Really sick discus

[alex21]

Hi , I'm relatively new to keeping discus (6 months) though I have kept dwarfs for a while.
My first discus was a breeding pair of turqs which I've bred a few times now but in the last week my big
Male has just got sicker and sicker he stopped eating went very dark and swims funny, his eyes have also become sunken, I've moved them to a smaller 60 litre with a sponge filter to try and sort them out but I've had absolutely no joy , I've tried solupraz/fluke solve and when that didn't work the aquacare fluke& wormer but I've had very little improvement, he did at one stage grab hold of a bloodworm cube but he just spat out most if not all , so I was wondering if anyone with some more experience would try and help me get him back to health ? He's around 8 inches the tank is 60 litre with a sponge filter , kept at 28'c and water changed with 25 litre of water a day which is the same temperature as that coming out, the water I use is reminrilised RO the minerals are pro tropic discus , I would really appreciate the help.

Thanks in advance.

Alex

[alex21]

88996
88997

Here is a couple of photos 😕

[donnacona]

You might think I'm crazy
If the fish is still alive.
This worked for me and you have nothing to loose do a 50% water change then dissolve 3/4 of a cup of sea salt and add to (60 liter) tank for three days.
After three days and if the fish is ok then do water change but if not and the fish is not better then leave the salt another day or two.
I had to leave the salt in my tank for an extra two days which makes 5 days to completely cure my fish.
But like I said it is up to you.
Let me know how it turns out.
Stu

[MadMatt]

Please do NOT do this:

You might think I'm crazy
If the fish is still alive.
This worked for me and you have nothing to loose do a 50% water change then dissolve 3/4 of a cup of sea salt and add to (60 liter) tank for three days.
After three days and if the fish is ok then do water change but if not and the fish is not better then leave the salt another day or two.
I had to leave the salt in my tank for an extra two days which makes 5 days to completely cure my fish.
But like I said it is up to you.
Let me know how it turns out.
Stu

[MadMatt]

This thread needs to be moved to the "emergency room" for qualified members to help.

[MadMatt]

This is what I would do till you get direction from a qualified memeber.
1.Change the water 70% 2-3 times a day with aged, pre heated water.
There needs to be more info on the fish:
•Water parameters?
•Ph?
•Temp?
•How long in tank?
•How long have you owned?
•How old?
•Does it poop white stingy poop or white cotton?
•Are the gills swollen, puffy?
•Is there any discharge or white •substance coming from gills?

Judging by the photo the gills look swollen and white ulcers or infection inside the Gill area on the Gill membrane, the Discus does look very thin it would appear he hasn't eaten in a while, is this correct and how long has it not eaten?
This is just my opinion and its only one angle of a photo, I couldn't be completely wrong, but he doesn't look well.
I would not do the salt treatment until you have filled out a questionnaire in the "emergency room" part of the forum and you get advice from very experienced veterans.

[bluelagoon]

Sorry,he looks too wasted away to recover IMO.As mentioned he does appear to have pink gills "anemia",which can occur from lack of nutrients either from the lack of fresh water or good food/fasting or disease.He appears to have been sick for some time.

[MadMatt]

Sorry,he looks too wasted away to recover IMO.As mentioned he does appear to have pink gills "anemia",which can occur from lack of nutrients either from the lack of fresh water or good food/fasting or disease.He appears to have been sick for some time.

Sadly, I have to agree, once they get skinny like this and won't eat it's almost impossible to bring them back.

[alex21]

I know I just hope I can save him the parameters are

pH 6.3
Temp 28'c
In tanks for 3 weeks
Owned for 8 months
Around 3 years old
White/yellow and stringy
He's hasn't eaten in around 3 week when he's normally eating he has beef heart, bloodworms, tetra prima
And there's no discharge from the gills
The water has a low kh of one should I raise this ? Thanks for all the advice should I fill out a emergency form or just leave the thread here ? Thanks

Alex

[bluelagoon]

Yes,you should fill out the emergency form.There's so much you're not mentioning.Like how big was the tank he came from and how often and how much water do you change at a time and so on??????Don't change your hardness(softness in your case),some folks would kill for a low kh.

[alex21]

Okay cheers I'll open one up, the tank he came from was 260 litres with just the two of them I did water changes 3-4 times a week of around 50% now I'm doing 50% per day in the 60 litre

[MadMatt]

If you want to buy time for the fish to possibly help him, I would be doing 50% twice a day, morning and evening, or if you can do 50% three times a day that would even be better.
Sounds like an internal infection, but its best for others with more experience to help.

Okay cheers I'll open one up, the tank he came from was 260 litres with just the two of them I did water changes 3-4 times a week of around 50% now I'm doing 50% per day in the 60 litre

[DISCUS STU]

You might think I'm crazy
If the fish is still alive.
This worked for me and you have nothing to loose do a 50% water change then dissolve 3/4 of a cup of sea salt and add to (60 liter) tank for three days.
After three days and if the fish is ok then do water change but if not and the fish is not better then leave the salt another day or two.
I had to leave the salt in my tank for an extra two days which makes 5 days to completely cure my fish.
But like I said it is up to you.
Let me know how it turns out.
Stu

????? DON'T throw salt at a dying fish. Salt is really for ectoparasites if it's for anything.

This fish really looks to be beyond the point of no return. We've all been there, it's just part of keeping Discus. I've had beautiful healthy fish suddenly get sick and die, acceptance.

[rickztahone]

If you want to buy time for the fish to possibly help him, I would be doing 50% twice a day, morning and evening, or if you can do 50% three times a day that would even be better.
Sounds like an internal infection, but its best for others with more experience to help.

I'm a huge advocate for clean water, but 3 times a day is a bit excessive to me, especially when this discus is more than likely not eating anything and not producing any waste.

[warblad79]

By the looks of that conditions it's only miracle if fish survive. To me it looks like the fish have been neglected and sick for quite some time. Just cull it and it will save you some meds

[DISCUS STU]

I've thrown various meds. at fish that were beyond hope only to see it's a great deal of wasted effort, time, and much money.