Got a problem with a discus

[Iminit]

Got this fish a few months back. Keep in qt for a few months. Found out it’s a female. Had 2 females and they kept matting and laying eggs so I got a male and moved this female to main tank.0842C711-9411-4921-9B1B-77A8E172F75B.jpg it’s the top discus. Looks good.A8E59531-57D0-4437-BD32-CA4572A3ABDB.jpgtop fish. This is it a week later. Seems to be stressed in new tank. But it’s eating at every feeding. Still looked fine just showing bars. It stays like this for about a month getting darker. Still active and eating but looking thinner. Worms? So I finally moved it into a qt tank. Had nothing available so but it in a 5g.C953E0CB-DDE7-43E3-A287-F3D5F3A65A29.jpg. It’s much darker now but still eating and brown poo. I’m in the process of setting up a 30g. Today in 30 on day 2 of prazi pro.F4A0A67A-91F3-4849-A470-D9745C0A94BB.jpg getting back some color. Not the greatest tank it’s got a painted black background and bottom. Still eating and acting fine but very dark. I guessed worms but could it be a cross contamination? I’m thinking not because it’s been in the tank for about a month or more. I’m thinking stress and now a secondary thing like worms. Still brown poo.

Any ideas? Also the temp is at 83.

[brewmaster15]

Tom thats pretty dramatic a decline. .. has it ever been dewormed?

Also its been eating along fine?

Wasting away like that is normally a sign of three things.

1.parasites..almost always accompanied by feces thats not normal.
2. Cancer/ tumor
3. Organ shutdown from hormones. Given its a spotted fish..its likely.
Option 2 and 3 can occur quite dramatically... option 1.. can take months and months and almost always has white or yellow feces.

Al

[Iminit]

Well I’ve got no clue! I figured it was stress from new tank and the immune system let some underlying worms take over. No was’nt dewormed. Forgot with all the breeding that was going on. It was fine for at least 2 months laying eggs every week with the other female.

[brewmaster15]

Did you get this fish same place you got that solid red that lost its color?

Definitely not stress from the new tank.. doesnt fit with worms either Tom.

[Iminit]

No got that one from Miranda in June with another female. The female with the fry.3406AFCC-3F8C-472A-81BC-CCD63EA776EC.jpg. It’s on the right.

[Adamski77]

Adam's learning... two females can lay eggs together? Can somebody please elaborate for me...

[brewmaster15]

Adam's learning... two females can lay eggs together? Can somebody please elaborate for me...

Sometimes you will get multiple females trying to spawn at the same time.. they arent a pair of male and female so nthing is fertilized. There usually is a male in the tank somewhere.

[brewmaster15]

Tom,
I dont know whats up with that fish but I dont think you will be able to save it. Declines like that are really hard to turn around. Im sorry... it was a really nice looking discus.

[Adamski77]

Sometimes you will get multiple females trying to spawn at the same time.. they arent a pair of male and female so nthing is fertilized. There usually is a male in the tank somewhere.

Thanks Al. New thing to me… one of the many that I will learn. I got 8 from the start so hope some are males and some females… though breeding them I leave for now as next chapter in my journey.
One more question… so if you see two of them and eggs you need to be able to recognize male/female based on gender differences (not too obvious based on my reading) or there are some other signs?

[bluelagoon]

Thanks Al. New thing to me… one of the many that I will learn. I got 8 from the start so hope some are males and some females… though breeding them I leave for now as next chapter in my journey.
One more question… so if you see two of them and eggs you need to be able to recognize male/female based on gender differences (not too obvious based on my reading) or there are some other signs?

There genital papilla. Males are like the pointed part of a pencil and the females are more flat like the eraser end. Generally the males will have pointier fins but not always. Many female cichlids do this when males are absent.

Tom, sorry to hear about one of those spotted discus.

[Iminit]

Yeah not what I was hoping to hear . But I will continue treating it and hoping for the best. Not yet but this may actually be a reason todo a pp treatment. Last ditch effort! I’ll finish 3 treatments with the prazi then give it a week and try the poly-guard.

[brewmaster15]

What ever the issue is..its internal..so negative on the pp...

[Iminit]

See that’s what gets me. I’ve had the worms are the internal bacteria. But those fish never went dark like this guy. I’m wondering if it could also have some mild cross contamination. But the poly-guard will treat that. It’s doing fine and eating everything I put in the tank.

[brewmaster15]

If you look at the fish head on you will see its thin in the forehead. I can see it in the forehead transition to the dorsal spines. You can also see it in the belly area. And the way the mouth and jaw are shaped. That its still eating well and wasting away like that to me definitely means this is an internal issue.. its not external bacteria from cross contamination. That darkened look is because its just not doing well . Something is affecting its ability to get nutrition from its food.

[Iminit]

Well I treated it with prazi. No change. Next polyguard. Nothing. But it’s still eating fine.194395A2-CDB2-4B48-925E-68BBB6ED82DC.jpg. Treating with erythromycin now. Second dose and it started showing some colorA5253B7E-544B-49E1-9C0E-8C6F6CE20803.jpg so it’s either about to come around or dying. Will see in the am. It’s in a 5g now for this treatment. Still hoping.