Is it Safe to add Medicine to tank after Adding Salt?

[Pet Detective]

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[Pet Detective]

This video shows her labored breathing.

[Pet Detective]

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One more picture of the brown poop

[bluelagoon]

The metro may have degraded the first 4 days due to UV light.

[matt parsons]

I would not worry to much about the labored breathing. Keep an eye on it but you raised your tank temp to 92 degrees. Higher heat means less oxygen in the water. Your fish need to breath harder to compensate for this. When you lower the temps the breathing should go back to normal.
If you haven’t ordered more metro I would. Keep treating with what you have until you get more. Then start treating all over again.
Also keep up on large water changes. 50 percent is the minimum in my opinion. I prefer larger water changes than that normally but especially when treating with meds.
Higher heat also causes things to rot faster too.
Keep us posted.
Take care, Matt

[Pet Detective]

What about the brown stringy poop?

[LizStreithorst]

I'm still not sure if you are dosing correctly. Did you ask the supplier who sent it to you if the dose he put on the package was 500 mg per 10? The recommended dose for most fish is half that much but Discus need a higher dose for a longer time. Did you get the Absolute wormer in yet?

[Pet Detective]

Thank you Liz for your response to my dilemma. When this started two weeks ago, you and Matt were pretty sure that metronidazole would treat the suspected internal parasite and I didn't order the wormer medication. I placed an order on amazon this evening and should have it by Saturday. I have no idea what the white powder is that discus.com sold me, it is just a white powder in a 2" X 2" zip lock bag. Unfortunately, my discus.com account is not accessible after multiple attempts to review the order I placed with them. I will call them tomorrow and ask them for more information.
Since I don't know what the mystery powder is, I considered stop using it and dose the tank with the general cure that I have on hand. Or, I could stop treating all together and wait for the Absolute wormer to come on Saturday too. What do you think? I also ordered a cell phone microscope lens to see if I can get a microscopic image of the poop. That is coming tomorrow, Friday.

[matt parsons]

Bernie, for future reference you can get most of the medication you need at Myrtle Beach Discus.
I would recommend you get enough to treat your tanks, both the main and your QT tank.
Hopefully you never need them and when they expire you order more and throw out the old. I think of it as cheap insurance.
This way if and when you need them you do not lose two weeks trying to get what you need.
The meds come with directions but I’d still ask Liz or someone who knows on dosage and duration as these differ and change with different fish. Trust in one person and act quickly for the best chance at a good outcome. Less stress for both you and your fish.
Respectfully, Matt

[Pet Detective]

Thank you Matt, I appreciate the recommendation. I am expecting the Absolute wormer to come tomorrow. Since I am not seeing any improvement with the metro, and one of recommendations was to stop using it after five days if no improvement was noticed, I am going to stop using the mystery metrodinazole powder, and begin with the absolute wormer. If you think I should continue with metrodinazole, I will have to use the general cure since I know that is 75% metrodinazole and will just increase the dosage.
Should I do that or just stop dosing with metrodinazole all together and only treat with the absolute wormer?

[LizStreithorst]

I don't know what Matt suggests but if I were you, not knowing if I'm underdosing as I suspect you have been I'd quit the metro, give the fish a couple of good water changes then start the 'Absolute. I'm the one who thought that the problem was worms, but since you had the meto and not the wormer to go ahead and treat with the metro. You can see how the fish respond to the wormer before you decide whether or not to buy more metro. It's a good med to keep on hand, though.

[Pet Detective]

Thank you Liz, I really appreciate it. Since my checkerboard is literally starving to death, I would like to add liquid vitamins to the tank. Would you recommend garlic guard or vita chem by Boyds? Will the vitamin supplement interfere with the absolute wormer?

[matt parsons]

My suggestion was to get basic meds on hand. If they get old from not needing them, throw them out and buy more. A small price to pay when you have what you need when you need it.
The directions come with most meds bought from reputable sources but I would still suggest he ask people like you, who are more current on treatments and stick with that persons advise. I thought hex and suggested metro. I saw you had a different suggestion so I advised Bernie listen to you since I feel you know more here.
Sorry for any confusion I may have caused. I simply want to see Bernie get his fish healthy.
I was trying to cut down on any confusion but I seem to have only added it.
My bad!
My apologies Bernie and good luck getting them healthy again.
Sincerely, Matt

[Pet Detective]

Thanks for your comments Matt, your input is appreciated. So far Checkers is hanging in there so I think I will get this figured out.

Bernadette, AKA: Bernie, Pet Detective

[LizStreithorst]

Bernie, Discus can go months without food. He won't starve to death. I wouldn't bother with vitamins in the water.