PDA

View Full Version : Blue diamond is not eating and it's dark



Tormentor
08-17-2013, 02:28 PM
Problem

1. Please explain the problems with your fish. When did you notice the problems and did anything unusual happen that you think started them?
well I got this blue diamond about a month ago with this panda discus. They both were not eating like the first couple of days. After a week the panda eat but Thea blue diamond wasn't eating at all. Almost a month after and he still not eating what other discus are eating, so I went out to search for different foods. The only food he accepts now is live blackworms

2. Symptoms (i.e. turning dark, excess slime, not eating, clamped fins, flashing, darting, clamped gills, white/yellow/green poop, hiding, headstanding or tailstanding, white on tips of fins, rotting or fungus, blisters/white zits on fish, bloated, cloudy eyes, wounds).he has spawn with the female panda throw times, and it seems he was about to spawn for a third time, but he got dark, he still not eating anything but live blackworms and he keeps fighting all the others discus except the female panda, and too much finishing looks like he has some scratches on his mouth.
3. What medications/ treatments have you already tried and what were the results. Include dosage and duration of treatment. I had another's discus that was pooping white so I added metronidazole twice during a week, after this week that's when he seem he was gonna spawn again with the panda but ended up turning dark.



Tank/Water

4. Tank size and ages, numbers and sizes of fish. 55 gallon, been set up for a year, 8 discus at about 5 inches four Siamese algea eater, nine neons four rasboras and one betta


5. Water change regime (What percentage and how often).50% every three days


6. How long has tank been running? Is it bare bottom? If you have substrate, what type and how deep is it?

About a year, planted tank, with sand at about two inches, but it's been cover with dwarf hair grass.
7. Do you age your water? If you do for how long and what is the ph swing.
I don't I treating before I put it in the tank with prime.

8. Parameters and water source;

Note: Water Parameters are important in diagnosing problems within a tank. If you don't own test kits for the following information, you can purchase them, test your parameters and post this info as soon as possible.


- temp __88___

- ph _6.4____

- ammonia reading _0___

- nitrite reading _0___

- nitrate reading _5-10___

What type of water or combinations of water sources do you use? If it is an RO/tap/well water mix, please list percentages in the mix.

- well water ____

- municipal water __yes__

- RO water ____


9. Any new fish, plants or inverts added recently. Two stems of plants don't know the name


10. Include any pictures or videos you have which shows the symptoms. If you can't add them to this post, please provide a link to them.
I'm new so I don't know how to add this yet but I'm gonna work on it. Soon.

dkeef
08-17-2013, 02:51 PM
If he was about to spawn then getting dark is normal. All discus seems to darken before breeding.
If he is eating live blackworm then thats a good sign. Also ones about to breed will harass others.
Sometimes the big guys take a while to accept freeze dried or flake food.
Sometimes like a month. Keep feeding live for now but would also keep trying freeze dried blackworms.
My fish love freeze dried blackworms as much as live.
I actually stopped feeding live cuz of hassle, cost and kenny said its best not to cuz bad quality ones can transfer disease to your fish.
To me, he seem normal. Just in breeding mode and picky eater. Others chime in and correct me if im wrong.

Tormentor
08-17-2013, 04:46 PM
If he was about to spawn then getting dark is normal. All discus seems to darken before breeding.
If he is eating live blackworm then thats a good sign. Also ones about to breed will harass others.
Sometimes the big guys take a while to accept freeze dried or flake food.
Sometimes like a month. Keep feeding live for now but would also keep trying freeze dried blackworms.
My fish love freeze dried blackworms as much as live.
I actually stopped feeding live cuz of hassle, cost and kenny said its best not to cuz bad quality ones can transfer disease to your fish.
To me, he seem normal. Just in breeding mode and picky eater. Others chime in and correct me if im wrong.

Thanks for the advice, I just did a massive water change of 80% and dose one tablespot of aquarium salt for 10 gallons I'm rise the temperature from 88 to 90 and finally to 93 (that's how much the heater gets to) and see if that helps, cuz I don't want to add any medications.

trungnguyen
08-17-2013, 04:53 PM
I think you should improve on water change if you can, 8 adult discus with other fish in 55 gallons is over crowded, and you only do 50% every three day.

strawberryblonde
08-17-2013, 05:20 PM
Thanks for the advice, I just did a massive water change of 80% and dose one tablespot of aquarium salt for 10 gallons I'm rise the temperature from 88 to 90 and finally to 93 (that's how much the heater gets to) and see if that helps, cuz I don't want to add any medications.

Why are you raising the temp in the tank? There's nothing going on that would require high temps. If it was me, I'd lower it to 82-84 degrees and add an air stone if you don't already have one.

After that, I'd do a daily water change to see if it improves his eating and color. That tank is seriously overcrowded and with all the plants there is likely a lot of detritus that is contributing to poor water quality.

Chicago Discus
08-17-2013, 06:11 PM
93 degrees is a bit high on anyone's scale. I would definitely lower the temp. Down to a more normal setting between 82-84. Discus turning dark can happen for many reasons number one being stress. I would make sure that your water is clean and free from dead plant matter. At that high of temperature I'm not sure what plants can survive. As far as not Eating its hard to say you first need to aliminate the normal causes. One being fear, poor water quality or bullying.I would contact the person you purchased them from and get some advice......hope this helps.....Josie

Tormentor
08-17-2013, 07:35 PM
93 degrees is a bit high on anyone's scale. I would definitely lower the temp. Down to a more normal setting between 82-84. Discus turning dark can happen for many reasons number one being stress. I would make sure that your water is clean and free from dead plant matter. At that high of temperature I'm not sure what plants can survive. As far as not Eating its hard to say you first need to aliminate the normal causes. One being fear, poor water quality or bullying.I would contact the person you purchased them from and get some advice......hope this helps.....Josie

Hi thanks for your concern, I'm rising the temp cuz I read that doing that and dosing some aquarium salt along with massive water changes for like a week could help, but I know the temperature would be too high, and funny thing everyone it's getting bully but the blue discus, he is the one bulling everyone, and some how he is the one turning black? I would lower the temperature instead and see how that turns out.

Chicago Discus
08-17-2013, 08:03 PM
Hi thanks for your concern, I'm rising the temp cuz I read that doing that and dosing some aquarium salt along with massive water changes for like a week could help, but I know the temperature would be too high, and funny thing everyone it's getting bully but the blue discus, he is the one bulling everyone, and some how he is the one turning black? I would lower the temperature instead and see how that turns out.

I'm also not a big fan of salting a tank unless all other avenues have been exhausted just my opinion......Josie

Tormentor
08-17-2013, 09:07 PM
Yeah I'm not either but like you said all my other options are gone, so I'm only dosing half the normal dose for my tank size, thanks for the concern, in your opinion what could I do, to get this fix? Thanks