Only ONE fish not eating

[GalaxyKoiBoi]

I'll bump it up to 91-92. My heaters top out at 92, and even though I have 2 in there, it is very chilly here lately so I imagine they will have a hard time keeping the tank at max temperature 24/7. Continuing the salt and metro routine exactly as I have, though.

[GalaxyKoiBoi]

Update: the small one is having a hard time again. She spends about 80% of the time hiding and has darkened in color. She still eats, but only about half the time. I have both heaters maxed out but the tank never gets above 90 degrees, even though the dial goes up to 92. Still continuing salt and metro, and I have bumped up the water changes to 75% a day from 60%. Not sure if she will make it - I hope this us just a phase and not a turn for the worse. Still have at least another week of treatment. I'm not sure what else I can do and am feeling frustrated.

On a positive note, the original fish who was showing symptoms looks 100%, and I swear he is bigger now than he was 2 weeks ago. Looking at him you would never know he was sick.

[LizStreithorst]

Update: the small one is having a hard time again. She spends about 80% of the time hiding and has darkened in color. She still eats, but only about half the time. I have both heaters maxed out but the tank never gets above 90 degrees, even though the dial goes up to 92. Still continuing salt and metro, and I have bumped up the water changes to 75% a day from 60%. Not sure if she will make it - I hope this us just a phase and not a turn for the worse. Still have at least another week of treatment. I'm not sure what else I can do and am feeling frustrated.

On a positive note, the original fish who was showing symptoms looks 100%, and I swear he is bigger now than he was 2 weeks ago. Looking at him you would never know he was sick.

It's true. I have noticed that the young Discus I take to the LFS shrink in size because they're not in good health. Fix the problem and they go back to the way they were fast.

As far as the one that's still sick, I'm not sure. There are a few possibilities. It could just be a weak fish. The treatment could be wrong. The still sick one is just taking longer to recover. It is certainly not the metro. Metro is so mild I've used it on parents feeding very young fry without a problem. I can't imagine that it would be anything having to do with your husbandry.

I'll shoot myself if you have the same problem with my fish.

[GalaxyKoiBoi]

I'll keep up the treatment. Hope the little one turns around.
Doing everything I know how to care for my fish and your fish too, Liz. They are doing great and eating like little pigs. I got them some freeze dried tubifex worms and they go nuts for it.

[LizStreithorst]

I told you tubifex was their fave.

And fear not. I shall not shoot myself if something bad happens to one of my group. I would want to know so that I could help, if I could. I know how well you are caring for your Discus.

If the one that's currently unwell, if it survives I would try a wormer. Do the whole tank because if one has a parasite, they all do. Wormer Plus is a good choice for young fish. It is also very mild and it says it get flukes, as well. I haven't had the opportunity to try it on flukes because it's been forever since I've seen symptoms of them.

[GalaxyKoiBoi]

I told you tubifex was their fave.

And fear not. I shall not shoot myself if something bad happens to one of my group. I would want to know so that I could help, if I could. I know how well you are caring for your Discus.

If the one that's currently unwell, if it survives I would try a wormer. Do the whole tank because if one has a parasite, they all do. Wormer Plus is a good choice for young fish. It is also very mild and it says it get flukes, as well. I haven't had the opportunity to try it on flukes because it's been forever since I've seen symptoms of them.

I'll order some now so I have it when the metro cycle is finished. Better safe than sorry.

I appreciate all the help and kind words!

[LizStreithorst]

It doesn't seem like the fish's problem is worms. It really sounds like hex. Metro works more slowly than other antiparasitics. I've had Discus that have not recovered until a couple of days after the treatment was finished! I've never had one go down hill when I've treated, though.

I suppose there's no harm in worming them. I hate to medicate, but like you said, better safe than sorry. It wouldn't be a bad idea to treat my batch while your at it. I know darned well that there is no such thing as a totally clean Discus.

[GalaxyKoiBoi]

Yeah, just hoping the little one improves in the next week. Still time left in the cycle for her to recover. The bottle does say treating for up to 3 weeks is a possibility but we will see.

I started your fish on metro too a few days ago. Would be a bad time to have my fish recover just for them to come down with something, so everyone is being treated right now.

I know Myrtle Beach Discus recommends Wormer Plus once a month. Seems a little excessive to me, but if it is indeed safe enough to be a monthly occurance I don't think it will do anything but help to treat them once the metro is done.

[LizStreithorst]

Myrtle Beach is trying to sell the product they sell that nobody else sells. dosage at once a months is just inviting resistance. For good measure you might treat twice 3 weeks apart. If you have a huge population of worms 3 times two weeks apart. You may or may not have a problem. Less is better in your case.

[jeep]

Horrible advice that's only designed for repeat business!! Wormers are toxic and should only be used during the initial QT period, but never be once per month, especially flubendazole. Worms don't just spontaneously appear out of nowhere...

[mleibowi]

Agree with Brian and Liz- some people recommend de-worming monthly or something crazy like that. When you get new discus- go through the QT procedure and deworm. Once that’s done worms shouldn’t be an issue unless the food is contaminated or you didn’t QT a fish you introduced in your tank. I’ve only ever had to re-treat with metro for white stringy poop- the bane of my existence when it pops up.

[GalaxyKoiBoi]

Yes, seemed like overkill to me. I will treat with a wormer one time after the metro has run its course, but that's it.

[GalaxyKoiBoi]

Update: looks like the metro just needed more time to work. The small fish I was worried about is doing much better. She is eating regularly and spends the majority of her time swimming with the other fish and not hiding. She still looks "shrunken", but she is definitely improving. I figure a week or two of fattening her up now that she is eating and she will be back to normal.

Still going to treat with the wormer, though I may give the fish a break from medicine for a few days after the metro cycle has completed this weekend. Will start lowering the temps slowly and decreasing the salt amount this weekend back to 85-86 degrees.

[jeep]

Don't expect immediate results. Just run the full course treatment. It can take a week or 2 after treatment to see results.

[GalaxyKoiBoi]

Don't expect immediate results. Just run the full course treatment. It can take a week or 2 after treatment to see results.

Yep, lesson learned. Will continue the rest of the treatment. Still have 4 days of metro to go.