Any help appreciated

[MichiganDiscusEnthusiast]

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These pictures are in order of me approaching the tank. Everyone not grouped, then noticing me coming to the tank and finally me trying to get a good picture of them all (of course they go derpy)

[MichiganDiscusEnthusiast]

Overall they seem social and happy. My blue girl in the corner is the one pictured in the original post. Her behavior is unchanged really : semi-social, likes to be in the bottom right of the tank (used to be the top right where you see her in the final picture above) .

I did try to feed them some frozen bloodworms thawed and soaked in garlic guard and I actually saw my blue girl eat for the first time in days. I’m unsure if it was wise to feed them again but they all seemed to eat it up.

Everyone else in general seems to be okay demeanor wise and in appearances. Any observational opinions would be noted and appreciated from external eyes.

Thanks again.

[Iminit]

Kyle that’s a 45g tank. Just too small for the amount of fish that size. What kind of filtration are you using? When water changing do you throughly vacuum the gravel? Those angels look great! Got to say every time I see angels with discus the angels look great. Cause they’re always eating more. They should be removed. Start an angel tank.

[fljones3]

I know that Seachem's Prime neutralizes ammonia. Keep up those water changes daily.
I agree about the angels, a separate angel tank works.

[MichiganDiscusEnthusiast]

Kyle that’s a 45g tank. Just too small for the amount of fish that size. What kind of filtration are you using? When water changing do you throughly vacuum the gravel? Those angels look great! Got to say every time I see angels with discus the angels look great. Cause they’re always eating more. They should be removed. Start an angel tank.

Yes it is a 45 gallon; I have a 75 gallon at the ready when this disease passes that’s been cycling for a little under a month now.

I have all my equipment information listed in my post in “our tank blogs” called “a dream in the works” . To answer your question though it’s an amosijoy epc-650-uv canister filter. I currently have the UV portion turned off and have for a while as prior to treating I was doing a round of SeaChem’s stabalizer.

As for vacuuming I do a heavy vacuum of 50% of the gravel every time I do a water change. I used to think it drained too much water doing the whole bottom but after talking with Al on this thread I shouldn’t be too afraid to take the water lower than what’s pictured above. I will start doing the entire bottom of the tank every time now.

As for the angels my step daughter has already taken a shine to them and has asked if she can have them in her tank. I don’t see why not now after reading that angel fish generally get the lions share of the food. Thank you for reassuring me on moving them being a solid plan.

[MichiganDiscusEnthusiast]

I know that Seachem's Prime neutralizes ammonia. Keep up those water changes daily.
I agree about the angels, a separate angel tank works.

Definitely going to move them at this point . Should I just keep the discus in the 75 gallon I have cycling alone with a few Cory Dora’s ? I’m not completely attached to them either but for as little as I have owned a tank in the past or known someone who has I’ve always seen a pleco or Cory .

In regards to prime; can I use it in combination with the AmGuard ya think? Or would that be too much. I know if you’re neutralizing chloramines it recommends a double dose but would a single dose of AmGuard in combination with this be too much chemistry change in the water ?

[fljones3]

Kyle, I looked up info for Seachem AmGuard. It just detoxifies Ammonia. Seachem Prime detoxifies ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Also removes chlorine and chloramine. I would just use Prime as it is more complete detox and handles your water changes. Prime can also be used as a double dose for emergency situations. Salt also helps as Al noted.

I don't recall your number of fish but I would follow any advice Al gives on this.
I would keep the discus in their own tank, let them heal. Rule of thumb is 5-10 gallons of water per adult discus. I have 5 in a 40g breeder with daily water changes. I am thinking about moving them to a 75g but they are doing fine and growing in the 40 breeder.

[MichiganDiscusEnthusiast]

9 fish total
2 angelfish
2 corydoras
5 discus
(Approximate measures below)
-one is 3-3.5”
-another is 4-4.5”
-the remainder are 4.5-5”
I agree the tank is way to small and the stand and set-up they have has been part of my plan to get them in something bigger. I wanted to do a 120 gallon tank but the market for them is quite expensive brand new and the used market is sporadic with the good bargains being well over 4 hours drive from me, with the gas for my truck and the help I’d need to move it I would almost be up to what a new tank costs . I found a new 75 gallon new for a deal at a shop and couldn’t pass up as I was planning to have these guys in their new home asap. That’s when I noticed problems in my tank.

After this round of treatment I would like to transfer the healthy discus into the 75 gallon and leave behind any fish that display any symptoms of anything for further treatment. This will also be the time the angelfish go into my stepdaughters tank.

All of this of course unless someone sees something I’m doing wrong. If so then any advice is always welcomed and appreciated .

Thanks again everyone .

[MichiganDiscusEnthusiast]

Here is todays levels prior to water change. Nitrites are 0, nitrates are 5 ppm and ammonia is in between .50 and 1.0 . Did a much larger water change . Everyone seemed to take it well. I noticed the blue female has now developed some fin rot. Everyone else seems healthy.

