Help, discus not eating for 5 days

[Spainter85]

I have a few questions, I just purchased 5 discus juvies in November. They were eating like pigs with no issues at all. This all started about 5 days ago, the smallest stopped eating. Ive been watching at every feeding and she just doesnt seem interested in anything. Now the largest stopped eating today. They still seem to act ok, they do hide in the corner a little more than usual. Ive seen some white/clear stringy feces. Should I try metronidazole? Any other suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks. I did try salt at 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons with no change. Also nothing new has been added to their tank since I got them, tank has been running over a year.

[Spainter85]

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?

5 days ago, stopped eating. White/clear stringy feces. Hiding

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).

Same as above

3. What medications/ treatments have you already tried and what were the results. Include dosage and duration of treatment.

Only salt, 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons. No change

Tank/Water

4. Tank size and ages, numbers and sizes of fish.

55 gallon bb tank, 5 discus. Two 3.5 inch, a 3 inch and two 2.5 inches. Bought all from same source in November.

5. Water change regime (What percentage and how often)

60 percent daily.

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

7. Do you age your water? If you do for how long and what is the ph swing.

No water is not aged.

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 __82___

- ph _____

- ammonia reading ____

- nitrite reading ____

- nitrate reading ____

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.

None
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.

Will check water parameters in morning. Last I checked all was normal.

[Spainter85]

OK so water parameters are just fine, ammonia is 0, nitrite is 0, nitrate is between 10 and 20 ppm. Ph is 7.4 both in tank and straight out of sink so no swing. Both fish still not eating, i'm getting very worried. Small albino golden sunrise seems to have slightly bloated belly which worries me since I haven't seen her eat in about a week. The two who aren't eating, in my opinion seem to have clamped gills. Im attaching a video of them today, both swimming around ok, the large checkerboard pigeon I focus on in the video is the other fish not eating. And the very small white one. All others acting fine and eating like pigs as of now.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEeDroJMi8g

[nc0gnet0]

Tank is awful bright, this might be stress related. Is the bottom of the tank painted? Lets first try dimming the lights a bit and adding a background to the back and sides of the tank. Try something light brown like a cardboard. Cover up about 1/2 or more of the light. See if that has any effect.

[Spainter85]

There is a dark blue background on the tank, the tanks sitting on a black stand, bottom is not painted but its black from stand. I will cover sides and leave one of the lights off. They were all eating fine for 2 months, you think stress would cause this out of nowhere? And started with one fish and now two?

[Spainter85]

Despite taking your advice of less light and to cover tank sides, the two discus are still not eating and I've tried EVERYTHING. Can someone please advise me in what the next step to take is. There has to be something going on other than stress. Meds I have on hand are kanamycin, metro and praziquantal. Theyre both still passin stringy feces.

[nc0gnet0]

Do you have a hospital tank. My next step would be to try metro. Do you by any chance have a scope?

[Spainter85]

Other than a 10 gallon no, and I think that is too small. And no scope. Can I treat the tank that they're in? Metro says 1/4 teaspoon per 41 gallons, is that correct and for how long? Water changes when and do I remove filter? There's no carbon, only sponge and matrix in filter. Thank you so much for the help.

[Spainter85]

Ive been treating the main tank with metro for over three days now with no improvement, the albino discus still has a bloated belly. Could that be a sign of a bacterial infection? Should I continue with the metro or try kanamycin? The three others in the tank are still eating great.