Discus losing weight

[xmas_dude]

Hi,

One of my brilliant blue discus has progressively started losing weight since last couple months. The main difference I see in this discus is a slightly pinched stomach. Even after the fish has eaten decent, the stomach area stays quite flat or pinched. I have also not been able to see this fish poop. The fish is active (hasnt spawned lately ... used to spawn almost every month until 3 months back). I am also noticing the head region progressively getting thin and in general the fish used to be lot thicker than what it is now.

Here are some pics of the discus today.

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Any help on diagnosis or how I should proceed with this? BTW, I have had this fish for almost 2 years (along with 11 other discus that are fairly healthy and getting plump). Tank is 110G Tall BB, 84f, 0 Ammonia/Nitrites and 5-10 ppm Nitrates. WCs 70% alternate days.

I am unable to tell if this is case of worms or hex or just some malnutrition. I feed the fish FDBW, frozen seafood mix, Biogold pellets, with 2 feedings per day.

[xmas_dude]

Any help guys? Is there any way to know or have better guess at this being worms or flagellates or malnutrinion (which i highly doubt)? How would you go about getting this guy plump again?

[rickztahone]

Do you see it being out competed for food? Do you feed in different areas of the tank?

[xmas_dude]

Hi Ricardo, I dont see this Discus being out competed per say... but it is not the most aggressive eater but eats pretty well in the end (grazing over food). Yes, I do try to favor this fish lately by dropping food close to it (since I have seen it thin down). However the weird part that I havent been able to understand is

- Even after eating decent amount of food, I never see the stomach area of this fish have the typical bulge that I see in other discus that have eaten equivalent amount of food. The stomach area always stays very flat to slightly pinched. I am lost as too where that food is going :-)

- I have never seen this fish poop although that might just be a timing thing :-).

All I can see is that this fish feeds regularly and definitely interested in food (flakes, frozen, seafodd mix) during each feed. 3 times a day. Althought not eating like a pig, it eats decent amount.

[DISCUS STU]

Probably a good idea to post this to the disease section. It may be Capillaria but we've all seen this type of thing, very common. While I haven't been able to treat effectively, have hope, someone may have the right advice and I'd also like some info. on this.

You seem to be catching this at the right time, early.

[LizStreithorst]

It sounds like worms to me.

[William1]

I was thinking about this earlier. Is it possible it is just a skinny fish? If you take fifteen of any fish, some will be bigger, some will stay smaller, some will get fatter. Some cardinal tetras stay small, while some get fat as pigs, and some overeat and actually kill themselves. One discus may have a faster metabolism... and stay skinnier. Why does he have to display a bulging belly to be considered healthy? If he eats well, interacts well and is seemingly happy, why does he have to be a fatso? Just thinking outside the box. He may be the healthiest guy you have. And goes on walks twice a day and donates blood occasionally to the Red Cross. Cheers, BK

[xmas_dude]

Hi, wouldnt be much worried if this discus was skinny from start. Causenof concern is the amount of mass the fish has lost compared to what it was 6 mons back. Anyways, ive started with angelsplus deworming flakes.... Fingers crossed. Will circle back in few weeks....

[DISCUS STU]

Hi, wouldnt be much worried if this discus was skinny from start. Causenof concern is the amount of mass the fish has lost compared to what it was 6 mons back. Anyways, ive started with angelsplus deworming flakes.... Fingers crossed. Will circle back in few weeks....

Most of their medicated flakes, and I use them also, state that they have a water solubility of about 10 seconds. This means that the medication will dissipate into the water relatively fast. I think their Fenbendazole flake is different but I'd check on it first.