Sickly Discus

[shaun_discus]

Agree you need to up your WC routine. I'd suggest a few smaller water changes during the week to remove fish waste/uneaten food/debris. Then can do a weekly larger water change 50-60% if you don't want to do every other day larger water changes. Also, you probably have something internal going on like hexamita... are they pooping white stringy poop? If so, metro 500 mg per 10 gallons for 10-12 days with daily water changes. Also be sure to remove carbon/purigen etc... during treatment.

I vacuum when I see debris and poop but the sand is usually very clean. Most of any debris ends up in the filter sock. I don't notice much/if any gunk when I vacuum deep into the sand during water changes.

No white poop. Brown poop is what I notice.

Where do I buy metro from?

[LizStreithorst]

I get mine from Jehmco. They sell the pure undiluted stuff.

[mleibowi]

Jehmco is the best place to buy metro- they are in south jersey and will ship. Cheapest and pure. My discus are large and when they poop it's huge. It's breaks up into debris but you still want to do water changes even if the sand looks clean.
'

[shaun_discus]

These are Stendkers, they are super thick fish when compared with Asians. They are not as thick as they normally would be. I see 1 from those photos that looks kindof thick. They blues are super dark indicating they are unhappy with something. The one swimming is doing so with fins down indicating it isnt happy. The yellow looks to be swimming somewhat head up. Stendkers will normally eat, even when they arent feeling well. The best indicator for me though is size. These fish are reletively small for Stendkers which is a sign of growing up in an unkempt environment which is why many people have opted to grow fry to 5in in a bare tank. Adding minerals to the water is not going to be enough in a planted tank where everything in the environment is fighting for them. Also if you are using CO2 and not watching.your PH then how do you even know if you need the CO2 or if your adding too much CO2?
You have to be able to adjust your normal schedule to keep discus happy and thriving. Can they live in crap water? Yes. But will they be healthy? No

Tammy

I'm not running any Co2. PH seems to be steady, then slowly drop after each water change. Goes up again with water change, then slowly down until the next.

[shaun_discus]

More pictures of fish. Do these not look healthy to you? I thought they looked pretty good. All of these were purchased at the same time. All were around 1.5-2". Now they are 5-6".

Stendker recommend 30% water change weekly of tap water. Admittedly, I'm a little off that but not off as much as 3 times a week. I just couldn't manage that schedule.

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[shaun_discus]

Jehmco is the best place to buy metro- they are in south jersey and will ship. Cheapest and pure. My discus are large and when they poop it's huge. It's breaks up into debris but you still want to do water changes even if the sand looks clean.
'

Thank you. I will call them tomorrow.

[Second Hand Pat]

That is the fish I'm here discussing. None others look anything like that. Fat heads and bulging bellies.

Actually the fish in the top left also has a pinched forehead. Just not as severe.
Pat

[seanyuki]

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[Iminit]

In your first pic the fish on the left looks sick. In the second set of pics in the first pic it’s the one on the bottom and it doesn’t look bad. Are these earlier pics? Easy to see these are Stendker discus. Don’t believe what Stendker says. Even Hans says more water changes would be better.

But with your water that is the best they will be. Stendker come out strong and if kept in good conditions may be better. But they do get weaker as they age in your water. You really need to up your water changes. Of course the ph is dropping between water changes its becoming more acidic. It’s an 80g with 8 discus a PLECO (high waste producer) and am I right just one clown loache? Clowns need a minimum of 2. Most clown keepers will say 6 and a 200g tank. All this makes for a high waste load. This waste needs to be removed. As stated 50-75% every 3 days.
Now I’d put the really sick one in a qt tank and treat. I don’t think this is a cross contamination I think it’s internal. Could be worms or hex I’m not sure the fish look the same for both. But because of the water I going with hex and metro like every one agrees. For the main tank water changes and try and get them off beef heart and onto a cleaner food. If another fish gets sick the whole tank will need help.
Many of us run big filtration systems. There great for community tanks to reduce water changes. Not discus. Every book (not the internet) will tell you change water first. Good luck.The people that answered you already are some of the best out there.

[shaun_discus]

Thank you all for your responses.

I spent a couple of hours last night giving the sump a really good cleaning. I spent all morning today cleaning the tank and changing 30 gallons of water. That is as much as my Brute container will hold. I have committed to at least 1 water change like that per week. That is all I can handle. If truly need to do more than that to stop these fish suffering and dying I should get rid of them.

I didn't get much work done today between cleaning and observing the fish. I have yet to see any 'stringy white pooh' and then this!:

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Is this stringy white pooh? Hex?

I tried calling to order some Metro today but the NJ shop is closed Fridays...

[bluelagoon]

Usually, yellow poop might be an indication of malabsorption due to parasites/worms.

[shaun_discus]

Usually, yellow poop might be an indication of malabsorption due to parasites/worms.

Thank you. And Metro would treat that?

This fish has started to not be as aggressive at feeding times. Started to hide...

[LizStreithorst]

It looks like hex poop rather than worm poop to me.

[bluelagoon]

Yes, hex is a parasite and Metro will work on that parasite. Might want to up WC's; the stressor might be polluted water.

[LizStreithorst]

That's exactly his problem. He was changing 30% every two weeks. He says he can't do better than 30% weekly after reading our responses. Treatment will be a stop gap measure in his case. He will continue to have problems if he insists on keeping his Discus in polluted water he will continue to have problems.