Questions

[architect1]

Ok I was hopeing never to come back in hear but looks like I have to.

I had 5 golden snake skins I will post the pic soon.

They came from barb. I put them into a 110g at first with 9 swords from local fish store. They where all doing fine together. I would say 2 weeks after I moved all 5 baby discus into a tank by them selves they where doing great. i noticed one was not growing as fast as the others.

There water changes are every other day and thats from 30 to 44%. The parameters are always good. So no need to ask them questions.

I lost one from some reason I don't know he was shooting around like he was crazy. then one day i find him with color and all still breathing laying on his side. he died after 2 hours.

Now I have 4 left. Ones really small and hes a pale orange. hes probably 1.5". I never see him eat and I see him swim around a bit. i blocked of a part of the tank for him and he kept finding a way back to the pack.

Now I have another one that was doing so great till the last 3 days. hes also slowly turing to this pale orange color he stopped eating. From what I seen. and he's about 3 inches.

Now the other 2 that are left there growing about an inch a month if not more. there now almost 4 inches and hungry *** heck.

I don't know whats going on or why the other to are doing squat.

Please suggest. I'm waiting for you paul. lol.

The other

[architect1]

Oh shoot forgot the pics lol. Hears what they looked like about a month ago.

[Graham]

Hi Not Paul, but I don't think he's going to be able to help you any better than I can...there's not a lot to go on here to help ID a possible parasite and the pics are no help.

All fish grow at different rates so there's nothing really unusual there. The one that was ''shooting around'' was he brushing against anything while he was doing this...have you seen any of the others flash? Any just sitting, isolated, spitting food.

Any chance to see the colour of the gills...they should be a bright meat red....not pale or brownish looking.


It's really hard to tell you to do something without knowing what the problem really is. If I suggested a shotgun treatment have you any Formalin/Malachite Green based meds around?

G

[architect1]

There not tuching food and they look to only having one side of there gills working. I don't have any huge meds. like that just the de wormer.

Anything else to look for?

[Graham]

Hi, They may have a parasite but it's really hard to say for sure........Does the mucus look to be thickened, or milky looking?


...If it were me I'd probably use a shot gun treatment of a F&MG based product, like Quick Cure, This has a wide kill range

G

[architect1]

whats the name of it and where could I buy this stuff? they all look good. thats the prob.

[Graham]

Looking good and being good are two different things.....one dead, one not eating and some or all ? favouring one gill over the other, the water is supposed to be good, all says that there something going on

Quick Cure is a product made by Aquarium Products........it should be available at most pet stores........remove any AC, add airstones if you have them and follow the instructions exactly

G

[architect1]

I know what you mean I hate it. They look great but they aren't. thats the fun right. Ok I will read up on this stuff and I will update. Thank you for your input Grahem.

[Polar_Bear]

First of all, as Graham already suggested, get a good look at their gills. From your description gill flukes seem likely, and Formalin/Malachite Green will probably help them, also as Graham has already suggested. Almost any Ich medicine is really just F/MG and all lfs' carry it. Just read the bottle before you purchase it. But before you do anything else get a good look at the gills, and post back.

[ShinShin]

I agree with the above as far as treatment. I am puzzeled to the Nth degree, however, as to why you get new discus, expose them for 2 weeks to LFS swords, then isolate them in their own tank.

Mat

[Green Country Discus]

Good advise all and good point Shin. Why did you?

[architect1]

The swords where in the tank for the bio load. Then talking with barb I threw them in the tank by them selves when i threw the adults in the big tank. I would say looking at the little guy its pink. not read. I looked at my adults and theres are a read. the little one's are pink.

I wish I could be more helpfull.

[architect1]

Ok I have been watching them and they are only breathing out of one gill. What is the medication actually called? SO i can get it tomorrow.


Is it Formalin/Malachite Green and Quick Cure?

[Polar_Bear]

Quick Cure, Rid-Ich, Ich-X... all of them are made of Formalin/Malachite Green, again just read the bottle, it will tell you what is inside. Follow the directions exactly, and continue the dosage as per instructions (usually 10 days).

[architect1]

Ok thank you for your help I will update.

Question would it be the reason why the 2 have stoped eating?

I should of payed attention closer. But I asked my one discus friend he said theres always a runt in the pack. then I seen the other one slow down on growth. and I got scared thats when i came on hear.

[architect1]

Hey every one I got the med. Its called Cure ick it has the malachite green and formalin. it says 1 cap full for every 10 gallons. Is this the right stuff?

And do I do what it says?

[Graham]

And do I do what it says?


Yes..........and follow the instructions exactly

[architect1]

Ok thank you graham I will post as soon as I see anything diffrent. Oh by the way is it the parasite you think it is?

[Graham]

Yes if it wasn't......... I would have suggested a different med

[architect1]

OK thank you again my friend I will post fast. Also when will I see anything change 3 days?

[Graham]

If this is a parasite problem.............. Remember that this is a shotgun treatment since we really don't know what's going on.............you should see initial improvements within 24 hours.............follow the full dosing protocol of the med that you're using

G

If you are using activared carbon in your filter discard it

[architect1]

Yeah i learned that lesson well treating hex. It was an expensive one. Ok so this will work with in the day.

Should I still feed them regularly? It says do water change at the end if it dosn't work with in the 3 treatments.

[Graham]

When killing parasite it taked a number of treatments to be able to kill of each stage of the parasite. A lot of meds have a 3 or 4 day treatment skip a day or 2 and then start over for this reason........whatever these guys have, isn't going away in one day.

Formalin is an oxidizer and therfore will work on anything and everything organic in the tank.dirty filter, bio films fish crap etc.........before using it a water changes and a hose cleaning is always a good idea.

After any treatment protocol a large water change should be done...if they'll eat feed them

[phalough]

I would slowly increase temp over a few days to stimulate appetite. Also you may want to soak some food in seachems garlic power I think it's called. This is know to help fight off parasites I belive. If you going to medicate which it appears you are use a q-tank. A healthy fish usually can have it's immune system fight off a lot for the fish too so keep them happy and good luck.

[architect1]

OK I treated them yesterday at about 9ish. I looked closly to them today and on there gill it looks like you can see through it a bit or its a brownish gray look to there gill. I don't know if I'm explaining it well.

I also have heard that they can stop eating for a long time to protect them selves. cause the little one hasn't eatin in like a cupple weeks but he doesn't look anarexic.

[architect1]

OK day 2 and still nothing. The one sits there same color. The other one had gaind color and looks interested in the food. I will in crease the temp today.

The 2 that aren't moven there gill still.

[architect1]

Ok day 3 I notice the one is more color, looks around on the bottom and picks around. Still breathing from one gill. the other 2 they eat still

2 the other still pail and hides in the corner.

well one thing good is the small one that was swimming like crazy is right side up and at an angle of 55. he looks like he will heal.

I guess the bigger one had bloat for a longer time.