White spot on my Marlboro pair

[Iminit]

Yes raise the temp slowly and see how the fish react. Mine usually eat at 86-88. As for the pleco I’m not sure but I never move mine. They’re all fine.

The white spots are bacterial nodes. They appear when the water quality isn’t up to par. Usually they are gone after 2-3 water changes. I’ve never needed salt.

Next baking soda doesn’t last long as a ph adjuster. I’d stop using that and the acid. A stable ph is far better than trying to constantly adjust your ph. These fish will do fine in many phs as long as they’re stable. What is your tap water ph and than let it sit for 24 and retest. What if any is the difference?

[jwcarlson]

Bump it up to 93 and see what happens. This may stimulate appetite.

I don't want to hijack the thread. But maybe it's related. I had a runty one not eating awhile back. Temperature fixed it, turned it to 92 for awhile then settled at 90 for probably 10 days. All seemed well. Started creeping it down slow (degree every couple days), got to 87 and that fish plus another had slowed and eventually stopped eating. I've got it back up to 89 now, the bigger fish in the cohort don't seem to care at all what temp it is, they keep eating. One of the two seems to be eating more and the other is at least pecking at the filter and food occasionally.
So the question is, when you bump temp up to stimulate appetite... what's the end game? To slowly creep it back down? Find some middle ground? Is the idea that once they start eating they should keep eating once temps come down a bit?

[Charlyc11]

Yes raise the temp slowly and see how the fish react. Mine usually eat at 86-88. As for the pleco I’m not sure but I never move mine. They’re all fine.

The white spots are bacterial nodes. They appear when the water quality isn’t up to par. Usually they are gone after 2-3 water changes. I’ve never needed salt.

Next baking soda doesn’t last long as a ph adjuster. I’d stop using that and the acid. A stable ph is far better than trying to constantly adjust your ph. These fish will do fine in many phs as long as they’re stable. What is your tap water ph and than let it sit for 24 and retest. What if any is the difference?

I got it up to 86F this morning and now I will go to 87F and keep increasing and hope it doesn't hurt my ABN'S they been breeding like crazy. I stopped the baking soda and added a cup of crushed coral to the filter on my 2 75G tanks and that maintains a 7.3ish PH. The problem was that the PH starts at 5.5 aged 24 hrs. to 7.3 + and then it drops to the 6.2-6.3 in the tank not the aging barrel so I can't have a constant PH. Trying to avoid RO (I do have a 300 GPD RO system). Now all my tanks have crushed corral and see to stabilized between 7.1 - 7.3 and my KH went from zero to two and it drops to 1 after water change.

[Charlyc11]

Yes raise the temp slowly and see how the fish react. Mine usually eat at 86-88. As for the pleco I’m not sure but I never move mine. They’re all fine.

The white spots are bacterial nodes. They appear when the water quality isn’t up to par. Usually they are gone after 2-3 water changes. I’ve never needed salt.

Next baking soda doesn’t last long as a ph adjuster. I’d stop using that and the acid. A stable ph is far better than trying to constantly adjust your ph. These fish will do fine in many phs as long as they’re stable. What is your tap water ph and than let it sit for 24 and retest. What if any is the difference?

Tom nobody gave me an answer on the temperature the ABN's can handle. The tank is a 75 G with the two Marlboros and 3 ABN plus a few from a spawn that I did not catch and they are growing fine. Should I remove one or the other. The plecos are not easy to catch and I really hate to disturb the Discus.

[jeep]

I don't want to hijack the thread. But maybe it's related. I had a runty one not eating awhile back. Temperature fixed it, turned it to 92 for awhile then settled at 90 for probably 10 days. All seemed well. Started creeping it down slow (degree every couple days), got to 87 and that fish plus another had slowed and eventually stopped eating. I've got it back up to 89 now, the bigger fish in the cohort don't seem to care at all what temp it is, they keep eating. One of the two seems to be eating more and the other is at least pecking at the filter and food occasionally.
So the question is, when you bump temp up to stimulate appetite... what's the end game? To slowly creep it back down? Find some middle ground? Is the idea that once they start eating they should keep eating once temps come down a bit?

