Another discus sick?

[shadeslayer]

Hey everyone,
I just woke up to see the discus I bought from Hans lying in one corner, clearly agitated and on a bit of a slant.

All the water parameters are normal and temp is 84.5 F. He was swimming fine and eating heartily all of yesterday. Don't know what changed in one night....

Any thoughts?

[DiscusRob]

Please test and post the actual numbers, not just say they are normal, and also, is this the same tank you have had problems with back around the end of April, first of May?

[shadeslayer]

yes it is the same tank

sorry about the numbers - i'm using a fresh test kit for the following:

1. Please explain the problems with your fish. When did you notice the problems and did anything unusual happen that you think started them?
I woke up to see the discus I got from Hans in the corner barely moving, on a slant and only moving fins when I approach it with my finger outside the glass.

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).

from what I see there are no symptoms on the discus. the tank is clear (i made it bare bottom)

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

None as of yet - thinking about Furan-2.

Tank/Water

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

55 gallon, all young - 4 discus 2 angelfish

5. Water change regime (What percentage and how often).
25% daily, 75% every 2 days

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

Tank has been running since March 2015, bare bottom

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

Tap water

8. Parameters and water source;
tap water

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 ___84.5__

- ph 6-6.5_____

- ammonia reading __0-1 ppm__

- nitrite reading _0___

- nitrate reading _0-20 ppm___

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.

[DiscusRob]

I'd be concerned about the ammonia reading and that is kind of a gray area on the nitrate reading, what kind of test kit are you using? can we narrow the nitrate reading down a bit, closer to 20 ppm will upset the fish.

[shadeslayer]

I've been using the API kits, can you suggest a more use able kit with the accurate numbers you need? I will go to the store and buy it.
I also use SeaPrime

[shadeslayer]

I just came home to check on my discus.

Just like the apricot discus, my discus is similarly curved body and laying near the bottom. Is this another case of whirling disease?

[DiscusRob]

Don't know a whole lot about whirling disease, but from what I've read it would lead me to believe this is not the problem as he/she is not all over the tank. This sounds more like a water quality issue vs. something else, it will take more than me and my book knowledge from reading here to help. Sorry.

[Fishquake]

Is your Stendker in a tank with Asian Discus?

[Second Hand Pat]

This is the progression of "whirling disease". The fish start madly dashing about the tank banging in the sides of the tank, sometimes splashing water out of the tank. This will continue for about a minute or so as the fish tires it swims slowly with very heavy breathing and very strong, dark bars. The fish might also end the darting but going in very tight circles. When the fish slows it might form a C with it's body.

Prior to the darting the fish may look and eat fine. Also a water change can ignite a darting session also. Some general recommendations are to make small water changes, turn off the tank light or even better cover the tank to black it out for several days. feed lightly or none at all.

[shadeslayer]

thanks I will do this, hopefully whatever problem there is will go away. I am at a loss as to what could be wrong with the water

[shadeslayer]

Hello guys,

My discus is still in the corner all the time, sometimes slanted but goes upright during feeding time. After eating a little bit, it
goes back to it's corner and faces the back of the aquarium. I have been feeding it Tetracolor flakes and frozen bloodworms every 2-3 days.

I put my camera recorder on my discus for the past 2 days and i found that he has white feces.

Is this a parasite?

[ORANGEMELLY]

I am new to this forum and I do not currently keep discus. However, I had a severum that died not long ago with similar symptoms. It happened suddenly. Fish went dark and started to careen around tank and then finally settled on side gasping for air. All my other fish were fine. I had this happen in another tank as well but with silver dollars. It happened again, suddenly and I lost all but one silver dollar. I believe that fish which are compressed like discus, severum and silver dollars are far more sensitive to ammonia than other fish. Although my API test kit showed zero ammonia, there was a different smell to the water. I saved the remaining silver dollar by throwing it in a bucket of water with 25% of the tank water and 75% new freshly made up water. And I also ran 2 airstones in the bucket as well. I may be completely wrong, and I have not read about your situation from before. But smell your water and if you have other tanks smell them all and see if you can detect a difference. It could also be an oxygenation problem.. Are you running airstones?.. That's my 2 cents worth, hope your fish recovers.

