Breeding female lethargic, flashing, and dark

[Rudie]

Problem

1. Please explain the problems with your fish. When did you notice the problems and did anything unusual happen that you think started them?

She is dark, sulking, and at times flashes against plants or driftwood. Appetite is not gone, but dimished, sometimes takes food but just spits it back out. It looks like her slime is diminished and there's almost a "dust" around her head.


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).

Turning dark, diminished appetite, clamped fins, flashing, breathing heavy.


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

Have not medicated. I live in Canada, medications are hard to get, but can be acquired from a prescribing veterinarian (I know one and have been able to get Metro in the past).


Tank/Water

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

55g. 4 discus 4-4.5" (matched pair of turquoise, 2 blues). 12 glowlight tetras, 7 cory cats, 1 bristlenose pleco

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

30-50% 2-3 times/week

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

Established 1 year since moving, established 4 years prior. Bare bottom. Some driftwood with plants attached.
(2 sponge filters, 1 fluval C4 HOB, Eheim classic 350 canister)

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

Yes. Min 24 hours. No noticeable ph swing

8. What type/brand water conditioner do you use? Do you add it to the tank or aging barrel? How much do you use?
Nutrafin cycle add to tank at water change, 20-25ml.

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.


- temp __28c (~83F)___

- ph __between 6.5-7.0___

- ammonia reading _0.2mg/L___

- nitrite reading ____

- nitrate reading ____(sorry, just have a Fluval Ammonia test kit, but number looks fine, taken 2 days after a water change)

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.

- well water ____

- municipal water _x___

- RO water ____


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.

Twice daily. First feeding Tetrafin flakes (mostly for the tetras/corys) and frozen brine shrimp soaked in garlic guard. Second feeding Hikari discus bio-gold. Occasional treat of freeze-dried tubifex worm cube (~once/month)


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.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/PYUpfG2xKdm92e9b7
2 photos of her, 1 along with her partner for reference.

Thanks so much for help, I'd really like her to pull through and see if I can get her to spawn again!

[captainandy]

I would isolate the fish and raise temp to 86 degrees. Hit it with metronidazole and general cure such as furan II. Daily complete water change and make sure there is plenty of circulation and an airstone.

[Rudie]

I would isolate the fish and raise temp to 86 degrees. Hit it with metronidazole and general cure such as furan II. Daily complete water change and make sure there is plenty of circulation and an airstone.

Any ideas not requiring medications? As I mentioned, it can be hard to acquire in Canada. I saw her poop the other day and it was partially solid, so I'm not sure it's an internal problem, but I've only been keeping discus for about 3 years, so welcome the advice.

I have put a call into my vet, so if it's an issue requiring medication, we can go that route.

[danotaylor]

You could salt at 1tbsp/1gal while you investigate getting meds. Discus can tolerate high salt concentrations for short periods of ti e (up to 2 weeks). Daily complete water changes as Capt suggested replacing the salt w wack change. Buy a 40# bag from canadian tire is the cheapest way, just make sure it's 98% pure sodium chloride. I have treated successfully at this concentration for cross co taminatiin sickness.

[Rudie]

You could salt at 1tbsp/1gal while you investigate getting meds. Discus can tolerate high salt concentrations for short periods of ti e (up to 2 weeks). Daily complete water changes as Capt suggested replacing the salt w wack change. Buy a 40# bag from canadian tire is the cheapest way, just make sure it's 98% pure sodium chloride. I have treated successfully at this concentration for cross co taminatiin sickness.

Thanks danotaylor. Do you recommend dosing the whole tank, or quarantining her and treating this way?

I spoke with the vet and he's looking into it for me, just wondered if there's steps I can take now.

[danotaylor]

If the other fish are healthy I would separate and treat, but I would salt the main tank at 4tbsp/gal and do several large water changes replacing the salt to eliminate water ever bacteria/virus is at the root of the issue

[bluelagoon]

It looks like a parasite, maybe velvet. Heat and salt will work. Even heat alone. Temp above 86f. F&MG and Metronidazole will work for meds. Velvet usually takes about 10 days to two weeks to cure.

[Rudie]

It looks like a parasite, maybe velvet. Heat and salt will work. Even heat alone. Temp above 86f. F&MG and Metronidazole will work for meds. Velvet usually takes about 10 days to two weeks to cure.

Thanks everyone, I'll separate her tonight and try heat/salt.

[Rudie]

Thanks everyone, I'll separate her tonight and try heat/salt.

Update, 1 week in of daily water changes and temps 88-90f, showing improvement. Colour is coming back and some appetite returning. Gonna keep her at the salty spa for a while, but think I'll start slowing reducing the salt over the next week or 2. (Currently 90% wc's, 5 tbl salt in 10g)

I've also upped the wc's in the main tank to 50% every 2 days and 5 tbl salt in 55g. Will hold that until she's (hopefully) ready to re-join her friends.

Thanks for the advice, hope she stays on the road to recovery!

[danotaylor]

Good news is always welcome! Glad your discus is doing better