Please help trying to save my discus

[sublevel007]

Ok, I have similar problem that other it seems have been having. I have bought a blue turqouise from a local auction we had recently. He's got to be about 2-2.5 inches now. He used to eat like a pig and his color started to come in. But now it looks like he stopped eating and his poop is really long and white. I've got to talking about a string from 1-2 inches in lenght. I believe from reading this could be worms or intestinal lining problem. I have bought a medicine called Geltek ultra cure PX. It has metro, prazi and flubendzale in it. My only problem is he won't come up to the top of the tank any more to eat. I tried to soak a cube of FBW yesterday and put it in there. He ate a little but most of the stuff had to get siphoned of the bottome of the tank with my water change yesterday. What ways are there to trick this little pain in my butt to eat? Please also let me know if you think there might be something else wrong or another way to treat.

Water parmeters:
PH 8
GH 6-7
KH 3-4
NO2 0
NH3/NH4 0

[Kenny's Discus]

Hi Sublevel - raise your temp to about 90; and get yourself some live worms and then soak them in Geltak then feed. See if he'll take a bite at them. If it doesn't work time to get yourself some metronidazole and administer at temp of about 92 to 93. Increasing their metabolic rate by the elevated temp can often bring back their appetite some.

Best wishes,
Kenny

[sublevel007]

Thanks, that sounds like some usefule info. I will get ont hat when i get home from work today, thnks again!!

Any other ideass out there?

[dandestroy]

I would suggest 93 F for 10 days since that temp seems to kill Spiroucleus which shows similar symptom to Hexamita (90 f wont cut it for spironucleus). To that I would go with a metronidzole treatment alone for 5 to 7 day (500mg per 10 gal / dose every day right after 50% WC).

just the raise in temp should improove the apetite, if not you can use garlic juice to presoak your food.

If situation does not improove after 5 day, and that it get worst (pitch black fish, always in the corner, still won't eat), might want to check for secondary bacterial infection since it can kill your fish quite fast. (if so drop temp to 88 F, add corse salt 1 table spoon/gal, and treat with Erytrhomycine (EM tabs), or Furan 2). Once bacterial is cleared up than you can proceed for a second try against hexamita/spironucleus

[lhforbes12]

Hi Sublevel - raise your temp to about 90; and get yourself some live worms and then soak them in Geltak then feed. See if he'll take a bite at them. If it doesn't work time to get yourself some metronidazole and administer at temp of about 92 to 93. Increasing their metabolic rate by the elevated temp can often bring back their appetite some.

Best wishes,
Kenny

This is precisely what I do for Hex. It works wonders. You want the Gel Tek PX formula.

[Kindredspirit]

I agree with Kenny and Larry:)


Marie ~ http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/16/16_4_10.gif

[White Worm]

Kenny...Has Geltek worked for you?

[Kenny's Discus]

Hi Mike - personally, no. If I remember correctly Geltek is a "fish food" instead of pure med. But since I heard it has worked for others and it contains metro & prazi it just might work if your fish will touch it. JMO.

Kenny

[lhforbes12]

Gel Tek is like a "wonder" drug. It's works great! If the fish is not eating , simply catch it and force some in it's mouth. Do this twice a day for three days. If the fish will still eat,soak it, as Kenny suggests. It sounds as though your fish has Hex, PX will cure it.

[poconogal]

Gel Tek is like a "wonder" drug. It's works great! If the fish is not eating , simply catch it and force some in it's mouth. Do this twice a day for three days. If the fish will still eat,soak it, as Kenny suggests. It sounds as though your fish has Hex, PX will cure it.
Worked for me! I put a few drops on freeze dried BWs and Tetra Bits, and let the food soak it up. Improvement was dramatic, as in overnight!

[sublevel007]

ok guys this all sounds great. I just turned my heater up so that will take a little to get up there. Also, I'm sure the fish eats but just never getto see him. Do you think if I with hold feeding for a day this might get him a little hungry? Even though I never see him eat I still always throw food in the tank and clean the left overs out after a while. I have never tried withholding food from the fish before, maybe he/she might eat more then.

[sublevel007]

Ok so I have had the tank up to 92 degrees as earlier posted. It doesn't seem to peak his interest at all in eating. I have also been soaking frozen hikari blood worms in the geltek ultra cure px. Still nothing please help! However he does seem to be swimming around more, but still skiddish. I have seen him go poo less often so I have not seen if has gone back to normal. By looking at the bottom of the tank, bare bottom, it doesn't seem that he has gone at all.