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Thread: Darken for few minutes

  1. #1
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    Default Darken for few minutes

    I intentionally haven’t put this into the hospital section as majority of time my Stendker discus are doing fine...
    That stopped to eat for a while few weeks ago, but after bumping temperature everything is back normal.



    However one red scribbelt randomly change to dark and next minute he’s perfectly fine. You can see it there



    Sometimes, maybe for a few minutes, few times per day, few others act odd.
    They hold position, look down and become dark. It takes maybe 2-3 minutes than everything goes back to normal



    Have you seen something like that before?

  2. #2
    Silver Member Iminit's Avatar
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    Default Re: Darken for few minutes

    Got to say that’s strange! Never seen what the red did before. As for them head standing. I think the tank is to small. Those are some great looking discus that your keeping healthy. Just need more room. They all look 4+” so I’m thinking room. Move them into a 90-150 and I bet they stop headstanding.

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    Registered Member bluelagoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Darken for few minutes

    I'm getting old and may be seeing things. What is that white stuff on your filters. Those sponges don't look normal.

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    Default Re: Darken for few minutes

    Quote Originally Posted by bluelagoon View Post
    I'm getting old and may be seeing things. What is that white stuff on your filters. Those sponges don't look normal.
    Maybe old, but eyes are still sharp. I think the same white slime which use to build up on the glass. I check under microscope

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    Registered Member Shan_Evolved's Avatar
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    Default Re: Darken for few minutes

    My discus act strange sometimes too. Specifically one of them gets dark randomly like yours, but as soon as I walk up to the tank and he thinks there is food he will lighten up. Eats like a pig and seems fine since I've had him so hard to tell. Also curious what people have to say
    Amateur discuskeeper, Professional doofus

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    Default Re: Darken for few minutes

    I have the same experience too as Shan. My discus will darken up for minutes at time, but then suddenly lighten up. But I have noticed that only "blueish" discus will darken, such as my leopards. My other non blues such as the pigeon bloods and goldens have never darken. Unlike your discus, my discus will only darken when they are protecting their territory during feeding time. My hunch is that they darken as a sign of aggression towards the other discus. But that's only my 2 cents though. Would love to have a more experienced fishkeeper chime in with their thought.

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    Registered Member bluelagoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Darken for few minutes

    They're nice looking discus and their poop looks good from what I can tell, but you should do something about that biofilm. Could be too much food or too small of a tank. Your sponges will work better if the BB can got more O2;the slime hinders that. How often and how much water do you change? Is the water aged?

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    Silver Member Willie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Darken for few minutes

    Squeeze out your sponge filter regularly and it'll work so much better.
    At my age, everything is irritating.

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    Registered Member Shan_Evolved's Avatar
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    Default Re: Darken for few minutes

    Quote Originally Posted by Willie View Post
    Squeeze out your sponge filter regularly and it'll work so much better.
    Just not TOO much lol
    Amateur discuskeeper, Professional doofus

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    Default Re: Darken for few minutes

    Quote Originally Posted by Willie View Post
    Squeeze out your sponge filter regularly and it'll work so much better.
    As you highliged something strange is with that sponge. Other tanks have normal dark brownish sponge.

    Honestly I don’t think it’s a culprit of that issue, but it doesn’t hurt to check closer (microscope shows nothing interesting).

    I have got a hint that it might be something with diet and some of ingredients in my heart mix. I will change that... hope it would help.

  11. #11
    Registered Member bluelagoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Darken for few minutes

    When I see biofilm like that it leads me to believe that your tank is not balanced. All you'll see under a microscope is something that looks like lines, strands and balls. Proteins, lipids ect. Usually head standing is a sign something is wrong with he swim bladder but I don't think that is the case with these discus, especially if you don't see a lump or bulge at the swim bladder. You didn't say how much water was changed and your routine. Or if you age and aerate your water and % of WC. Is your tank cycled? Are there any nitrites present?

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    Default Re: Darken for few minutes

    Quote Originally Posted by bluelagoon View Post
    When I see biofilm like that it leads me to believe that your tank is not balanced. All you'll see under a microscope is something that looks like lines, strands and balls. Proteins, lipids ect. Usually head standing is a sign something is wrong with he swim bladder but I don't think that is the case with these discus, especially if you don't see a lump or bulge at the swim bladder. You didn't say how much water was changed and your routine. Or if you age and aerate your water and % of WC. Is your tank cycled? Are there any nitrites present?
    I'm not are sure how those proteins or lipids look like under microscope, so maybe I've just missed it. I will take another sample and share photo. For sure something unwanted built there. Luckily it's not only one available filter there. In the corner (the black one) I have another one full with ceramic rings, carbon and sponge.

    I severed fish 48h starvation diet to double check a theory with a food. First day it was better and I noticed this strange behavior not soo often and for shorter period than before. During second day of starvation I see a great improvement. I haven't see darkening nor hand standing at all ... It must be something in a food. Maybe biofilm on the sponge is also consequence of that.

    I feed them 3 times per day with my own mix: lamb heart, prawns, king fish, peas, carrot, spirulina, paprika powder, gelatin, garlic and vitamins. Nothing fancy there, but apparently something is wrong. Today I have prepared different mix: beef heart, shrimp, salmon, paprika, gelatin, spirulina and vitamins. So basically no veggies, lamb replaced by beef, shrimp vs prawns, king fish vs salmon. Hopefully it would be better.

    Regarding water. In this particular tank I'm doing 30% two times per week. I don't age water. Where I leave tap water is from factory RO and there is no chlorine nor nitrate. Water is good, but still I'm using 3stage filter. Water is:

    pH 7.2
    TDS 70
    Kh 4dH
    Gh 5dH

  13. #13
    Moderator Team AquaticNerd's Avatar
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    Default Re: Darken for few minutes

    Feeding 3 times a day with that messy of a mix, and only doing 30% water changes twice a week seems risky. I would concur with others and that there is an imbalance. I'd check your nitrate levels for one.

    Up the water changes and you could see an improvement.

  14. #14
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    Default Re: Darken for few minutes

    Gralic and gelatin that's a prescription for Gas-X.

    Cliff

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    Default Re: Darken for few minutes

    Quote Originally Posted by CliffsDiscus View Post
    Gralic and gelatin that's a prescription for Gas-X.

    Cliff
    Hmm ... Aren’t you using gelatin to stick food to side of a bowl when raising fry artificially?

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