sick discus, help......

[nanasonn]

Help...I have a 45 gallon tank with 7 3 to 4 inch juvenille discus. Suddenly they are very dark lethargic and hanging at the top of the tank. They are picking at their food. Started a few days ago and have actually gotten better. Yesterday fins were clamped and they were not swimming very well, sometimes laying down. I have chaned 30 - 40% of the water each day for the last three days. Have also added melafix and salt to the tank. I beleive this all started over bad water due to a delay in normal water change. I am very confused because sometimes they come out and swim and begin to get their colors back and eat well and a few hours later they look miserable again.
Also last night there appeared to be mucous around the gills, today no sign. they are scratching their faces and 2 of them have some white spots ( does not look like ich and appear to have a gray coating on them.
temp 84 ph 6.5
Sorry if I seem to be rambling, I haven't had much sleep since this started.

nanasonn

[Carol_Roberts]

Have you added any new fish or plants in the last week or so?

How long did you go without a water change?

Is this a bare bottom tank?

What type of filter do you have - is it clean (look inside)?

[nanasonn]

No new plants, 5 days since water change, rock bottom, and just finished cleaning filter (was dirty, but not too bad). Thank you. nanasonn

sorry....no new fish and I have a 40-70 gal capacity biowheel.

[Barb Newell]

Hi. How long have you had your tank? Do you age your water?

Your bioload may be very high and you may not have enough bacteria in one filter. I'd increase daily water changes to at least 50 - 60%. Add more sponges, hydrosponges are good. Add aquarium salt 2 tbsp/ 10 gallons. Make sure to wipe the sides/glass down in your tank daily.

What are your ammonia, nitrite, nitrate readings?

Barb

[Carol_Roberts]

If you've not added any new fish or plants then it must be water quality. You have seven 3 - 4 inch discus in your tank. With gravel and decorations it contains less than 40 gallons of water. It is very hard to keep a gravel tank clean enough for discus - especially if you feed meaty foods like beef heart or bloodworms.

Continue with the 50% daily water changes (make sure pH is close to the pH in the tank). Personally, I'd get a 55 or 75 gallon tank. Set it up bare bottom. Bring your current filter and add anaother one - either an airdriven sponge filter or an aqua clear 110 (used to be AC 500)

[nanasonn]

Hi. How long have you had your tank? Do you age your water?

Your bioload may be very high and you may not have enough bacteria in one filter. I'd increase daily water changes to at least 50 - 60%. Add more sponges, hydrosponges are good. Add aquarium salt 2 tbsp/ 10 gallons. Make sure to wipe the sides/glass down in your tank daily.

What are your ammonia, nitrite, nitrate readings?

Barb


Hi Barb.
Have had tank 6 months. Have well water and usually age it. Some times I can't keep up with aged water. Have 10 tanks.
amonia - between 0 & 0.25
nitrite - 0.5
nitrate- not sure
ph - 7.2
I have added a hydrosponge, was already adding the salt. Now they have whittish gray patches or spots and tattered fins.

Thank you for your help. nanasonn

[Carol_Roberts]

Keep doing water changes until ammonia nad nitrIte are zero. Could you have something dead in the tank or beefheart hiding under a log? Hvae you added medication that has killed your biofilter or rinsed your filter in chlorinated or hot water?

[nanasonn]

Keep doing water changes until ammonia nad nitrIte are zero. Could you have something dead in the tank or beefheart hiding under a log? Hvae you added medication that has killed your biofilter or rinsed your filter in chlorinated or hot water?

Hi Carol. Thank you so much for all your help. I only had A few artificial plants
and gravel in this tank. I am planning to move these fish into a bigger tank as soon as I can. I do feed frozen blood worms, but no beef heart.

Would you take gravel out now or wait. I only have gravel and plants, because I love my fish and thought they would be happier and comfortable.
Don't mind the extra work if this is the case. If they are happy and comfy
either way, away with it all. Thank you again. nanasonn

[Carol_Roberts]

I always vote for bare bottom to grow out discus. Removing gravel may stir up lots of mulm and bacteria - making the discus even sicker . . . Perhaps you have a tank without gravel (or that you could clean out) and move the discus and filter to.