Most Common Treatments

[Carol_Roberts]

By Carol Roberts
These are treatments that I have used successfully at my house. They are effective and fairly safe.

Bloat or Constipation:
Symptoms: Your discus will look bloated - like he swallowed a marble. There may be an indentation behind the bloated area as if he had been pinched by your thumb and forefinger. Your discus may shimmy and shake. He may not be able to maintain his balance and will generally look uncomfortable and be dark in color.
Treat with Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulfate - sold in grocery stores or drug stores as a foot soak for people). One or two teaspoons of Epsom Salt per 10 gallons of water. Discus should be better in 4 hours or you can add another dose. Epsom salt will not hurt the filter or the other fish. You may dose in higher amounts of even one or two tablespoons per 10 gallons. If fish is not better in 24 hours suspect a bacterial infection.

Intestinal Flagellates:
Symptoms: Your discus may quit eating or spit out it's food. White, stringy, muscus-like feces will hang like a thread from the anus. He may be dark in color and stay in the back of the tank away from the other discus.
Treat with Metronidazole sold in pet stores as Hex-A-Mit or Metrozol. Can be purchased online from several sources. 400 - 500 mg per 10 gallons of water. Tank temperature 92 degrees +. Dose each day after a 50% water change for 3 to 5 days. Use 92 degree water for water changes. Feed sparingly of favorite foods. Keep water temperature elevated for a week after treatment ends. It may take a week or so for the discus to regain it's appetite. In severe cases of long standing you may need to dose every 8 hours for three days. May dose all fish in tank or remove affected fish to hospital tank. Should not hurt your biofilter.

Gill Flukes or Bacterial Disease:
Symptoms: Your discus may breath rapidly. Gills may be flared. He may be dark in color and stay apart from the other discus. Head may be pointed down at a 45degree angle.
Treat with Formalin (formaldehyde) sold in pet stores as Formalin and in a combination with dyes as Quick Cure and Rid Ick or can be purchased online. One cc or ml per 10 gallons of water. 50% water change after 8 hours. Do not raise temperature. Add extra air as it depletes oxygen. If you see an improvement after first dose you can treat every other day for two weeks. Dose all fish in tank. May impact biofilter.

Copepods:
Symptoms: Little skittery bugs you can barely see skitter and hop on the bottom of the tank and inside the filter. They are a symptom of overfeeding.
Treat with Fluke Tabs sold in pet stores or online. Make sure inside of tank and filters are clean. Day one do a 50% water change and dose one tab per 10 gallons Day two and three do regular water changes. Day four dose one tab per 10 gallons.

Planaria:
Symptoms: White dots on the glass walls of the tank and inside the filter. Planaria love smooth surfaces.
Treat by cleaning your tank, rinsing the filter, wiping down the inside of your tank and increasing water changes. Decrease amount fed and use a prefilter if food and feces are being sucked into the filter. You can also dose with formalin at 1 cc per 10 gallons, but would need to watch for ammonia spike if heavy die off.

. . . . more will be added later . . .
If you have corrections or comments or suggestions or other treatments please IM them to me. I want to keep this so info is not scattered over several pages. I DO want to add more and look forward to your suggestions ;D

[Ardan]

Nice Job , Carol!!

These occur time and time again.

Thank You!