Should I pull the blue female and place her in her own tank so I can better monitor her food intake and separate her from any stress factors ? Or do I continue treating the whole tank and letting nature run it’s course.

Any opinions are always welcomed and thanks again.

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[MichiganDiscusEnthusiast]

Update: Due to the angelfish being the healthiest in my tank and displaying no symptoms of anything whatsoever I have decided to add them into my step daughters tank. They should feel right at home as the top of the pecking order in her tank.
I did this mostly because of all the comments about the angelfish being real aggressors in the tank and contributing heavily to the stress of my discus.

Since removing the angelfish I have noticed my nitrate levels have dropped some though my ammonia stays high as I am treating the tank with sulfaplex and metroplex. Daily water changes seemed to be the correct and absolute necessary way to keep these spiked levels in check. Thanks all for the advice on that aspect.

To update the listing in my tank it is now just 5 discus and 2 Corys.

To come back to my “patient 0” or my blue female: she is not eating (at least when I’m looking) but I still see stranded white excrement. Not nearly as long as it was when I first saw her before I started treatment.
She is grouping with the rest of the school still and the fogginess from her eyes is starting to subside. She still has clamped fins and those pale lips but she has lost the lethargic part of the symptoms.

Im concerned I’m getting some of the issues but not all of them with this treatment.

Going into further research on the white that is on the blue females lips. This in combination to her fast breathing leads me to believe in the possibility of gill/skin flukes. As I said her Popeye has subsided and she is no longer isolating herself from the group in a lethargic manner so I am unsure as to what to do.

Once I’m done with this round of metroplex and sulfaplex (and depending on if my new 75 gallon is cycled) I would like to separate the healthy from the diseased and continue a more specific treatment (Prazipro?) on the 45 while I let the healthy looking fish go into the 75 and take a break from medicine. If this is an ill advised move and I should leave the entire school in the 45 for a round of prazipro I am willing to do this.

Any advice is always appreciated and as always thanks again .

Below are pictures of my levels in the tank on a day to day basis before I do my water change and add meds.

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[brewmaster15]

Kyle,
I'm glad the popeye has subsided. Thats a good sign. Te white area on the Mouth.... how long has it been like that and has it responded in any way to the antibiotics?.. I'd like to see a few more pics of that fish..

Do you have a hospital tank you can move it to?

Going into further research on the white that is on the blue females lips. This in combination to her fast breathing leads me to believe in the possibility of gill/skin flukes.

fast breathing maybe caused by flukes but it can also be caused by many other things... I do think that fish needs to be out of the main tank for further evaluation and possible treatment. That white area is really not typical for a discus health issue. It doesn't appear contagious since no one else has it but you never know.

al

[MichiganDiscusEnthusiast]

Kyle,
I'm glad the popeye has subsided. Thats a good sign. Te white area on the Mouth.... how long has it been like that and has it responded in any way to the antibiotics?.. I'd like to see a few more pics of that fish..

Do you have a hospital tank you can move it to?

fast breathing maybe caused by flukes but it can also be caused by many other things... I do think that fish needs to be out of the main tank for further evaluation and possible treatment. That white area is really not typical for a discus health issue. It doesn't appear contagious since no one else has it but you never know.

al

The white spot first appeared somewhere near July 27th of this year; going through my pictures and videos all of them up to the 27th she had good coloring and no white was present that I could see. To me it looks like it may be getting better but I fear I’m looking at it with a hopeful eye. As you know I was improperly thinking to feed them their medicine and did so for about 10 days. I’ve been medicating only their water now for 5 days so this leads me to believe it may be an injury from the incorrect feeding of the wrong medicine?

If so then I wonder why none of the other fish are displaying this white/pale lip symptom.

I do have another tank I’ve got running above this one that I plan to use for potential breeding and alls it has is a heater, a sponge filter and a bubbler. I guess this combined with its slightly smaller size would be ideal for the hospital tank for now.

Should I pull the female and treat her tank and her tank alone for the time being ? Or separate her and medicate both tanks?
Below is a few pictures as requested
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I also have a video but I would have to post it to YouTube and tag it here. Let me know if you need that as well.

[brewmaster15]

The other fish look to be okay... I would move her to the hospital tank and continue treatment. That tank will also allow you to see how much if anything she eats. ..I'm looking at the pics and see a small bulge in it...

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alot of the symptoms you are seeing in this fish could be related to an internal infection..

al

[MichiganDiscusEnthusiast]

Okay; I will make sure the parameters in the hospital tank are good and move her tomorrow after an early water change for the main tank.

Question for those much more experienced than myself:

1. I have some granulated activated carbon from top fin that I can put in the canister filter for the tank everyone’s in currently to help absorb any medicine, any recommended amount or just enough in the final stage of filtration to cover the whole surface area available.

Thank you again for all the help

[brewmaster15]

just enough in the final stage of filtration to cover the whole surface area available.

.that should work.... discard after about 48 hours