Help Sick Discus - base of the pectorial fins

[Ikan]

Hi all,

The base of the pectorial* fins of my discus looks swollen, a bit red, and has some whithish spots about 0.5-1mm.

It started with 1 and now 2 others are infected. One of the pectorial* fins of the first fish has partially come off.

I've been treating with Melafix+salts for at least a week but don't see any improvement.

Thanks,
DD

*correction

[Barb Newell]

Hi, can you take a picture? Does it look like raw flesh with fungus growing on it? Please tell us more about your tank, # of fish, water parameters, water change regime, etc...

In the meantime, do extra water changes with aged dechlorinated water and add aquarium salt 2 tbsp/ 10 gals.

Barb

[Ikan]

Hi, thanks for the reply.
Here're some pics taken today:
You can see here the fin is partially gone
http://www.members.iinet.net.au/~hon3y_b/DD/Fins2.jpg
Here's the other fin of the same fish
http://www.members.iinet.net.au/~hon3y_b/DD/Fins3.jpg
Here's another fish infected
http://www.members.iinet.net.au/~hon3y_b/DD/Fins4.jpg

I'm treating with Pimafix+Melafix+Salts, because 2 fish have open wound as follows:
http://www.members.iinet.net.au/~hon3y_b/DD/Fish4Sale/Discus.jpg

http://www.members.iinet.net.au/~hon3y_b/DD/Fish4Sale/Discus2.jpg

Last night, I added Wardley's Para-Ex. That's why on the pic3 the spots became red.

- The tank is 48x18x20. There're only 4 discus in the tank plus some corys and bristlenose.
- It's bare bottom with 2 large driftwood.
- The temp is around 30C, PH around 6.5.
- I do 40% weekly WC. I dunno about amonia/nitrate, never measured.
- Have been keeping them for about 2.5 yrs

Thanks,
DD

[Carol_Roberts]

That looks bad. I don't know what it is . . . . BUT all of a sudden this month I have seen three or four posts of discus with open wounds on the body. I don't know if any have been saved.

Have you added any new fish or plants?

I would clean the tank and filters and add salt and Furan II. You can try netting the fish and dabbing the wounds with peroxide.

Anyone else have ideas?

[Barb Newell]

Hi, I agree with Carol. I'd do large w/c, make sure the tank is spotless, add aquarium salt 1 tbsp/ gallon and Furan2 (double dose).

First, make sure you get all of the Melafix out of the tank, I've had it react with other meds before.

Barb :)

[Anonapersona]

measure nitrates?

check that driftwood for soft rottting spots?

sometimes good wood goes bad.

[Anonapersona]

http://www.fishyfarmacy.com/fish_diseases/fins.html

there is a section on fin problems here

[Ikan]

Hi all,

The open wound on the last picture has got better since I put Pimafix. But not the wound on the second last pic.

I'm more concerns about the fins because it deteriorate rapidly. Just last night I noticed more fins rays are falling off.


...I would clean the tank and filters and add salt and Furan II...


...add aquarium salt 1 tbsp/ gallon and Furan2 (double dose)...


This is to treat the fins or the open wound?
Furan2 is for bacteria and so does Pimafix.
Do you think it's parasite or bacteria on the fins?


check that driftwood for soft rottting spots?

Good idea. The woods look very dark and some parts on the edges are disintegrating if you squeze it. Is this normal? I see other people's wood aren't so dark like mine. Shall I remove them? And thanks for the link.

Regards,
DD

[Carol_Roberts]

I would pull all decorations out of the tank. Furan is for the open wounds. Don't use formalin or quick cure or rid ick, etc. with open wounds.

[CN]

DD,
the fish with the open wound on top of the eye in the 5th picture is almost similar to what my fish had but more open and deeper...is the open wound still growing..if so treat it with hydrogen peroxide and salt daily (the members here taught me that and it worked) i have tried melafix, hex-a-mit,and e.m. tablets to treat large open wound but it didn't help.. just my input! good luck!!!

cn

[Ikan]

Hi CN,

Thanks for your info. It's almost healed now. BTW where can I get hydrogen peroxide? Even most meds that's avail in US isn't avail here in Aus >:(

Thanks,
DD

[Anonapersona]

Hydrogen peroxide is in all pharmacies and grocery stores here, near bandages and other First Aid materials. Very cheap, 97 cents for a pint, always in brown plastic bottles.

Pull that wood out, it should not be soft. When you get it out of the tank, if it stinks, you've found the soruce of the problem. Nitrates might have been very high as well due to the rotting wood. I think if you have driftwood, you need to have a bristlenose pleco to keep it clean.

[Ikan]

Hi Anona,
Thanks for the peroxide info. I took out all the decorations 2 days ago. Did 40-50% WC and added no meds except more salts.
I'm hoping for the best now from clean water and salts. All eat fine except 1 with petcoral fins damage. Also there's a bristlenose in the tank.

Thanks again,
DD