[DC Discus]

Hello guys,

I have been feeding it Tetracolor flakes and frozen bloodworms every 2-3 days.




Maybe I read this wrong, your only feeding every 2 to 3 days?? Or did you mean that you feed 2 to 3 times a day. Discus need a lot of food multiple times a day.
Cheers,
DC

[pitdogg2]

Discus need a lot of food multiple times a day.Cheers,DC

well yes and no when young yes they need fed multiple times a day. I have always let my fish fast on the weekends but keep WC's going as always. This allows the fish to purge its intestinal track. I have done this for years and have not had any bad results. Feel free to tell me how bad this can be I've been around for a long time kept fish for 40+ years and have grown some very large fish and not just Discus.

[jmf3460]

OP, since joining in April, your threads have all been regarding disease. you have several threads regarding disease, http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?120078-Another-discus-sick&p=1160925&highlight=#post1160925, http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?119902-Discus-racing-back-and-forth&p=1158732&highlight=#post1158732, http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?119682-Is-this-case-of-external-parasite&p=1155976&highlight=#post1155976, http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?119627-Help!-Asap!&p=1155865&highlight=#post1155865, http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?119627-Help!-Asap!&p=1155865&highlight=#post1155865, not to mention your post regarding filtration problems, http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?119627-Help!-Asap!&p=1155865&highlight=#post1155865

Are all these disease posts regarding the same one fish or are they different fish. Either way, the fact that you have had so many problems since starting this forum leads me to believe that your water quality is bad. Not whirling disease. Whirling disease usually only affects wild discus, not Hans quality discus. You have an ammonia reading, which leads me to believe you never fully cycled your tank. Have you tried upping your water changes to like 75% daily and see what happens? you have young discus in a 55 gallon tank. This tank is too small for adult discus, im sure this has been pointed out already. You also have a huge range for nitrate readings. I basically think you have poisonous water (ammonia + nitrates) and you have a sensitive fish. Before going through medication, I suggest upping to 75% daily water change or greater if possible, for 1-2 weeks and post your findings.

[DISCUS STU]

This is the progression of "whirling disease". The fish start madly dashing about the tank banging in the sides of the tank, sometimes splashing water out of the tank. This will continue for about a minute or so as the fish tires it swims slowly with very heavy breathing and very strong, dark bars. The fish might also end the darting but going in very tight circles. When the fish slows it might form a C with it's body.

Prior to the darting the fish may look and eat fine. Also a water change can ignite a darting session also. Some general recommendations are to make small water changes, turn off the tank light or even better cover the tank to black it out for several days. feed lightly or none at all.

Pt any info. on Whirling Disease and treatment. I've lost several Wilds to it. It has mostly affected my Wild fish.

[bamzam]

OP, since joining in April, your threads have all been regarding disease. you have several threads regarding disease, http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?120078-Another-discus-sick&p=1160925&highlight=#post1160925, http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?119902-Discus-racing-back-and-forth&p=1158732&highlight=#post1158732, http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?119682-Is-this-case-of-external-parasite&p=1155976&highlight=#post1155976, http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?119627-Help!-Asap!&p=1155865&highlight=#post1155865, http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?119627-Help!-Asap!&p=1155865&highlight=#post1155865, not to mention your post regarding filtration problems, http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?119627-Help!-Asap!&p=1155865&highlight=#post1155865

Are all these disease posts regarding the same one fish or are they different fish. Either way, the fact that you have had so many problems since starting this forum leads me to believe that your water quality is bad. Not whirling disease. Whirling disease usually only affects wild discus, not Hans quality discus. You have an ammonia reading, which leads me to believe you never fully cycled your tank. Have you tried upping your water changes to like 75% daily and see what happens? you have young discus in a 55 gallon tank. This tank is too small for adult discus, im sure this has been pointed out already. You also have a huge range for nitrate readings. I basically think you have poisonous water (ammonia + nitrates) and you have a sensitive fish. Before going through medication, I suggest upping to 75% daily water change or greater if possible, for 1-2 weeks and post your findings.

