Hulkster
11-17-2003, 10:28 PM
Hello everyone! I have a pest problem in my 30 gallon discus tank and I was hoping some of you might be able to help me. First, here is the tank info:
30 gallons, houses 2 turquoise discus and 4 cory cats that have been living together (after quarantine) for 2 months. The temp. is 84 degrees, ammonia 0 mg/l, nitrite 0, nitrates 10mg/l. The fish are doing very well, they have grown noticeably since I purchased them. They are feed at least 3 times per day (hakari bw, colour bits, flake, Sera discus granules) and 30% of the water is changed 4 times per week. There is a thin layer (1") of fine gravel on the bottom (I removed most of the gravel after reading posts on this board 8)) The tank has a few plastic plants, live ones will be added when they are adults. I gravel siphon the substrate when I change water and the tank appears spotless. However, I have an infestation of creatures on the glass that look like tiny white copepods of some kind. They are not the normal planaria worms, but look like a tiny white mite of some kind. They dart off of the glass and in the water and are visibly irritating the fish. There are hundreds of them on the glass if you look closely. I keep cleaning the inside glass but they return quickly. Lately the fish are "fluttering" thier fins and are a little darker in colour. I do not believe that they are parastic in any way since the fish are still eating vigorously and do not have clamped fins/gills etc. I have tried treating with formalite 2 (contains formaldehyde) and it did nothing. Now, i have tried disco-worm (says that it controls copepods) and it does not seem to be having an effect. One thing that I cannot understand is why I have an infestion when the tank is clean/not being overfed. The water is always sparkling. I should be able to keep the numbers of these pests way down just by proper tank management but it doesn't seem to be working. I have also tried adding aquarium salt but to no effect. I was thinking of trying Lifebearer by Aquarium Products. Has anyone tried this product with Discus? One other possible remedy I was thinking of doing was adding a clown pleco. I currently do not have any algea eaters in the tank and was thinking that they may eat some of these creatures. Any help suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Ron
30 gallons, houses 2 turquoise discus and 4 cory cats that have been living together (after quarantine) for 2 months. The temp. is 84 degrees, ammonia 0 mg/l, nitrite 0, nitrates 10mg/l. The fish are doing very well, they have grown noticeably since I purchased them. They are feed at least 3 times per day (hakari bw, colour bits, flake, Sera discus granules) and 30% of the water is changed 4 times per week. There is a thin layer (1") of fine gravel on the bottom (I removed most of the gravel after reading posts on this board 8)) The tank has a few plastic plants, live ones will be added when they are adults. I gravel siphon the substrate when I change water and the tank appears spotless. However, I have an infestation of creatures on the glass that look like tiny white copepods of some kind. They are not the normal planaria worms, but look like a tiny white mite of some kind. They dart off of the glass and in the water and are visibly irritating the fish. There are hundreds of them on the glass if you look closely. I keep cleaning the inside glass but they return quickly. Lately the fish are "fluttering" thier fins and are a little darker in colour. I do not believe that they are parastic in any way since the fish are still eating vigorously and do not have clamped fins/gills etc. I have tried treating with formalite 2 (contains formaldehyde) and it did nothing. Now, i have tried disco-worm (says that it controls copepods) and it does not seem to be having an effect. One thing that I cannot understand is why I have an infestion when the tank is clean/not being overfed. The water is always sparkling. I should be able to keep the numbers of these pests way down just by proper tank management but it doesn't seem to be working. I have also tried adding aquarium salt but to no effect. I was thinking of trying Lifebearer by Aquarium Products. Has anyone tried this product with Discus? One other possible remedy I was thinking of doing was adding a clown pleco. I currently do not have any algea eaters in the tank and was thinking that they may eat some of these creatures. Any help suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Ron