problem fish

[acorn54]

well it's been a week since my new fish arrived. all but one are eating like tigers
the problem fish doesn't rush over to me like the others and stays in a corner while the others eat. i dropped food in front of his face and he put a worm in his mouth but spit it out. he shows good color and fins are raised and he is probably at the bottom of the pecking order but do i need to see him waste away. if i take him out of the tank his position in the pecking order will just be replaced by another fish. or am i wrong on this?

[Carol_Roberts]

REmind me how many discus you just bought and how long you've had them.

Do you have a 10 gallon or bigger bare tank with an airstone and heater for a hospital tank?

[acorn54]

carol
i bought 8 discus it's a week now that i have had them
yes i do have a 10 gallon hospital tank with heater and air stone.

[Carol_Roberts]

Your sure that discus has not eaten for a week? Have you seen any white or mucus-like feces? Does this discus hang out in the back of the tank? Is it frequently dark in color or pronounced bars?

If yes, set up the 10 with aged water and a heater at 88 and an airstone (do you have an extra cycled filter?). Buy metronidazole or hex-a-mit. Put in discus raise temp to 92/94 over 24 hours.

Dose 400 - 500 mg metro per 10 gallons once per day after a 50% water change. (watch for ammonia) you may have to do two 50% water changes - AM and PM. Use aged 92 degree water for the water changes.

Treat for 3 to 5 days. Feed sparing favorite foods. Keep tank clean. Keep temp up another week after treatment. Then slowly lower 1 or 2 degrees per day until back to normal temps. May take fish awhile to start eating.

[acorn54]

problem discus shows good color and actively swims with other fish. i guess i'll watch the fish more closely
no white feces in tank

[limige]

yes, but the appitite is one of the early warning signs of hex. it's much better to catch it in this state before it starts turning dark and pooping white. the white is caused from intestinal lining coming out with the poop, not good. if your sure he hasn't been eating do the treatment.

[Rick_May]

I'd try rising the temps to 90f-95f if it is in the early stages of hex allot of times the high temps will knock out the hex. If it isn't hex the high temps will speed up its metabolism and make it hungrier. HTH

[acorn54]

an update
the problem fish ate "timidly" today. does not eat as voraciously as the others but eats.
i forgot to mention that he was the smallest fish i think of the bunch i got last tuesday so i think it's just a matter of being at the bottom of the pecking order.also for the fact that he doesn't just hang out in the corner but swims around just not as much as the others
it was suggested on daah that i contact the breeder as he knows his fish best so i will give tony peng at sunrise a ring on thursday to see what he has to say

[Preeda_Lim]

IME, Try Metro as others suggestion for 3 day and keep heat up to 32 degree, then the problem should be gone.

Cheers,
Preeda

[acorn54]

update
problem fish is eating fine. peculiar though. 7 of the discus come to my hand to eat while the problem fish stays in the corner so i drop some in his corner and he eats fine. after the meal the problem fish comes out of the corner to play with the rest of the fish. i'll just chalk it up that he is the runt of the litter with an idiosyncracy.

[acorn54]

update july 05
problem fish is now a member of the pack. eats along with the rest of the fish now at feeding time and is just as lively as the rest of them
just goes to show the peculiarities of discus
someone on daah said to give the fish two weeks to come around to being a member of the group. i guess he knows what he's talking about.
i didn't want to rush into using medication as i am of the philosophy the less you fool around with the discus tanks the better. i think meds are only to be used as a last resort and when there is a definite diagnosis not a maybe this or that kind of thing

[edgeguy]

I bought 8 discus and one of the discus did not eat for about 7 days, and then all of a sudden things just kicked in. They all have their own personalities ::).