Won't eat

[Eward]

Help!

I feel like the mother of a toddler, as I stand in front of the tank and yell "would you just eat"!? !!!
My Checkerboard hasn't eaten more than a mouthful of food in about a week. I've tried frozen bloodworms,FB black worms, FD brine shrimp, flake food, and frozen mystics Shrimp. Nada.. The other 5 in the tank are getting HUGE, but this one....not so much. he/she is starting to look very thin.:(
it's also behaving very weirdly. Hanging out in the bubbler. Just sitting in the bubbles.. Color is ok , maybe a little faded, not being bullied, and still swimming with the pack some of the time, and hiding some of the time. My water is fine, and the other 5 are thriving. Any suggests? I don't know what's going on.... Children are soooo difficult ( lol)

[Eddie]

You might want to post this in the disease section but not eating for a week isn't a big deal. We need to know more about your set-up.

[Eward]

Thanks.. I doubt if its sickness since all my fish came from Hans, and everyone else is doing great. Aside from not eating, and being some what of a loner, this fish is ok..I think

[a volar]

Thanks.. I doubt if its sickness since all my fish came from Hans, and everyone else is doing great. Aside from not eating, and being some what of a loner, this fish is ok..I think

Discus can get sick, regardless of where they come from...

[Eddie]

Thanks.. I doubt if its sickness since all my fish came from Hans, and everyone else is doing great. Aside from not eating, and being some what of a loner, this fish is ok..I think

Regardless if the fish is sick, if something is different about its behavior, people need to know what your set-up is like to figure out possible solutions.


Discus can get sick, regardless of where they come from...

+1

[Eward]

60 gal bb tank. 6 juvies from Hans. Got them eight weeks ago, at 3" and they've grown about an inch. Ph 6.8, nitrites 0, ammonia 0, nitrates 10, temp 86. I also have a small clean up crew of 6 Cory cats, and 6 lemon tetras. 40% water change daily with city water, low KH and GH...

[Eddie]

What do you feed and how often? Do you age your water? What temp is the tank?

[PP_GBR]

Welcome neighbor. I know your water is fine because you live not to far from where I am. We have perfect water for discus here.

Give the fish more time to adapt to your tank. I have one that took me a long time to get her to eat. Of course, the smallest of the group, the runt/stunt whatever she is. I name her Starer because she just stared at the food while other fish eating. If you want to know exactly how long it took me, I 'll have to get my journal out lol.

[Eward]

Thanks:o I m so pleased with how they have been doing, color, size, attitude, but perplexed about why this one stopped eating. My water is pretty darn good. Really low KH, and GH I can't even measure. Ph is high out of the tap, but I add some PH down with every water change because I can't age my water. Now that I think about it this one has always been kind of a loner. Used to hide in some drift wood I had in the beginning....

[Eddie]

Thanks:o I m so pleased with how they have been doing, color, size, attitude, but perplexed about why this one stopped eating. My water is pretty darn good. Really low KH, and GH I can't even measure. Ph is high out of the tap, but I add some PH down with every water change because I can't age my water. Now that I think about it this one has always been kind of a loner. Used to hide in some drift wood I had in the beginning....

Having soft water with low GH and KH is not always a good thing. Works well for breeding.

[Eward]

I tried to test my GH with a tetra regent test. In the test you add drops of the solution to get water to change from red to green. Problem is, I can't get my water to change to red, much less turn green. The first drop changes my tank water yellow, and it stays yellow no matter how many drops I add. I actually added the whole bottle, just as an experiment- water never turned red or green. What's the deal???

[SMB2]

Ph is high out of the tap, but I add some PH down with every water change because I can't age my water.

Not sure I understand this rationale.

[a volar]

Thanks:o I m so pleased with how they have been doing, color, size, attitude, but perplexed about why this one stopped eating. My water is pretty darn good. Really low KH, and GH I can't even measure. Ph is high out of the tap, but I add some PH down with every water change because I can't age my water. Now that I think about it this one has always been kind of a loner. Used to hide in some drift wood I had in the beginning....

Messing with PH is not a good idea.............

[Eddie]

Thanks:o I m so pleased with how they have been doing, color, size, attitude, but perplexed about why this one stopped eating. My water is pretty darn good. Really low KH, and GH I can't even measure. Ph is high out of the tap, but I add some PH down with every water change because I can't age my water. Now that I think about it this one has always been kind of a loner. Used to hide in some drift wood I had in the beginning....

I totally missed that. You shouldn't be adding anything to the tank to adjust PH.

[Eward]

Well, I can't age my water due to lack of space.. So since my PH is about 8.5 out of my tap I use PH down with my water changes. I guess not being able to age my water isn't really relevant to the PH, so I understand your confusion

[Eward]

In response to the statement I shouldn't add anything to the tank to lower the PH, how should I lower it if aging it isn't possible?

[SMB2]

Well in my case Ph comes up over a 24 hr. aging period; from 7.3 to 7.6. But let me preempt Eddie, because he will say there is more to aging then Ph.
I am spaced challenged as well but there are lots of clever people here that might help in a system.

(Wallingford Conn is giving me flash backs.)

[Eddie]

In response to the statement I shouldn't add anything to the tank to lower the PH, how should I lower it if aging it isn't possible?

First issue, discus don't need low PH. They need consistent water parameters, even if the PH is 8.4. Keep the PH consistent. Second, manipulating PH using chemicals should be done in a storage tank so there is not fluctuations in the fish tank. All related to stresses on the fish. Sure, the fish may not react adversely immediately but over time, they will fall ill. Again, the space for aging argument. Might think of keeping a different species of fish.

[SMB2]

2 30 gal rubbermaid trash cans. One Python or hose, spare heater and submersible pump.
All fit in one trash can, which should go into a closet. Can also hold spare sponges etc.
Two trash cans because they fit into each other. You can do a 50% WC in ten minutes with the water made up 24 hrs in advance.
2" vinyl hose to drain tank, and python to drain old water (and then to fill new water).
Use the pump and 1" vinyl to fill from new water can.
Two cans also allow for a 95% WC.

[Eward]

Wow! Thanks for the clear and extremely helpful reply:D your explanation makes it sound very "do able"