SICK discus, turned DARK, NOT taking feed.

[Muffin46]

Hi there,


1. Please explain the problems with your fish. When did you notice the problems and did anything unusual happen that you think started them?
Problem-1Since the past 5-6 days ii can see 3 of my fishes turned dark, pooping white but are taking proper feed.
Problem-2 there is 2 of my checkerboards which i added 2 weeks ago are not having any feed. They just go near the food and turn around. They are in good shape and colour though but im worried becoz they havent had any single pellet since i got them home.

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).
Turning dark and not eating

3. What medications/ treatments have you already tried and what were the results. Include dosage and duration of treatment.
I did a PP treatment in the main tank as well as the quarantine tank before i added the fish.
Did 8 hours metrogyl treatment for 4 days but havent seen any improvement


Tank/Water

4. Tank size and ages, numbers and sizes of fish.
25 gallons tank holding 9 discus fishes

5. Water change regime (What percentage and how often).
Daily 60-70% water change
I do have a good top filter with bio media and sponges as well

6. How long has tank been running? Is it bare bottom? If you have substrate, what type and how deep is it?
Thank has been running for more than 2 years now. Its a bare bottom tank


7. Do you age your water? If you do for how long and what is the ph swing.
Never aged the water before as well and never had an issue

8. What type/brand water conditioner do you use? Do you add it to the tank or aging barrel? How much do you use?
I use a dechlorinator and aquanature discus vitamin+

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 _29-30c or 84-86f

- ph _ 6

- ammonia reading --0

- nitrite reading __ 0

- nitrate reading ____

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.

I use normal tap water


10. Any new fish, plants or inverts added recently.
Added 2 checkerboard discus 2 weeks ago

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.
I feed tetra bits 4times a day and heart mix every alternate day


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.
3C63458A-7D49-45FD-A93C-2BED51196CC8.jpg942859D0-B37E-4507-A57A-3937BE559CD2.jpg44402CA0-949F-4CC1-9E24-E65B81D32E65.jpg5318766B-9970-4035-9234-48C68CDE3C58.jpg63741A83-31E2-40E5-98BC-70E0DB293AE0.jpg42C471C6-DA57-4BE6-875D-055C094043E2.jpg

13. What do you believe is the problem? ( many times hobbyists asking for help have already formed some opinions or sought help elsewhere. Being upfront here will save time and effort on the part of members trying to help.)
Some local breaders and raisers say this is a case of cross contamination leading to internal parasites while some say its just an external infection

[Iminit]

Hard to guess here. If a cc. More would be sick. Mucus/slime showing on their body and all grouped up on the top of the tank. 25g tank with 9 discus is a problem. Even though you’re doing the water changes now what have you been doing before the problem? How often and how much. With that many discus I think your tests may be off. I don’t see filtration. Is there any? You need a bigger tank. 75-125g for that many that are that big. Unless the picture is making them look big. They look like 5” discus.

[brewmaster15]

Hi,
From the medicines and water conditioner you are using I am guessing you are located outside the USA? The tank volume you posted being 25 gal from the pictures looks off. Can you please double check that posted value?

To understand better, you added discus 2 weeks ago. You mention quarantine tank.. How long were the new fish quarantined? Do you treat for anything during Quarantine.

Did your existing fish have problems before the addition of the new fish? A few in the image like the snakeskin and blue diamond look like they are suffering from chronic health issues .Are these the ones passing white feces?

Its possible the new fish are still settling in .. did they eat in quarantine?

It sounds like your existing fish have hexamita protozoan.
I have not used this medication but from what I know its metronidazole. If thats the case did you use the 200 or 400 metrogyl ? Or some other concentration.

Did 8 hours metrogyl treatment for 4 days but havent seen any improvement

Can you go over this usage.. Metro is generally used for sick discus daily as a bath for 7-10 days at 500 mg per 10 gals. It can take several days to start working. It is more effective and faster if added to food so since your fish are eating you may want to try that.

[bluelagoon]

The two discus that Al mentioned, look very bad and haven't been doing well for some time. Their growth is stunted and will never make a nice looking discus. Those might be the discus that CC the rest of the tank. I don't understand the way you answered #7. Is it well water? and if so why dechlorinators? Al, mentioned metro., that wasn't used correctly. But for me personally, I would just cull those two fish because there will never come back being nice looking discus, no matter what you try.