Just as a side note, I've experienced whirling disease symptoms with a fish from hans. I don't think it is limited to wilds. Thankfully, it went away after 10 days of metro.

[Second Hand Pat]

Pt any info. on Whirling Disease and treatment. I've lost several Wilds to it. It has mostly affected my Wild fish.

Stu, only my personal experience with it http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?87723-Very-Suddenly-Sick&highlight=very+suddenly+sick. A small warning, this is a two hour read.
Pat

[quattrok04]

Did you sterilized this tank before adding Hans fish?

[warblad79]

I also have the same experienced, my fish just swirl even his not even spook . All I did was separate the fish from the rest of the group
- I Put him in the quarantine tank,
- Increase temp to 90F
- Turn off all the light,
- 1 week treatment of Parasite Guard
- 50% WC every other day
- After treatment I feed the fish with Prevent & Recover Fish Flakes from angelplus

My fish is really doing well, always hungry and no more swirling.

[Quintin]

As some here will know I'm not an expert at all but the kamakazi behaviour is not only found in wilds I had a similar experience about a year ago and it turned out to be the flukes.that being said you probably didn't sterelise ur tank properly after last issue.if ur fish are going dark hiding in a corner not eating it could be a flagelate issue.a aggresive treatment of metro with multiple water cahanges and slightly higher temps could help.as for flukes remove fish from tank and lift the gill you can see the flukes clearly on there.you mite have both but dnt take my word for it check it out properly as most issues can be rectified by major water changes for some time.

Hope this helps

[shadeslayer]

Maybe I read this wrong, your only feeding every 2 to 3 days?? Or did you mean that you feed 2 to 3 times a day. Discus need a lot of food multiple times a day.
Cheers,
DC

yes I generally feed them 2-3 times a day sorry for the mix-up


I did have a problem with flukes with my Hans discus, and I treated the whole tank with Prazi pro and it was fine.
I always do a 50% water change every day and weekends I do 90% - thats why I'm not so sold on the water quality is bad issue but i may be wrong.
The fish that died due to Whirling disease was an apricot I bought from Petland - there was nothing I could do.

I'm using 2 filters - Cascade 1000 - where I have 3 compartments - 2 with rough and coarse sponge and the third with bio-ceramics. the 2nd filter is an aqueon 75 gallon where I put carbon (easy to turn off if I need to medicate the tank).

The discus is now slowly starting to swim around, I kept the entire tank covered for a week in addition to the water changes
I guess I'll see.

[shadeslayer]

I also have the same experienced, my fish just swirl even his not even spook . All I did was separate the fish from the rest of the group
- I Put him in the quarantine tank,
- Increase temp to 90F
- Turn off all the light,
- 1 week treatment of Parasite Guard
- 50% WC every other day
- After treatment I feed the fish with Prevent & Recover Fish Flakes from angelplus

My fish is really doing well, always hungry and no more swirling.

thank you i will keep this in mind if it doesnt get better within the next week

[DISCUS STU]

Stu, only my personal experience with it http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?87723-Very-Suddenly-Sick&highlight=very+suddenly+sick. A small warning, this is a two hour read.
Pat

I've had this with Domestics, but more so with Wilds. It's not restricted to Wilds, though the majority in my personal experience have been Wilds.

[sal3011]

Hello,

I have got a batch of 6 juveniles of heckel cross.

Few are showing same symptoms, darting, swimming in tight circles, then be okay and repeat it randomly.

I have read all the threads that put light on this whirling behaviour. Mostly the new water triggered this kind of behaviour it says. Second one suggested it might be heavy metal or nitrates in water.

I would like to know if it can be a viral or parasite behind this??

This behaviour is for the first time for me!

Thanks,