Discus suddenly sick?

[aweitzelleishman]

Before posting in the disease section, thought i would ask if I need to. My discus have been fine with no issues for a couple of months since I got them from Hans. I put in some driftwood a week ago, do around a 50 gallon wc per day, but did a full filter clean and wipe down today with 80% wc. I used safe so I don't think it's chlorine.

I can't tell any difference in it's breathing or general appearance. It's gills are opening on both sides, no discoloration etc - it is just not eating, and swimming on its side.

The temp is a little lower than I usually keep it, but it's still at 80-82 degrees.

Any thoughts? The others seem fine.

http://youtu.be/ycqhgXMljJA

[Akili]

Can you post your water parameters(ammonia,nitrite,nitrate and pH) of the tank?

[aweitzelleishman]

0 nitrites and 0 nitrates. Looks like I have a very small spike in ammonia, maybe because I kept the sponges out of the water for about 10 minutes today? It's somewhere between 0 and 0.25.

I just did another water change and properly temp matched what I usually have in.

[Akili]

Let hope that water change helps. Do you have a small tank that can use if you have to quarantine this fish?

[Lido]

It looks like they are all breathing heavily. Are you positive you properly dosed prime? Did you have a PH swing in the major water change?

[aweitzelleishman]

I do age my water, but my barrel only holds 50 gallons. I changed probably 120 gallons today. I should have dosed properly, around a 1/4 teaspoon.

Would the Ph swing cause this much of an adverse reaction? I've changed the water straight from the tap before and not had any issues.

I Don't currently have another tank, but if I had to, I have a seeded filter and extra heater I could use if I got a cheap one. Just wondering if it has come to that point.

Should I wait until the morning and see how it is?

[Filip]

Eishman , they all look stressed and breathe heavilly on your video IMO.
Something in the water is stresing them , but we need to figure it out what it is . Most ussual stuff are Amonia , Nitrite , lack of oxigen , big or sudden Ph drop if your newly added wood is too big etc.etc.

Please fill out the disease questionarrie from the disease section and fill out all the questions asked there as precise as you can .
This can help us determining what might be the cause for stress in your discus .

If you so far havent experienced big Ph swings ,lots of microbubbling or any adverse reaction on your discus right after your waterchanges i would advise you to change 80-90 % of your water and see if that helps them stop breathing heavily .

And take out the wood , untill you figure thiings out .

Good luck Eishman.

[aweitzelleishman]

This morning I woke up to them all hungry and breathing better, I believe.

http://youtu.be/j5F9VdlY8as

The one I was worried about is eating and not swimming on it's side anymore.

If the PH swing affects them so dramatically I won't be doing huge water changes anymore. I'll make sure the water is aged.

Very, very relieved though! Thanks for everyone's help - much appreciated. I'll update if anything changes.

[aweitzelleishman]

Ok, I monitored them for a little and it's still swimming diagonally. What would you guys recommend for a cheap hospital tank? Would 20gal suffice?

[Akili]

Ok, I monitored them for a little and it's still swimming diagonally. What would you guys recommend for a cheap hospital tank? Would 20gal suffice?A 20 gallon tank will be fine.

[JBurgo]

It's got to be your water change, you said it yourself, you did an unusually large one without aging the water as you normally would, and also cleaned the sump and registered a small spike in ammonia. This is exactly how fish react to.. exactly that. You don't need to put the fish in isolation IMO. You just need to monitor the situation. The fish should come good, it might take a few days. Under these circumstances, it's very unlikely to have a disease.

What I would do: +1 to take the wood out as a precaution. Only do 30-50% WC with thoroughly aged water for a bit (to keep the water stable for pH shock). Throw some Zeolite in the sump to absorb the excess ammonia in the potential mini cycle (take it out when your tank settles after a few weeks). Monitor the parameters daily for the next week or so. Increase the water changes in volume and frequency if you start to get poor parameters, but make sure you still thoroughly age it.

If you put the fish in isolation with unaged water you're likely to pH shock it again. Have you got cycled media for the hospital tank?

[aweitzelleishman]

J,

I pretty much did exactly as you recommended before I read what you put ha. But - it seems to have worked, I appreciate you commenting.

I took the wood out and did a water change once the water had been aged. The ammonia is at 0 now, and the fish are all upright and eating like wolves again.

I have a 125 BB with an AC110 and two sponge filters rated for 100 gal each. I rarely see any change in my water Parameters at all, even on the odd occasions I have skipped a daily WC.

When do you think I should be able to put the wood back in?

[JBurgo]

I'm glad your fish have recovered. If you aren't suspicious about the wood I'd just put it back in considering your fish have recovered. I think it was unlikely to be the wood, it was more likely pH due to un-aged water by the sounds of it. Taking the wood out was just a precaution because it was recently added. You'll soon find out if it was the wood, add it in the morning and monitor the tank. Have an aged WC ready and pull it out and do an immediate WC if there's problems.