Help with New Discus turning very dark

[okhrawesh]

Hello All,

I just started my discus tank one week ago today. I initially bought 5 discus from my LFT and some smaller tetra. I noticed that 3 of those 5 have turned very dark. I also added two more discus two days ago. They dark looking ones sit in the corner of the tank, which I understand might be normal behavior but them turning this dark really worries me as I know its a sign of sickness or stress. I test water parameters daily and get 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and usually around 10 nitrate. It is a 75g tank with with Fluval 407 canister filter.

IMG_4778.jpgIMG_4779.jpgIMG_4783.jpg

I have attached photos of the discus. The one that worries me the most is the Blue Diamond in the first photo that is now almost complexity black. He has been sitting in the top left for a few hours. Please advise what to do, what meds if any I should give.

[bluelagoon]

Can you get Seachem PolyGard? Looks like they should be treated right away.

[brewmaster15]

Thats a really hard way to start your discus .Im really sorry you are starting like this.. Its going to be really hard to treat that tank because of that substrate. First thing you should do is remove everything from the tank. Take out all the substrate and driftwood and rocks. You best chance of saving your fish is barebottom tank and the ability to do many water changes.

That looks like oodinium... a protozoan thats endemic in the aquarium trade. Its just a guess but its likely. Mervins suggestion for polyguard is a good one and it will be far more effective in a bare tank. Its a good broad spectrum treatment.

You should also kill all the lights on the tank... black out the sides.. if oodinium.. it also gets energy from light.

Are the two groups of discus from different sellers? Was the first group acting and looking normal before adding discus from group 2?

How are the tetras.. look closely at any other fish in the tank.. look at the tails and fins and eyes.. are they cloudy or clear.? Oodinium does just attack discus... so if its protozoan they should be sick or already dead.

I really don't want to come across here ina bad way but I strongly suggest you search the forum on "quarantine" and read our beginners board. It will help you going forward and to understand why this happening now.

Al

[okhrawesh]

Thanks for your help. Yes they are from two different sellers. I woke up today and they are looking even worst, they have become even darker and developed what looks like white scratches. All the tetras look healthy. I will run out now to the LFS and pick up PolyGard. Was a big mistake to not quarantine I guess. I had assumed since they would be the first fish to be added there was no need to do so.

Do you recommend me to go buy a 20g hospital tank or is there no point in doing so since it will not fit all the sick discus.

Thanks your all your help

[brewmaster15]

At this point... If the other fish species are fine, This is probably from mixing the two discus groups without quarantine. I would not buy the 20 gal now..at this point the best thing to do is take everything out of that tank and use it as hospital tank...Treat the whole tank. Once everything is out.. wipe down the sides , do a large water change and treat with the polyguard. I would also add 1 level tablespoon salt per 1 gal water and maintain that for the next week. Replace what you take out with water changes.

al

[Iminit]

Ok this does sound like a cross contamination. My suggestion is rid-ich plus and salt. I do like poly-guard but the rid-ich gave me very quick results. Where are you located? Did the first set of discus turn black before the second group was added? I had very good results in a planted tank with gravel. I also think the stress of removing everything now isn’t going to help the discus. Yes a bare bottom is your best way as a beginner. But that’s already past.

[Iminit]

Here a thread I did http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...ing-for-help!!. Lots of great info on this here.

[brewmaster15]

Rid ich is formalin and malachite Green... basically "quick cure" by another name. Its very effective at treating some protozoans infections.
contains 4.26% of formalin and 0.038% of zinc-free chloride salt of malachite green

Polyguard contains
Ingredients : sulfathiazole (75%), malachite green (4%), nitrofurantoin (0.25%), 5-nitro-2-furaldehyde secmicarbazole (0.25%), Quinacrine dihydrochloride (0.5%). Inactive ingredients: magnesium carbonate (20%).
Its designed to treat everything that Rid Ich would and has antibiotics in it. Its really more broad spectrum a medication and better to use when you don't know the pathogen.

[okhrawesh]

Okay I added some aquarium salt and PolyGuard yesterday to the tank. I also covered the tank with a dark blanket. The discus are not all leaning sideways and facing downwards. Does this symptom align with oodinium. Should I add anything else in addition to the salt and polyguard. Am really worried I am going to lose all my fish soon. I added two links with pictures of the discus for reference. Thank you all for your help.

https://ibb.co/b6QwP7b
https://ibb.co/PGV55fH

[okhrawesh]

I will check this out. Thanks!

[brewmaster15]

Okay I added some aquarium salt

how much is"some"?

The behavior you are seeing is typical for discus that are as sick as yours. You arent going to see an overnight recovery here. Odds are you will probably lose a few.. the infection is already very far along. I wish I could tell you otherwise.

[okhrawesh]

I added 2 tablespoon per 10 g. Should I be doing more than that? I plan on redoing polyguard tmrw after a big WC.

[brewmaster15]

I added 2 tablespoon per 10 g. Should I be doing more than that? I plan on redoing polyguard tmrw after a big WC.

1 level tablespoon salt per 1 gal water .. replace what you take out with water changes. The amount of salt you are currently using isn't high enough. It doesnt have to be aquarium salt... non-iodine table salt from the grocery store is fine and cheap. You really want to do large daily water changes here before dosing.

Keep the tank pristine and do not bother trying to feeding at this point.