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Thread: Young discus suddenly not eating

  1. #1
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    Default Young discus suddenly not eating

    I'll be frank, I'm having a rough time. I'll describe the problem below, but I'm considering giving up discus after this next problem. Not because I don't have the time or ability to care for them, but rather that despite everything I'm doing these beautiful creatures who I have accepted responsibility for are not thriving and it honestly hurts too much. I purchased 10 of Liz's blue snake skin fry, and with her blessing I am posting here seeking help. Here is what's going on;

    1) Problem: over half of the 10 young discus have suddenly stopped eating. I've had these fish for a few weeks now, and up until yesterday morning they were thriving. Yesterday evening they didn't seem interested in food, and this morning over half of them are refusing to eat altogether.

    2) Symptoms: huddled up in the corner and not eating. They are not dark in color and do not have clamped fins, but within a day's time they won't eat or move our of the corner. They were eating voraciously up until yesterday and growing noticeably.

    3) Medications/treatments: these fish went through a metro cycle with salt and heat as soon as I got them because I was having problems with my other fish at the time and thought I would treat their tank too just to be safe. The fish did fine during treatment and were growing well. I've completed that cycle and lowered the salt and heat slowly since to 86-87 degrees.

    4) Tank: they are in a 75 gallon, but I have a divider in there so the small fish don't waste calories swimming back and forth 4 feet. The plan was to remove the divider as they got bigger and needed more room.

    5) Water Change: 75% everyday, aged overnight. I also suction out all the poop twice a day and clean the sponge filters twice a week.

    6) Tank Age: running for about a month, but I did use seeded sponge filters from other tanks to start it. It is bare bottom. I believe this may be the first potential source of cross contamination.

    7) Age Water: Yes, age tap water overnight in a brute barrel with a heater and a power head to circulate/aerate the water. This drops the PH from mid to high 8's down to mid to high 7's overnight. PH settles to 7.6-7.7 after 10 hours, at which time I change the water.

    8) Conditioner: Seachem prime added to the aging barrel before I change the water. Also have been adding some Seachem stability to boost bacteria since it is technically a new tank.

    9) Parameters: municipal tap water aged and aerated overnight and heated to 87 degrees. PH settles at 7.6-7.7, ammonia and nitrites are always 0, nitrates never even get to 5 due to the large water changes and seeded filters.

    10) New livestock: none, but I suspect cross contamination from my Asian Altum Floras purchased separately.

    11) Food: they are fed only Hikari freeze dried and Bio Gold/Vibra Bites. About 70% pellets and 30% freeze dried BW, BBS, and Tubifex worms.

    12) Pictures: the first picture is the fish a week ago. Bright and active and eating. The second is them today, hiding and colored down.

    20221106_230330.jpg

    20221110_102355.jpg

    I talked with Liz and we suspect cross contamination from the Altums. She has not added new fish to her room in years, so her guess is that something the Asian fish have is catching. I've done my best to not use the same equipment between the two tanks, but the goal was to cross these when they are bigger with the altums so I haven't been as careful as I could have been.

    I've kept African cichlids for years and know how to take care of large, fragile cichlids. I've put in hours and hours of work caring for these fish and just feel distraught that they are not doing well. This problem, along with the problems with my altums have me questioning if I can handle discus after all. It just hurts seeing them suffer after I out so much time, money, energy, and emotion into caring for these fish.

    Any help at all would be greatly appreciated, whether that's medications, treatment plans, insight - anything. Thank you in advance.

  2. #2
    Homesteader jwcarlson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Young discus suddenly not eating

    I have no insight, but went through a similar 'feeling' when I lost one of my 10 Stendkers and then again when I lost a second one. Try not to beat yourself up over it. Hopefully someone will come along and be more helpful. I know Tammy has some pretty good threads on the Facebook group with people dealing with cross contamination, though I don't know how to find that easily.

  3. #3
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Young discus suddenly not eating

    Asking Tammy is a good idea. you can PM her on the facebook group, but I don't know how. Just link her to this thread.
    Mama Bear

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    Default Re: Young discus suddenly not eating

    Requested to join the FB group, waiting for approval.

    Edit: sent her a message too.
    Last edited by GalaxyKoiBoi; 11-10-2022 at 12:31 PM.

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    Default Re: Young discus suddenly not eating

    So far Tammy has suggested doubling the amount of salt and treating with Rid Ich Plus. Will be going to the LFS today to buy that.

    Edit: she also explained the metro probably affected their gut bacteria, causing them to not want to eat. Going to buy pro biotic flakes to help and bump the temps back up to max.
    Last edited by GalaxyKoiBoi; 11-10-2022 at 01:27 PM.

  6. #6
    Platinum Member fljones3's Avatar
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    Default Re: Young discus suddenly not eating

    Wondering if there is a slight ammonia increase that they are sensitive towards (since you dropped temps). I would suggest adding a dose of Prime immediately to their water directly (double dose perhaps per instructions). If they were eating the pellets readily, try only doing pellets (only what they can consume in 5-10 minutes). Use the BW as an occasional treat. There is no harm for the salt or the prime. See if that helps.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Young discus suddenly not eating

    Just checked my ammonia. Still zero, but yes with the temps decreasing and increasing I can certainly see an ammonia spike as a possibility. Added a cap of prime and a few caps of stability just to be safe.

  8. #8
    Silver Member Iminit's Avatar
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    Default Re: Young discus suddenly not eating

    It’s easy to cross contaminate. I did it with my hands. All separate equipment so it had to pass on my hands. Tammy’s info is what I did. Works great. Your fish as is don’t look contaminated but are acting like they are so maybe early stage of cc. May only take a few treatments to bring them back. Good luck!!

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Young discus suddenly not eating

    Thank you! After a day of max temps and double salt they seem to be perking up a little more. Still not eating but at least they aren't huddled in the corner all the time. Its progress.

    Will try the Rid Ich Plus next if they aren't eating by tomorrow.

  10. #10
    Silver Member Iminit's Avatar
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    Default Re: Young discus suddenly not eating

    Ok if it’s bacterial the temp needs to be lowered. Bacteria grow faster in heat. I lowered my tanks to 82 throughout the treatment.

  11. #11
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    Default Re: Young discus suddenly not eating

    Tammy thinks they just need time to re-establish their gut bacteria, so the higher temps and salts will speed that process along and encourage them to start eating again. I'm going to stick with that for now because it appears to be improving their behavior. A few of them nibbled on some tubifex worms this morning (their favorite food), so it seems to be working.

    But yes, if it ends up being something else I may have to turn the temps down. Hoping the modest improvement continues for now.

  12. #12
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Young discus suddenly not eating

    Although I have never had the first problem with metro, even with baby fish eating from their parents, I say to do as Tammy suggested. She's dang good when it comes to Discus.
    Mama Bear

  13. #13
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    Default Re: Young discus suddenly not eating

    I'm following her advice exactly.

    Good news and bad news this morning; all the fish have at least picked at food, with some of them eating almost like normal. They mostly ignore pellet food but will eat tubifex worms.

    Bad news - the very smallest fish who was struggling previously did not make it. Found him passed away this morning. Very bummed right now.

  14. #14
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Young discus suddenly not eating

    Don't let it get you down, Josh. Just move on from it. This has happened to everyone.
    Mama Bear

  15. #15
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    Default Re: Young discus suddenly not eating

    Yes, at least most of them are improving. The 5 larger ones especially seem to be bouncing back.

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