Sick Discus Please Help

[Fishy1]

Hello I had 4 Discus went on vacation came back and everything was fine. So I decided to add a couple of new discus. Purchased 2 new ones about 2 weeks ago. Now 3 of the original 4 do not look good at all. The large one is just fine. But the medium one a Cobalt normally very light in color is dark and his top fin is down. He is eating when he eats the fin goes up but then he gets dark again and fin goes back down. The two small ones one does not get dark he is a bright orange also eating not much but eating looks thin also has the top fin down but even worse he seems to be off balance the current from the filters can turn him on his side, and he likes to be against the back fall facing down into a bubble wand alot. The other very small discus weve had for almost a year he is solid black but fin is up. All in all none of them even the new ones who have all there stripes out, look very good except for the big guy a Sunburst marlboro who looks fantastic and acting very normal. Also today one of the angel fish just died though he had shown no signs of any illness. I did a large 40% water change 3 days ago and another one of 15% yesterday. I have the tank temp up to 88 degrees. I have added no medication as of yet since I do not know what to add if anything. I have a blue fin pleco and Cory cat and other various scavengers algae eater and such. So with those in mind please advise what I should do if anything.

Thank You

[Carol_Roberts]

Well, this is what happens when you don't quarantine new arrivals. The new fish probably brought something in and infected the old fish. Parasite? Bacteria? hard to guess.

Clamped fins, hiding in the back of the tank and dark in color are symptoms of many maladies. Kind of like your kid having a runny nose. Is it a cold, the flu, allergies, teething?

Was the angel fish that died in the tank with the discus? What size tank? Gravel and plants? Are ammonia levels zero? Anyone scratching?

[Fishy1]

Its a 65 Gallon. natural colored gravel. Plants are all artificial. the angel fish was in the same tank. Also 2 of the Discus have cloudy eyes, and now most except the largest have the top fin down. I went to my local store where I purchase most of my fish. Got 2 different reccomendations. One said use Hex-A-Mit for 5 days the other said to use Maracyn for 5 days. The cloudy eyes now really scare me cause I lost my nicest discus last year to pop eye. I upped the temp to about 88% and added some salt. I do not see any fighting among themselves well not any more than the norm. I purchased both medications, but I will wait to see what you all here think.
I have not seen any itching or scrathing. But it does look like 2 have a little fin rot all of a sudden.

Thanks again

Also Thank you Carol for the quick response.

[Carol_Roberts]

Hex-a mit its good to have on hand, but most likely not what you need now. Maracyn is just erythromycin - not a very effetive antibiotic - maracyn 2 might be better if this is a bacterial infection. . .

Keep up the water changes, keep salt in the tank at 3 - 5 tablespoons per 10 gallons. Go ahead and try the Maracyn if you want.

Maybe some one else will have a better idea of what you should do . . . .

[Fishy1]

I dropped in the 7 capsules of Hex_a_mit a few hours ago. I can go out and get maracyn 2 tomorrow. But would there be any harm in adding Maracyn to the tank now that the hex is in there? just want to be sure I do not over medicate. I brought over a magnum (no media just the cotton sleeve) to add some aeration while im medicating the tank and have a bubble wand in the back of the tank. The Maracyn does show for fin rot and cloudy eyes, but if you think maracyn II is better I will try that. The guy at the store said Maracyn II is if they were not eating but since they are to use normal maracyn.

[Carol_Roberts]

Maracyn is erythromycin. Maracyn 2 is minocycline. Both are gram negative antibiotics, but in my estimation erythomycin is only good to get rid of blue/green algea (cyano bacteria). I have never used maracyn2.

Metronidazole is for intestinal flagellates. IF only the new fish were dark and not eating then maybe metro. Since your old fish are sick (after a two week incubation period)I'm guessing maybe a parasite, but more likely bacteria or virus.