one discus bloated

[elleng]

i have 6 --2-3" discus in a 55gal , i have had almost a month..., ph=7.0 ammonia=0, nitrite=0, i do have problems keeping my nitrates to a good level.. right now they are 30...i know this is high.. but even with everyday water changes i am having trouble with them... i added some prime to the water because it says it neutralizes nitrates... anyway temp =90...i had some trouble with gill flukes when the fish arrived and they were treated with prazipro, everything seemed fine until today one of the bigger ones looks like his bloated stomach and dark and hiding behind the driftwood, not eating.. i have been trying to switch them from only bloodworms to some granule food... i wonder if i should try epsom salts???any opinions...THX Ellen G..
.I do have plants in there and dont know if the salts will kill them...
When i first set up tank i used some stuff from the angel fish tank and may have some contamination from that???

[elleng]

I forgot to say I use a combination of ro water from lfs and tap water treated with prime or kordon and discus buffer and ph regulator, aged in new trash can with air stone and heater for at least 24 hours...

[Ardan]

Yes, try the Epsom salt


Ardan

[elleng]

Just thought i would let everyone know... last night for the bedtime feeding the sick fish came out and was no longer bloated but did not eat... this morning everyone was out and begging for food again and he is eating, but doesnt look great..but i am really so happy...I dont know what was wrong with him.....does anyone have suggestions on what i should be feeding these guys to prevent this from happening again... i got 6 2" babies..they were really smaller than 2 " and sorta sick when they came in..well maybe not sick but shell shocked from the shipping.... they have been growing at very different rates...3 of them came looking like oscars... 2 of the 3 have really rounded out well and one of those is the biggest. They are the leopard skins, the 3 cobalts were round and one of those is the second biggest and the biggest bully...I have several foods on hand
frozen blood worms (hikari)
earthworm flakes
beefheart flakes
bio gold discus pellets (small)
tetra min tropical granules ( i think this is what i fed the day he bloated)
tetra min tropical flakes
new life thera a
frozen brine shrimp
and baby foods...
and another kind of tropical flake (bulk)

i ahve all these foods because i raise angelfish..and have had many babies of all kinds of fish in the past, but i am not sure of these discus and how to properly care for these babies...... thanks for any advice you could give me...

[Ardan]

Sometimes it helps to soak pellets before feeding to discus as the pellets can swell up a bit in the discus belly. It is good to vary the diet.
It is possible that the discus overate also.
If this continues to happen it could be an internal problem or an internal parasite problem.
See how the fish does.

Ardan

[elleng]

Thanks ardan i do believe i did not soak those pellets before i put them in... and it is a real possibility that he overate too... they are ALWAYS hungry and there is never any food left to clean up after they eat....everyone is now doing great again...Im really lucky that it wasnt something more serious...