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Thread: Important medications for discus

  1. #1
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    Dr.Ganesan

    Default Important medications for discus

    I am going to start keeping discus fish again after a long time. Just going to get 6 heckel cross all 3.5 inch in a new barebottom 4x2x2 feet aquarium. My question is about quarantine procedure. I have another 2 feet hospital tank. Do you think that it's better to put all the new discus in the hospital tank and start adding seachem paraguard followed by seachem metropolex as per the instructions on these medications on the new discus. Or should I wait and observe the new discus first for a week and only if it shows signs of sickness should I medicate them in a hospital tank. Secondly how good is discus trace from seachem. Does it help. Also Api stress guard and Api general medication vs seachem paraguard seachem metroplex or melafix. Which of these are preferred generally. Instead of seachem metropolex are crushed metrogyl tablet 1gm per 20 gallon every hours and water change to be repeated for 10 days is better. For gill flukes and internal and external are prophylactic treatments really required at all if fish are swimming well and eating well with black poo or its better to medicate them before putting them on the main tank. Any feedback would be appreciated friends as I want to keep the discus healthy and well fed.it

  2. #2
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Important medications for discus

    Al does a complete worming, hex treatment and fluke treatment. There's a sticky here somewhere. As long as the Discus are going into a clean tank with no other tank mates I just watch mine and take it from there. It also depends on the supplier you get them from. Some are better at cleaning up the fish than others.
    Mama Bear

  3. #3
    Registered Member seanyuki's Avatar
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    Default Re: Important medications for discus

    Al Sabetta's Quarantine Procedure

    Suggested Quarantine Procedures...
    Receive fish: Place into a clean tank with aged (well aerated/pH stable warm water (85-87F). Use a well cycled bio filter.
    Week One: Many Frequent water changes, observe fish behavior, and treat for anything specifically noted******. Be sure all fish are eating well and passing normal feces.
    Week Two: Prophylactic deworming with Praziquantel for tape worms, several days latter deworm with general dewormer (levamisole) added to water as 24 hour bath
    Week Three: Repeat Levamisole as 24 hour bath
    Week Four: Let rest, nothing but water changes.
    Week Five: Re-dose with Levamisole as 24 hour bath
    Week Six: Quarantine is over if the fish are looking healthy and eating well and are not to be mixed with existing stock. If these are to be mixed with existing stock..add least favorite of existing stock (aka Test fish) to new fishes stock.
    Week Six-Week Eight: Observe new stock and test fish. If all is well, most likely safe to mix all fish.
    **** important note


    Quarantine Common Sense:
    Maintain complete separation of new stock from existing livestock.
    Use separate nets, hoses, buckets, and siphons for each quarantine tank.
    Separate rooms are much safer than in room quarantines.
    Perform all maintenance on new stock’s quarantine tank after you are done with all existing tanks.
    Wash hands and arms thoroughly after working in tanks.
    Maintain optimum water quality, less stress means healthier fish
    Tank should have a fully cycled bio-filter. Quarantining a group of fish is not the time to be cycling a tank!!!
    Be vigilant… catching and treating a problem early on is better than latter when it may be harder or impossible to treat.


    Brews Top 11 Discus Health Issues
    1. Chemical Poisoning: Chlorine, Chloramine, ammonia, nitrite, heavy metals (ex. copper and iron), Medications. Suggested treatment…clean water and lots of it!
    2. Dissolved gases: Low dissolved oxygen or high dissolved C02/nitrogen etc. Suggested treatment ...age and aerate water.
    3. Improper Shipping and Handling Techniques: Suggested treatment…prophylactic screening of suppliers and buying only from reputable ones.
    4. Improper care of Discus at Vendor’s Shop: Suggested treatment…prophylactic screening of suppliers and buying from reputable ones.
    5. Well meaning but inappropriate or inaccurate advice. Suggested course of action…Check references…information abounds in the internet and pet shops, both good and bad info.
    6. Improper care of Discus on the part of the hobbyist. To keep any fish, a basic knowledge of species requirements and needs exists…Discus require a bit more than basic knowledge. Suggested treatment…Learn as much as you can!!
    7. Poor Tank Hygiene Syndrome: Suggested treatment….Be less stingy with the water changes and maintenance.
    8. “Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Syndrome” A fish that is sickly or poor quality when you buy it isn’t going to miraculously turn into a beautiful specimen. Suggestion..start with obviously healthy stock, not obviously sickly or low grade stock.
    9. Hobbyist Mediated Pandemic: Occurs when a hobbyist recklessly acquires many specimens in a short period of time from multiple sources…mixing these together with existing stock then leads to Immune Overload..aka..sick fish. Suggested treatment….Learn patience and adhere to a sound Quarantine plan!!
    10. Nutritional deficiencies…Largely unknown how this affects Discus specifically.. But what we do know is that every animal needs an adequate diet.. Suggestion…feed a varied diet to your discus of quality foods.

    And finally…… Number 11!!!!


    11. Gill flukes, external and internal protozoans, nematodes, bacterial infections, viruses, “plagues”etc…..

    Why is this one listed last in a talk about Discus Diseases and health you may ask?…

    Because! If you pay attention to the first 10 conditions mentioned you may not even need to worry about number 11! A healthy fish that has all its needs taken care of and is not stressed has an innate advantage when dealing with diseases and illness..


    http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...tine-Procedure
    Grasshopper
    Francis

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Important medications for discus

    Thanks for your input much appreciated ��

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Important medications for discus

    Agree and spoke with Al about his QT procedure. I typically QT 3-4 weeks. Just don't have the patience and definitely use a hero fish to see if there is any cross-contamination issues. My meds on hand are metronidazole, flubendenazole (instead of levamisole), praziquantel, and I have some left over API gen cure meds. It's nice to have some salt, definitely prime or other dechlorinator, and water changes, water changes, water changes. After you keep them for a bit (i've only had discus for about a year), you will get a better sense for their water changing needs and bioload as they grow. More changes the better. My fish always are more frisky and like to spawn after a good water change. Good luck. It's a great hobby!

    Also- I made the mistake of initially buying discus locally that were stunted and not good quality. I didn't know better. Make sure you buy from a good supplier, many of which are advertised here. I would start with 4" or bigger just because it's easy to stunt or have sicker fish when they are juvies. All the best!

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