First Pair not eating

[Dcombs]

I purchased my first Discuss in May 2019. I had some pair off so I moved them to a 29 high tank by themselves. It has been a week and I neither of them have taken any food. How worried should I be ?

[peewee1]

I purchased my first Discuss in May 2019. I had some pair off so I moved them to a 29 high tank by themselves. It has been a week and I neither of them have taken any food. How worried should I be ?

Stress could be the primary cause. Look for those conditions that might cause stress. Temperature too high or low. A change in water chemistry. An on coming illness. I have in the past added orange peels, changing the peels every 10 hours, and salt in order to stimulate appetite. A different or new food perhaps?

[Dcombs]

Same food I feed a beef heat mix of my own. I use a the same water aging barrel and do a 50% change daily, water temp is constant 86 degrees in tank and aging barrel. Normally don’t use salt but can pick some up to try.

[LizStreithorst]

Are they still pooping at all? If so, what color is it? Please help us help you by filling out this form. http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?38545-Disease-Questionnaire-please-complete

[peewee1]

Same food I feed a beef heat mix of my own. I use a the same water aging barrel and do a 50% change daily, water temp is constant 86 degrees in tank and aging barrel. Normally don’t use salt but can pick some up to try.

Don't forget the orange peel. Dick Au (a well known San Francisco author and discus breeder), says to place an orange peel in the aquarium for 24 hours. Each day, remove the old orange peel, and add another. Repeat this for seven days. Discontinue for 2 or 3 days then repeat again, if needed. You should notice an increase in vigor and appetite among the Discus, particularly new fish. I do this from time to time. One of the Discus likes to peck at the peel while it floats on the surface. He appears to like the taste of oranges.

[Dcombs]

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?

Moved a a pair of you discus i raised from there original tank to a their on tank and they have not eaten since the move. They were eating before the move.

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).

Only not eating, swimming normally no Gigi’s or spots.


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

I have only put some salt in a couple hours ago. Following instructions on box. Being 1 Table spoon per 10 gallons.



Tank/Water

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

2 fish approx 11 months old


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

50% every day or every other day at max.


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

Been running for about 9 months, Barr bottom, 21 inches deep.


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

Water is aged 24 to 48 hours max.

8. What type/brand water conditioner do you use? Do you add it to the tank or aging barrel? How much do you use?

I use prime added to the aging barrel a 5 ml per 50 gallon. When I do water changes I use the same barrel for the tank they came out of and the discuss have had no effects

9. 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 _86__

- ph _6.8__

- ammonia reading __0__

- nitrite reading __0__

- nitrate reading __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 _X

- RO water _____


10. Any new fish, plants or inverts added recently.

None


11. Please tell us what you feed your fish and how often. This can be critical information for solving the problem so be as specific as you can.

Beef heart mix 3 times per day. But since they have not been eating I have attempted frozen brine shrimp, frozen and freeze dried blood worms some pellets and flakes.



12. 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.
Last edited by jeep; 07-09-2019 at 07:50 AM. Reason: Added food question

[danotaylor]

Ok, I think I see the culprit. 2 things;
1. increase your size or frequency of wc's to keep your nitrates <10
2. Do not add Prime to your aging barrel. Prime is great but it binds, not removes, chloramines (ammonia) for about 48hrs so your biological filter can remove it. If it is in your aging barrel 48 hours you are basically putting ammonia water into your tank with each water change. This will stress your fish and put them off their food.

Age your water without Prime and add it right when you do your water change, it works immediately.

[Dcombs]

Tried to attach video but can’t figure out how to from my phone.

[Dcombs]

I’ll try not treating aging water but never effected them until the move. And I used the same water in the tank I moved them from. I have 5 discus it that tank with no problems.

[Dcombs]

I’m just having trouble trying to under stand how the water from the same barrel would cause this change when I used the same barrel and water changes at the same time frame when they were in the prior tank and they ate before they were moved.

[danotaylor]

How big is the tank you moved the pair from?
How big is the tank you moved them too?
You did it was running 9 months. With other fish in it? I assume the filter is mature?

[Dcombs]

I moved them from a 55 gallon to a 29 gallon

[LizStreithorst]

The reason most of us don't add dechlor to the barrel is that it makes it the sides slimy due to the bacterial build up you get from lack of chlorine. At least that is my understanding...Your nitrates are still too high so you should increase your WCs.

If the fish are not eating are they still pooping at all? If so, what color is the poop. Any white poop in the fish not showing symptoms?

[Dcombs]

Emptied my aging barrel tonight refilled w/o prime. The fish are pooping some it is a brownish green color. I did see one of then eat some tonight but very little. I just done a near 100% water change. Afterward I put in a small amount of the beef heart mix and they still haven’t eaten.

[LizStreithorst]

If you see any clear or white poop the solution would be easy.

For now, I would bump up your temp to as close to 91 as you can get it for a couple of weeks. This will at least get their metabolisim working faster which in turn gets them hungry and starting to.

One tablespoon salt per 10 isn't doing any good. Try using 5 tablespoons per 10. I know that it sounds like a lot, but it's not. It's a dose that if nothing else will, help reduce stress. It will also kill off any hex parasites that may be lurking. Salt can be purchased cheaply in bulk from Loews, or Home Depot. Any old salt will work you need not use expensive aquarium salt or even table salt which at that dosage will also be expensive. You may not see any improvement for until treatment is almost over, but don't worry. Fish can go months with out eating without it harming thtem.

I don't know how to post pics from my phone either. PM one of the Admins here. They can tell you exactly what to do. Still pics are fine.

[bluelagoon]

Like mentioned, if you were letting the water set in the barrel with prime for that long and the water source had chloramine; you were putting amonnia in your tank with each WC. They was in amonnia a couple of hours each time until the filter broke it down.

[LizStreithorst]

I imagine that y'all may be right about that. I simply do not know because I have never had to deal with water that had chloramine.

[Dcombs]

I’m curious for future reference white wood white poop signify.

[LizStreithorst]

Heximita. It's an internal parasite, a spirochet, I think.

[bluelagoon]

I imagine that y'all may be right about that. I simply do not know because I have never had to deal with water that had chloramine.

Chloramine is part chlorine and part ammonia. The chlorine will air off in that length of time leaving just ammonia behind after the bond breaks; that can take up to 24 hours.

[roundcubesixteen]

You stated in the title this is a 20 gallon tank and this is much too small for discus. It would help if you posted your water parameters. Also what do you consider a "reliable source" I consider that like a internet website that is good, not really a place you can get fish. Was it from a pet store, local fish shop, walmart, a friend, internet? Also it'd be helpful to know if you know about how long the person who had them before you had them. shareit (https://get-shareit.com) vidmate (https://get-vidmateapk.com/)

[captainandy]

IMO this is entirely stress related. Keep em warm and you might want to cover the tanks with a drape. You just have to wait it out. Sometimes weeks