim to cure fish problems?

[Paul_ds1985]

Another thing I would say the last few months, there has been a lot of aggression from both sexes fighting over a particular breeding spot, which may not of helped stress levels. I had 3 pairs at one point

[Tkuilderd]

Morning Jeep/All

Firstly, it's not allowing me to upload pictures (upload failed) so will send links to shared folders so not to confuse

Again, much love for your concerns. I am going to summarise all events to date and what's been happing the last few days

I have made a time line in the below link with the different discus (alive and dead in some cases).

https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...j4?usp=sharing

The first 3 pictures (Kobalt), looks to be some type of bacteria infection, although caught clowns nibbling on it, he's still alive and well and healed up good.


Next 4 pictures (Red turquoise) did have noticeable pitting on forehead, he was the first to start showing signs something was up in the tank, this in May 15th ish I did try quarantine using metro but it died shortly after, belly slightly bloated.

Next picture is the Santarem, Went dark, excreting mucus on occasions, did this for a few weeks still eating looked ok. It started to hide in what I call now the death corner, moved it to quarantine but died. I am noticing it's belly is swollen but no pitting or obvious problems like the others

Next picture is Solid Turquoise - This had the same symptoms as Santarem but wasn't excreting mucus, it was loosing its colour, not doing dark. I noticed it's belly was very swollen. Moved to quarantine and tried Epsom salts which did nothing. Moved it back into the main tank as I was doing the massive water changes, it lost even more colour and died shortly after. Belly still swollen

Next 3 pictures German Wonder - This started the whole thread, "fleshy" substance on gill a very small patch, which very quickly started eating away at it's face. Didn't have a swollen belly, died a few days after

And finally, the last 6 pictures the pigeon blood. Whilst doing massive water changes, salt, id thought I would try using Esha Hexamita treatment on the whole tank for 3 days, this literally did nothing in my opinion apart from make the water green, If you look at the very first picture when the decay/pus face started the belly was flat, as it started to take hold, Id noticed the it started getting a very swollen belly. I moved it to quarantine, using epsom salt and metro (which I had a small amount of, enough for this) white stringy poop came out and belly is now reducing and face healing up. Things are looking up for him, a mixture of water changes and proper medication seems to have worked for him

The remaining discus are happy, eating but I'm noticing their eyes are swollen or is it just me? I have been doing big water changes to get rid of all the salt and Esha meds I used:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...B7?usp=sharing

To summarise, does this look like a mixture of bloat, Hexamita and bacteria? Does Hexamita cause bloating but doesn't always cause pitting and/or skin decay?

If the pigeon blood (for example) had Hexamita, how can a product like Esha Hexamita cure it? What is the difference between this product (which doesn't contain metro) and API General cure (which does), how can they both claim to cure it when clearly the Esha meds did nothing? My head is spinning the last few days researching different meds that claim to cure fish problems?

Paul,
I am very happy that your fish are getting better. A few points I would make.
The Hexamita does not heal it in the 3 days of treatment. It will kill the protozoa but healing takes a bit longer. General Cure also kills protozoa but its a different medication. There are more medications that will do the same. Which to use depends on where you are.
Here in the US we have access to different meds and a bit more variety than you have access to in the UK.
1 example is praziquantel. It is used for tapeworms. Flubendazole is also used for tapeworms and is equally effective. ESHA Gdex is praziquantel, which you can get in the UK if im not mistaken.
I hope your fish continue to improve!

Tammy

[Paul_ds1985]

Paul,
I am very happy that your fish are getting better. A few points I would make.
The Hexamita does not heal it in the 3 days of treatment. It will kill the protozoa but healing takes a bit longer. General Cure also kills protozoa but its a different medication. There are more medications that will do the same. Which to use depends on where you are.
Here in the US we have access to different meds and a bit more variety than you have access to in the UK.
1 example is praziquantel. It is used for tapeworms. Flubendazole is also used for tapeworms and is equally effective. ESHA Gdex is praziquantel, which you can get in the UK if im not mistaken.
I hope your fish continue to improve!

Tammy

Thank you Tammy, I hope I didn't come across rude when I was talking about the Esha Meds. I was getting very frustrated why my fish were dying on me.

So I can stop this from happening again, what did I do wrong and what meds would have cured my discus? What medications should be stocked in my cabinet? I'm still not certain what the issue is.

Im still not sure why my pigeon blood showed no bloating (not eating at this point), then a few days after skin decay showed bloat? (still not eating). Treated with Esha Heximita, didn't see an improvement In the bloating but it did seem a bit happier. After treating with metro and epsom salt it started exiting the white poop. If I hadn't used metro what would the outcome of been?

[Tkuilderd]

Paul,
I believe both ESHA and Kusuri have products available in the UK. I would try researching those products and see what they treat. I honestly do not know what antibiotics you have available to you. We norma)ly keep nitrofurazone, and metronidazole on hand as well as praziquantel for worming. And aquarium salt to help with several things.

I hope they continue to recover for you.

Tammy