Discus got spook and lie down on bottom

[jannima]

Hi guys, I need help with the 6" brilliant turq. It was in the 60gal planted tank with other 4 discus for 7 months. (ammonia:0, NO2:0, NO3:unknow)

Tank spec : 60Gal, temp 84F, PH 6.8, pressured CO2 injected.
Subtrate: ADA aqua soil (Amazonia), ADA bright sand.
Illumination: Tek light T5 54WX4 (6500K and 10000K)
Habitant : rummynose tetra, otto cat, cory, rubberlip pleco, Queen Arabesque pleco, cherry shrimp, Discus (Leopard, Stendker Red Scribbelt, Stendker Brilliant turq and Red turq.)

The brilliant turq was fine yesterday morning, but it was lying down on the substrate with some scratches when I tried to do the weekly water change. I had no idea how it got spook, probably the tree shadows.

I didn't take it serious since my discus got spook a few times, and they recover soon. I added another airstone and turned off the lights, then leave it there. Last night around 8pm, I checked the discus again, it still lay down on bottom, and there were over 10 cherry shrimps enjoying the discus meal.

I pulled it out and setup a 10gal quarantine tank (84F). This morning it didn't get any better, I did a 75% water change and also added 2 spoon of salt. I feel very bad that I didn't realize it was stuck to airstone and caused it more damages. (the white spot near gill), I thought it liked more oxygen and got close to airstone.

It still has trouble keeping balance, usually remains the position like first pictures below.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[jannima]

I dosed Furan2 yesterday, since the half of right fin of the discus was gone.
It's still lying on the bottom, struggled to get up, but can't keep balance.
I hope I pick up the right med.
Any suggestion would be appreciated. Thank you.

[fishmama]

So sorry to see that...you have such a beautiful setup! One that has been my screensaver!

I had one that did the same thing (an OG) and thought he was a goner. Kept the water as pristine as I could and left the lights out with plenty of cover for several days and he/she actually recovered. But never regained the alpha ranking nor the growth potential (as I see yours has already achieved).

Good luck!
Lisa

[jannima]

Lisa: Thank you so much for the support. I really hope the fish will recover.


The fish doesn't get any better tonight, still can't get up.
And I found some weird stuff on it, two on fin and the other two on forehead.
Please see the pictures below, it looks like pimple.

Is this some kind of external parasite?
Thanks in advance.
Dan

Sorry about the blur pics.

[fishmama]

That does not look like a parasite to me. It appears more likely an infection. Are you still dosing Furan 2? If an internal infection has set in you will want something absorbed easily thru the skin. Perhaps the fish already had an internal issue pre-"spook"? Was it eating well prior to this incident?

I also had a rubberlip pleco that I caught one night harrassing the discus and attaching to suck slime coat, causing the discus to go nuts. Have you heard the fish spook a lot after lights out at night?

[fishmama]

BTW-nitrofuran antibiotics are reputed to have the best absoprtion rate, so I think you have chosen the best course of medication.

[tpl*co]

Those marks on the side look like an injury of some kind. Could it be your pleco attacked him? Did he get stuck behind something? How is your heater installed?

Sending your discus healing vibes and wishing he'll make a full recovery

Tina

[guille2007]

If it happened overnight it was a pleco attack for sure, I removed 4 young plecos from my tank after getting an advise about

[tpl*co]

I agree, either a pleco attack or got stuck behind the heater. I had a fish get a bad burn from trying to get that last tempting morsal and getting wedged behind the heater .

Tina

[jannima]

Hi guys, thanks all for the suggestion. I really appreciate it.
The mark on the side was caused by air stone, it was stuck with it all night until I found out next morning.
I use in-line heater and I never saw the pleco attach the discus though. This discus was eating well before the accident.

I finished the 8 days furan2 treatment last night (1st day double, 25% WC daily). The fish has a little bit improvement, fin rot seems to stop, and it is able to get up more and more. However it swims upside down, then fall back to bottom soon.

The fish hasn't eaten anything, I tried to hand feed it this morning and it didn't want to eat.
I only dose salt today, after reading caldwell's post, I am thinking about changing medication to Maracyn 1.
Or should I repeat the furan2 treatment? (Is furan2 discontinued? I ran to two LFS, was told it discontinued.)
Any suggestion is appreciated. Thanks again.
Dan

[poconogal]

I've never used Furan 2 but in the past I've used Maracyn and Maracyn 2 together. Maracyn 2 is a very good med in that it is absorbed into the fish thru the skin so is excellent for internal bacterial infections. It is Minocycline, which is in the Tetracycline family, but better than Tetracycline according to what I've read online. I've used both together because one treats gram negative bacteria and one treats gram positive bacteria. I think I'd try the Maracyns together as it doesn't seem that the Furan 2 had done much for the fish.

[jude 275]

Hi- Looks like Hexamita- Internal parasite. leads to secondary infection( bacterial) hole in the head/ lateral line errosion- Increase your temp- treat and pray.

what came first?? hex or flashing/ spooked? could be that the discus got spooked cause it was so uncomfy. Could also be that the discus just has a little drama queen moment, smacked itself became stressed then the hexamita struck. I've seen fish come back from some truly horrible things. Discus though, depressed, not eating- its basically all over- you have to catch it early. good luck. jude.

[jude 275]

oh- and one last note. pleco with discus. not a good idea. discus- part of their immune system is their slime coat. plecos find this tasty. catfish are fine. plecos are not.
suck on a discus anyone??? ( all the plecos in the tank put their fins up!)