Please help!

[Davegtr]

Merry Christmas everyone! From what I've been able to read here, it looks like maybe my turq has a case of velvet. But I would truly appreciate anybody's thought about what this is so I can properly treat. Right now my plan is to add salt up to 1 tbs per gallon (for how long?), up the WC to daily and increase the %. If that doesn't work I would consider meds, just not sure which would be appropriate. I've been keeping fish for a long time, but am new to Discus so still learning.


1. Please explain the problems with your fish. When did you notice the problems and did anything unusual happen that you think started them?
Just this evening I noticed one of my Turq's was darker than usual with strange blotches or spots on her. She's a prolific egg layer and otherwise appears to be healthy. Just did a WC yesterday as usual. She had just laid eggs yesterday. Shortly thereafter I siphoned them off.

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).

Darker than usual, strange whitish blotch on side. Other whitish spots laterally from gills to tail. Sometime she lists a little, and fins clamps. Doesn't appear to be breathing rapidly. I just noticed this tonight, last night and this morning she seemed to be fine.


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

Just did a WC and added 1/2 TBS kosher salt per gallon.


Tank/Water

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

110 gallon tank stable for > 2 years. 6 discus (4.5 - 5") 2 Geo Tapajos (4") 4 small cardinals, 5 Harlequins.
Filtering with a 35 gallon sump, so would say it has adequate filtration. Don't use any chemical filtration, just mech and biological. Tank turns over 6-8 times per hour.

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

30% every other day. I'm currently sourcing a larger aging barrel since this one is maxed out. Plan will be 50% or more every other day (or more if needed).

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

Running almost 3 years. Thin layer of PF sand (~ 1") couple java fern, anubias. The PF sand is pretty tightly packed, but I vacuum it every water change.


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

Age water 24 hours minimum before changing. Tap water test shows ~ 7.5/7.6 out of the tap, then ~ 7.2 after 24 hours. City water, last summer was told they only treat with Chlorine, no Chloramine.


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

Age and heat water for 24 hours. Treat the aged water with Prime in aging barrel 5 minutes before re-filling. 2 drops per gallon, about 1/2 capful each WC. Then pump it into the Discus tank.
Every other week or so I add two capfuls of Microbacter 7 just after the WC. I added this amount on 12/24 just after the WC.

9. 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.

All testing is per the API master test kit.

- temp 84,5 F

- ph 7.2

- ammonia reading 0

- nitrite reading 0

- nitrate reading 5 to 10 just before WC

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.

- City water, comes from mountain reservoir in Cascade Mountains and is pretty soft. I believe they add soda ash to raise the PH to about 7.6, as well as Chlorine. Otherwise it's straight from the Mountains.


10. Any new fish, plants or inverts added recently.

Added two new Discus last week from same breeder as existing Discus. Removed one Discus prior to introducing the two new ones. Nothing else added in months. Did not QT new discus since they were already QT from importer and were from same breeder. High quality discus. I should add the two new discus are fine, the discus in question was already in the tank for 5 months.

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.

Morning: Hikari frozen blood worms (about 2 or 3 blocks),
Second breakfast: mid-morning is 1 cube of FD Blackworms (SD),
Lunch: 2 cubes frozen beefheart
Afternoon snack: 1 block FD Blackworms (from SD)
Dinner: 2 cubes frozen brine shrimp.

All of this food is vigorously eaten, especially the FD Blackworms. Whatever the Discus don't eat the Geophagus finish.

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.

Turq blotchy.jpg

[LizStreithorst]

I agree with your diagnosis. I would use Furan II. Also try changing 30% daily rather than every other day, at least for a while. I see no reason at all for the Micobacter 7. It will help the sick fish some if you lower your temp to 82.

[Michael A]

does your water look cloudy when you see from the side of the aquarium?

[jeep]

Merry Christmas everyone! From what I've been able to read here, it looks like maybe my turq has a case of velvet. But I would truly appreciate anybody's thought about what this is so I can properly treat. Right now my plan is to add salt up to 1 tbs per gallon (for how long?), up the WC to daily and increase the %. If that doesn't work I would consider meds, just not sure which would be appropriate. I've been keeping fish for a long time, but am new to Discus so still learning.

Did I read correctly that only one discus is affected right now?

I like your approach but I do see a plant. If your tank is planted then the salt will kill them. If you do proceed with the salt, I would do it for about 10-14 days, keep the temp at 82 and do 50% daily water changes replacing the percentage of salt that is removed.

However, if only one of your existing stock is having this issue then I'm not sure cross contamination is the problem. I've had similar issues where a single discus was affected when I've neglected water changes or filters were dirty. A good tank cleaning, additional water changes and salt has cured it overnight. Try increasing your water changes to 50% every day and wipe down/clean the entire tank and sump and see if there's any improvement. If this spreads then nitrofurizone or Rid Ich would be good choices but both will damage your bio. I also see no benefit to using Microbacter 7 on a regular basis.

[Davegtr]

Liz - Thank you! Yes, I'm doing daily WC for now. 30% until I can source a larger aging barrel. HD was out of the 55 gallon Brutes today. Thank you also for the Furan II suggestion, I'll have to read up about that. My Turq seems a little better today, but now another discus is darting and appears to have a small patch. So, think I'll continue to treat the entire tank. So right now I'm treating with 1 TBS of kosher salt per 2 gallons. Does that seem too weak? I'd rather start small then increase it.

Michael - Attached is a picture of the water from the side. This shot is almost 5 feet across so seems ok? It could always be better. Tomorrow's project is a thorough clean of the sump. I recently added Poret foam in the 1st chamber, may be time to clean it.

Brian - Yes, just the one last night, although another now seems to have a slight blotchy patch. Darting around a little. Couldn't tell if that was skittishness from the salt or something else. Thanks for the heads up about the plants, I've been meaning to move most of them out anyway. That will make cleaning way easier. Even though most plants are just java fern, dirt and poop seem to collect in the roots and require constant cleaning.

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate the advice. These discus really do grow on you and become a part of the family and so I want to do all I can to keep them happy, healthy and thriving.


Side view.jpg

[pitdogg2]

Too high dissolved organics from too little water change. Way up the water changes to more percentage per day. 30% every other day is leaving 70+% bad dirty water everyday. Think about only changing 30% of your toilet water every other day. How do you think that'll look and smell after a couple of days?
Same principle with the fish.

[Davegtr]

About Furan, would it be better to treat the entire tank, or remove affected fish and treat in a QT tank. Just concerned about the impact on BB.

[LizStreithorst]

It's best to do it in a QT tank, but to be honest, Furan II has never bothered my BB. Then again, my sponges have been in use for years and years.