AC = Activated carbon good for removing certain toxins and meds etc...
Graham, Thanks for chiming in - I was hoping you'd read this.
I'm sorry for my ignorance, but what do you mean by "some AC would help here"?
Any recommendations on what to try? I don't have any meds and will need to go to one of the national chains to get them. I'll probably pick up a 10 or 20 gallon tank and move my sponge filter into it to focus the treatment.
Please advise and thanks in advance.
roadracr
AC = Activated carbon good for removing certain toxins and meds etc...
Paul
Comfortably numb.
I look at using the old faithful Formalin & Malachite green such as Quick Cure but there are other brands out there...wide kill range. Potassium Permangnate would be another good one.
Needless to say the AC activated carbon needs to be removed when using these chems and water chnages should be done between doses.
Hope it helps
G
Did the local water test for any heavy metals? Copper, mercury,etc.
If you don't have a good LFS (not just the chains) you might google a water testing company. I never knew we could have copper in our well before we started testing. So, you could use an agent to treat for "stuff" or find a place that will do a complete test.
Good luck.
Sandy
Hi roadracr. If it makes you feel any better I've gone through the same thing you're going through now, twice in the last 3 years. I ordered 10 juvies from Sunrise Tropicals and 8 juvies from Gabe at Wattley. I've ordered from Wattley 5-6 times over the years and never had any problems. Both times, the juvies seemed to settle in well for about 3-4 weeks. Then, all of a sudden they would stop eating one by one and die off in spite of everything I did. I was caring for these juvies the same way I always had before. I couldn't understand what I was doing wrong.
I think Graham hit it on the head. Sometimes discus are carrying latent parasite infections (flukes, hexamita, etc.) and the stress of shipping lowers their immune systems. Sometimes it takes awhile to show up. Then, in spite of all our hard work, they get sick. It's very frustrating. I thought I must have been doing something wrong, but now I realize it just happens sometimes.
It's just a shame when it happens to such expensive fish.
Steve, thanks. I'm at the point where if I don't find the root cause, I'm not sure I want to continue with the hobby. Not sure I want to subject another group to this kind of torture.
Anyway, I just got back from the LFS where I purchased a copper test kit (Instant Ocean) and some QuickCure. First I performed the copper test and it returned the lowest reading on the scale (0.05 mg/L). It's a relief to rule that out, but the mystery continues.
I just dosed with QuickCure - 1 drop per gallon, or 150 drops. We'll see. I'm pretty sure that one of the four remaining is a goner - he's losing balance (swims to the top, then falls backwards toward the bottom). Still no external signs of disease - no spots, fin rot, bloating, eye problems - nothing.
roadracr
Well, the one that was losing balance is now dead. That makes three dead just today!!!
The three remaining are in the corner. I feel just awful!
Strange thing is that there has never been any external show of disease. No spots, not fin rot, no heavy breathing.
At this point I'm hoping for a miracle. The QuickCure is about my only hope. I'm looking at a blue tank with three lonely discus and four tiny plecos.
roadracr
Sorry to hear Roadracr, that is not good news.
If your fish have no signs of illness but just dropping dead and quickly that is super strange.
Are you sure you have no ammonia or nitrites in your water? I didn't see you post your nitrite readings as of today. You posted what they were in October but not now. In small amounts, nitrites are lethal for discus. When was the last time you broke down your filters completely?
Something else...if you dose with QC, you need to add alot of aeration to the tank and have the temp at around 82F.
Eddie
Last edited by Eddie; 01-23-2009 at 08:58 PM.
Oh dear I feel for you. I am watching this thread, I too have newq discus coming in a few weeks eek!
Hope things get better than this for you! I am sending the angel to help you, hope it helps
Eddie, Thanks for the advice on aeration with QC. I have spraybars on both canisters at opposite ends of the tank. They are about an inch below the surface and point upward at 45 degrees. They create quite a good surface disturbance. I also have a spongefilter on a powerhead which has its output pointing straight up. The spongefilter is suspended halfway up the tank so the output gives further surface movement. At this time none of the fish appear to be breathing heavily or hanging at the surface.
In my first message in this thread I did state that Ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate was 0/0/5 two days ago (1/21). I have been checking regularly. The water company checked ammonia today. They measured 0 ppm at my water source and 0.04 ppm in my tank. My own measurements today are steady at Ammonia = 0 ppm, Nitrite = 0 ppm, Nitrate = 5 ppm. I think the bio filters in the canisters are doing their job.
I am still a little puzzled as to why the water company would measure PH = 6.72 while I read 8.0.
Anyway, I appreciate your advice.
roadracr
Eddie, I missed a couple of points below. First, I use prefilters on my canisters and clean them with every W/C - they collect a lot of detritus. I did break down one of my canisters last weekend and it was amazingly clean. I rinsed the media in tank water, changed the fine filter pad and put it back in service. I was planning on performing the same task with the other canister this weekend. The spongefilter is cleaned in tank water with every W/C as well.
I think I also mentioned that when I do my W/Cs, I spend the first 15 minutes or so vacuuming the tank. When the discus were eating, there was lots to pick up. Now, almost nothing.
I keep my temperature at 85F.
roadracr
Well you got everything covered, weirdest thing I ever heard of. Fish acting normal just dropping dead.....don't come to my house. J/K
Eddie
This whole thing is driving me nuts.
I don't believe in a late reaction on the shipping stress, it could be but not if the Discus are eating like idiots, if they wouldn't eat, low resistance it good be, but they were eating and doing well for a few weeks.
The AC I should have thought of, I think that's the way to go, we are just overlooking a freaking small thing but I don't know what.
What's the most strange thing is that one is dying while the others (although not eating) are still good on color, bright red eyes, not dark at all.
Jim hang in there, you're not leaving this hobby, we will find out what it is and I take care of you, but first we've to find out what's the problem,
Hans
I've changed the Discus World.
Visit our online store at: www.discusfishstore.com
All advice I give, is because I've good results with it, you're free to copy it. It's not a rule, it's just my way. Ohhhh and don't take me serious, I'm most of the time kidding