Excess NO2

[matt morgan]

Can excess No2 cause your discus to behave eratically and swim around the tank bashing into the sides or anything in it's way?

Thanks
Matt

[flyman767]

Yes..Nitrite is the most toxic. I've seen it kill a fish quicker than anything else. Fish can act very erratic with only minor amounts of NO2.

[matt morgan]

Thanks alot flyman, did a quick 70% water change a few hours ago and my pair look alot more settled (touch wood). Will try and get another in tonight to 100% make sure.

Matt

[matt morgan]

Spoke too soon, he's just gone eratic again :-( discus are becoming the vein of my life atm :-(

[flyman767]

Matt..what's your nitrite reading? Ammonia? Possible chlorine or chlorimines?

[matt morgan]

Nitrate is 0.3 mg/l. Don't know ammonia chlorine etc.

I use ro mixed with aged tap water.

Both my discus look in prime condition but the male has woken me up again about 4 times tonight crashing around the tank. I'm lost as of what to do.

Thanks

[Jhhnn]

Dosing with prime at up to 5X the recommended amount will help reduce nitrite toxicity, and adding some salt, up to 1 tablespoon per 10 gallons, will help the fishes' physiology cope with high nitrites. Don't add salt all at once- do so gradually over a period of several hours.

Aquarium fish will exhibit similar symptoms when any electrical component is leaking current into the tank. Heaters are notorious for this. It's hard to tell, safely, w/o a multimeter, but if there's the slightest tingle touching the water, there's a current leakage problem somewhere in the equipment.

[flyman767]

You need to ascertain your nitrite, ammonia, chloramines/chlorine levels. Any excess of these factors could contribute to darting and stress levels which will lead to an inevidentable death. Possible you could have stray current in the tank. You could check this with an voltmeter or temporary shut off the heater(s). However, I would start with the water readings first. If you plan on staying in the hobby, you will need to invest in a test kit. This should be always be one of the first things a hobbyists checks when there fish are not behaving normally.