Please help - Popeye and Swollen Gills on adult discus

[Alvinc1114]

1. Please explain the problems with your fish. When did you notice the problems and did anything unusual happen that you think started them?
One of my discus currently has popeye, where its left eye is very swollen and right eye is slightly swollen. This started the day after I moved them from my parent's place 4 days ago. Just today (1/24) I noticed that its right gill looked quite swollen underneath and could be gill flukes, although I am not sure.

2. Symptoms (i.e. turning dark, excess slime, not eating, clamped fins, flashing, darting, clamped gills, white/yellow/green poop, hiding, headstanding or tailstanding, white on tips of fins, rotting or fungus, blisters/white zits on fish, bloated, cloudy eyes, wounds).
Swollen eye (popeye) where left eye is heavily swollen, right eye is semi-swollen.
Swelling/white stuff underneath right gill.
Overall the fish is still quite active, fighting with other fish and not clamping up and hiding.

3. What medications/ treatments have you already tried and what were the results. Include dosage and duration of treatment.
Kanaplex mixed with beef heart, started 2 days ago (1/22), not much of a big eater I see him take a bite per feeding, not sure if he spits it back out or not.
API Aquarium salt added to the tank, first time 3 days ago (1/21) and once yesterday (1/23), 1 tbsp per 10 gallons

Tank/Water

4. Tank size and ages, numbers and sizes of fish.
75 gallon tank: 7 adult discus (1-4 years old), 15 cardinal tetras, 8 rummynose tetras, 7 cory catfish

5. Water change regime (What percentage and how often).
Changed 40% water prior to adding the now-sick discus 1/19, changed 40% again 1/23

6. How long has tank been running? Is it bare bottom? If you have substrate, what type and how deep is it?
Tank started mid-December 2023, it has half an inch of sand as substrate

7. Do you age your water? If you do for how long and what is the ph swing.
Water is straight from tap

8. What type/brand water conditioner do you use? Do you add it to the tank or aging barrel? How much do you use?
Seachem Safe, added straight to the tank every water change

9. Parameters and water source;

Note: Water Parameters are important in diagnosing problems within a tank. If you don't own test kits for the following information, you can purchase them, test your parameters and post this info as soon as possible.

- temp: 82 F

- ph: 7

- ammonia reading: 0ppm

- nitrite reading: 0ppm

- nitrate reading: 25ppm

What type of water or combinations of water sources do you use? If it is an RO/tap/well water mix, please list percentages in the mix.

-All tap water


10. Any new fish, plants or inverts added recently.
-This sick discus was added alongside 3 other adult discuses, all of which are not sick or exhibiting any symptoms. There were 3 other adult discuses in the tank prior, added a week before this group of 4, no sicknesses either.

11. Please tell us what you feed your fish and how often. This can be critical information for solving the problem so be as specific as you can.
-Fed tetra XL granule pellets prior to 1/22, started feeding beef heart mixed with kanaplex once a day since 1/23.


12. Include any pictures or videos you have which shows the symptoms. If you can't add them to this post, please provide a link to them.
Discus Gills.jpgDiscus Eye.jpgDiscus Eye 2.jpg

[brewmaster15]

Hi,
Since this started after the move can you tell us more about the move? How did you transport them?
Did the tank move also.. it sounds like the tank was already there at your place with discus in it?
Al

[Alvinc1114]

The fish were moved in bags, filled with water from their previous tank. The drive took around an hour, they were floated for ~20 minutes before being released into the tank. Yes the tank was started mid-December and was cycled using a combo of quick start, fritz turbo, fritz 7, media from a filter from their previous tank, and a sponge filter from a local discus store. Ammonia went from 4ppm to 0ppm 3 weeks ago, small fish were added after and they have been doing fine since. Discus came in thereafter and only this guy has been having issues.

[brewmaster15]

Do you have a tank to use as a hospital tank?

[Alvinc1114]

I can get one as early as Saturday, but for the time being I don't have one on hand.

[Alvinc1114]

Once I have a hospital tank, what medicines should I dose it with? I have a list of supplies below, am I missing anything I should order soon?

I will have the following supplies:
-~10-15 gallon tank
-Bubbler
-Heater
-Kanaplex (90-95% of a 5g tube)
-Metroplex 5g tube
-API Aquarium salt

[brewmaster15]

Kanaplex should work.

[Alvinc1114]

Would it be best to separate him out into a hospital tank and dose Kanaplex straight into the water? If so, how long should I dose him for? Should he have food while in the hospital tank? Thanks for all the help!

[brewmaster15]

Hi,
Popeye isnt contagious. Sometimes it even goes away on its own. Separate the fish in the hospital tank and give lots of clean water.Feed as normal if its eating.. If it doesnt improve after several days or worsens ..try the kanaplex per mfg instructions... you may need to go longer than they say. Kana is absorbed well from the water.