The end game is that high heat not only stimulates appetite, but it is hard on hexamita flagellate (if present) and increased appetite can help boost the immune system to help fight off illness. My first line of defense for a discus that has lost its appetite is heat and salt. Hex is in all fish and is usually not a major issue. It's when the fish is stressed or has another illness or bug that the hex takes advantage and weakens the fish. Many things can weaken a fish - shipping, temp, ph, tap water fluctuations, etc... Metro along with heat and salt can knock hex back to manageable levels while boosting the immune system, although I believe the heat and salt alone is very effective, especially in early cases. If this doesn't work then it's time to look for other causes. The best way to do that is with a microscope. Caparilliara is one nematode that is very common in aquaria and can cause loss of appetite, weight loss and general wasting away, especially if their numbers grow. This is why I follow Al's QT procedure and prophylactically treat all new arrivals with levamisole.

I've treated with 93 heat with ABN's in the tank and didn't have any noticeable issues, but I don't recommend it and do this at your own risk. I only did it because they are hard to catch and I had about 300 to spare, lol. My treatments are for 14 days but I do believe that long term high heat will kill ABN's or at least drastically reduce their life span just as it will with discus. This is why I normally keep my tanks at 82.

[Charlyc11]

The end game is that high heat not only stimulates appetite, but it is hard on hexamita flagellate (if present) and increased appetite can help boost the immune system to help fight off illness. My first line of defense for a discus that has lost its appetite is heat and salt. Hex is in all fish and is usually not a major issue. It's when the fish is stressed or has another illness or bug that the hex takes advantage and weakens the fish. Many things can weaken a fish - shipping, temp, ph, tap water fluctuations, etc... Metro along with heat and salt can knock hex back to manageable levels while boosting the immune system, although I believe the heat and salt alone is very effective, especially in early cases. If this doesn't work then it's time to look for other causes. The best way to do that is with a microscope. Caparilliara is one nematode that is very common in aquaria and can cause loss of appetite, weight loss and general wasting away, especially if their numbers grow. This is why I follow Al's QT procedure and prophylactically treat all new arrivals with levamisole.

I've treated with 93 heat with ABN's in the tank and didn't have any noticeable issues, but I don't recommend it and do this at your own risk. I only did it because they are hard to catch and I had about 300 to spare, lol. My treatments are for 14 days but I do believe that long term high heat will kill ABN's or at least drastically reduce their life span just as it will with discus. This is why I normally keep my tanks at 82.

Brian
Good to know I am currently slowly increasing the temperature and the ABN'S will stay in the tank. I just removed their latest spawn and I have 2 tanks with ABN's just growing out. The male was easy to catch with cave and fry but I put him back before I decided to raise the temperature.


Update: I think there is white poop on the pre filter. I just got home and saw this also a lot of the uneaten FDBW that they like.

[Charlyc11]

The question is should I treat with metro or give heat a chance? I do have about 16 grams on hand the treatment would be 3.25 grams per dose.

[jeep]

Metro is very easy on discus so it won't hurt a thing. But, would pick up some more because you should always run the full course when using antibiotics.

[Charlyc11]

Metro is very easy on discus so it won't hurt a thing. But, would pick up some more because you should always run the full course when using antibiotics.

The temperature is at 87F and they are picking at the beef heart and pooping a little more of course still white. It's like it flicked a switch. Isn't a full course dose every other day for 3 treatments. I will pick up more anyway so I have it incase I do Metro,

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...=1#post1338505

[Tkuilderd]

Hi,
I am curious. Have these fish been dewormed? Have you checked all electric sources?

Tammy

[Charlyc11]

Hi,
I am curious. Have these fish been dewormed? Have you checked all electric sources?

Tammy

Yes that's one of the first things I did and their due for the second round the first was 2 weeks ago. Electric should be all fine but I will recheck but the white poop tells the story.

[Charlyc11]

Metro is very easy on discus so it won't hurt a thing. But, would pick up some more because you should always run the full course when using antibiotics.

Brian I ordered two more 20 gram packs of Hexa X (Metro) so I can start the treatment today and I should have the packs in a few days since they are shipping from LI NY today.

[jeep]

Good deal! I should have mentioned Jehmco. The absolute best price for metro anywhere... https://www.jehmco.com/html/medications.html

[Charlyc11]

Good deal! I should have mentioned Jehmco. The absolute best price for metro anywhere... https://www.jehmco.com/html/medications.html

I was trying to think about them since Liz had mentioned them also but I could not recall. I wasn't to bad 8 buck a pack but shipping is what get you.

[Charlyc11]

Update:
I been doing the water changes and medication (metro) and they seem to be recovering very well. Nice black poop and that means they been eating some of the black worms. I have lowered the temperature to 86 F and I will continue for at least a 7 day treatment that would be Friday. I have plenty of metro since my two packets arrived yesterday.