WendiDeCato
06-21-2006, 04:12 PM
Stats:
125 gallon tank - Cycled
Fine Layer of gravel on the bottom, 2 pieces of driftwood, silk plants
6 discus ranging from 2.5"-6"
2 Bolivian Rams
2 Emporer 400 HOB filters with Bio-wheel. Will add a canister filter as my fishload increases.
Currently have the original Carbon Filter cartridges in because the filters are only 3 weeks old and came with the cartridges. They will come out today and be replaced with the regular filter sponge/floss that I usually use.
Ammonia=0
Nitrite=0
Nitrate=<10
PH=7.6-7.8
Tap water with Conditioner that removes chlorine and chloramine
Temp=85
Daily 25% (about 25-30 gallons) water changes and gravel thorough gravel cleaning
Food= Hikari Frozen Blood Worms and High Quality Color Flakes (recommended by a local Discus keeper)
Have had the Discus for about 4 weeks. They were in QT until a couple of days ago. The water parameters are the same in the QT and the show tank.
All of the fish have been eating as much food as I will allow them and swimming around very actively.
Last night, I noticed that the 4 discus with dark eyes (the other two are pigeons with orange eyes) seem to have a slight hazy film over the eyes. The eyes aren't white or neccesarily cloudy, but they aren't bright like they should be. They just look a little hazy.
The two smaller fish, a blue diamond and red turqouise have looked a little darker since being put into the big tank. The blue diamond's dorsal fins look a little ragged (the very tips have the white nubs showing), like he got into an altercation with another fish. I added Melafix to the tank for healing purposes.
This morning, the RT was wedged between the glass and the heater. My first thought was that he was being chased and got jammed into a spot that he couldn't get out of. I freed him and watched him for a while.
1. He looks like he was burned by the heater. The side of his body that was against the heater has white patches and the eye on that side is totally white. The other side of his body looks fine.
2. His body is pinched on both sides as if the space he was in was too small for him and pinched his body. There is no bloating.
3. He is trying to swim, but very off balance. It's almost like they act when they are bloated and need a little Epsom salt, but I do not see any of the usual bloating signs. He ends up sitting on the bottom of the tank.
I have moved him to a 12 gallon Eclipse tank for observation. I have Melafix in the tank to maybe help in healing his damaged skin.
What I am not sure of is whether the signs of illness came before or after he wedged himself into the tight spot. I don't know if being wedged next to the heater caused these symptoms or if he wedged himself there because he was feeling bad. When I went to bed, all was fine. All the fish were swimming around together and eating fine.
I noticed that the two smaller ones were a little darker than usual since adding them to this tank a few days ago, but I thought maybe it was because this tank has a black background. I have heard that Discus sometimes adjust to blend in. My heckel looks great since moving him from the QT which has a light background. He was light yellow while in that tank and now all of his color is out and he is much darker, like when I got him.
So, my questions are:
1. Are the slightly hazy eyes a symptom of anything? What should I watch for?
2. What can I do about the fish that seems to have been burned by the heater?
Thank you for any help that you can offer me.
125 gallon tank - Cycled
Fine Layer of gravel on the bottom, 2 pieces of driftwood, silk plants
6 discus ranging from 2.5"-6"
2 Bolivian Rams
2 Emporer 400 HOB filters with Bio-wheel. Will add a canister filter as my fishload increases.
Currently have the original Carbon Filter cartridges in because the filters are only 3 weeks old and came with the cartridges. They will come out today and be replaced with the regular filter sponge/floss that I usually use.
Ammonia=0
Nitrite=0
Nitrate=<10
PH=7.6-7.8
Tap water with Conditioner that removes chlorine and chloramine
Temp=85
Daily 25% (about 25-30 gallons) water changes and gravel thorough gravel cleaning
Food= Hikari Frozen Blood Worms and High Quality Color Flakes (recommended by a local Discus keeper)
Have had the Discus for about 4 weeks. They were in QT until a couple of days ago. The water parameters are the same in the QT and the show tank.
All of the fish have been eating as much food as I will allow them and swimming around very actively.
Last night, I noticed that the 4 discus with dark eyes (the other two are pigeons with orange eyes) seem to have a slight hazy film over the eyes. The eyes aren't white or neccesarily cloudy, but they aren't bright like they should be. They just look a little hazy.
The two smaller fish, a blue diamond and red turqouise have looked a little darker since being put into the big tank. The blue diamond's dorsal fins look a little ragged (the very tips have the white nubs showing), like he got into an altercation with another fish. I added Melafix to the tank for healing purposes.
This morning, the RT was wedged between the glass and the heater. My first thought was that he was being chased and got jammed into a spot that he couldn't get out of. I freed him and watched him for a while.
1. He looks like he was burned by the heater. The side of his body that was against the heater has white patches and the eye on that side is totally white. The other side of his body looks fine.
2. His body is pinched on both sides as if the space he was in was too small for him and pinched his body. There is no bloating.
3. He is trying to swim, but very off balance. It's almost like they act when they are bloated and need a little Epsom salt, but I do not see any of the usual bloating signs. He ends up sitting on the bottom of the tank.
I have moved him to a 12 gallon Eclipse tank for observation. I have Melafix in the tank to maybe help in healing his damaged skin.
What I am not sure of is whether the signs of illness came before or after he wedged himself into the tight spot. I don't know if being wedged next to the heater caused these symptoms or if he wedged himself there because he was feeling bad. When I went to bed, all was fine. All the fish were swimming around together and eating fine.
I noticed that the two smaller ones were a little darker than usual since adding them to this tank a few days ago, but I thought maybe it was because this tank has a black background. I have heard that Discus sometimes adjust to blend in. My heckel looks great since moving him from the QT which has a light background. He was light yellow while in that tank and now all of his color is out and he is much darker, like when I got him.
So, my questions are:
1. Are the slightly hazy eyes a symptom of anything? What should I watch for?
2. What can I do about the fish that seems to have been burned by the heater?
Thank you for any help that you can offer me.