Major Problem Help!!

[turtlelovesjems]

Hello,
My name is Jeremi, my mother and I own a freshwater fish store in Tampa, Florida. I'm having a break down :( because I'm losing my discus. Hopefully I will inform you with everything you might need to know. The tank is a 110XH with 2-330 Bio-Wheels, 2" of gravel PH-7.6, Nitrite-0, Nitrate-0, Ammonia-0 ( I like the higher PH for selling them, not everyone has a PH of below 7.0).

In Dec. I got a Breeder pair of Turquiose, from a guy in Apllo Beach, with 3 others (cleaning out the tank). Everything was fine, and sold all of them other than the pair. In March, I got 3 Discus from a different local guy (Mike) who was cleaning his big guys out for new baby ones. Then again in May, they were all fine going into the tank. Sold all of them other than the little 3" Blue Diamond, and 5" High Blue Turquiose. On July 25th my mother hand picked and brought in 3- 3" Gold Pigeon Bloods from our local farm (imports not from Asia). Like a dumb *** :o I put them into the tank with the others. The 'new' guys sold within 24 hrs. Here comes the bad news. :( Less than 2 days my other guys started pelling, then got shall we say splochy. I immedatly did an 1/2 water change, and treated with Aquari-Sol (to me looked like the start of Velvet). The next morning I came in and they looked worse. Did another 1/2 water change and tried Kanamycin on them. The next day they looked okay, but by mid-day they looked bad again. Did another 1/2 water change and tried Metrozol. That worked great for 3 days then the worse thing happened I lost the female to the pair. :( I was doing my water change and by the time I got the tank filled, you could tell she wasn't going to make it. So I tried another med Hex-Out. After I put in the hex everything was looking better. They never have stopped eating for me, they are only eating Tubiflex Worms (cleaned every day). (from what I understand as long as they eat I'm okay) Wrong, I lost the Blue Diamond the next day. :( I'm working on week #3, I have dad which still looks really bad, and High Blue which is doing alot better (showing blues again)

What is going on? The only information I can find is on the Discus Plague (AIDS). I've read your posts with the other guy that had the same problems. I'm doing my water changes without meds and its not helping, I'm leaving the lights off and feeding only when the come up to the cone. Any Ideas? My mother has cut one of them open, everything to the human eye looks okay, if we put it under the scope what should we look at and for?

HELP, please, I can't stand to lose another one, it hurts to much to even look at them, but at this point they are looking better. Everthing I have read says it takes 3 weeks, well I'm half way threw the 3rd week and have a long way to go.

Last thing I promise, my mother and I have been arguing over this. :argue: Did the virus come in with the 'new' guys (imports) or did the tank already have it from Mike's and it just took that long to show? Mike's have never shown any signs of anything other than every now and again the High Blue will get cloudy eyes, (one of his Cobalts that I took home has the same problem) I was just thinking it was in the gene because it will come for a couple of days then disappear of a couple.

If you could please let me know what you think, my email is fishworldtampa@verizon.net, I check that one more than I will this site.
Thanks for your time,
Jeremi Ann Sliger

[pcsb23]

Jeremi,

Sounds like you first of all added a variety fo fish from a variety of sources without any form of quarantine. Sooner or later this will cause the sort of problems you are now facing. Also without wishing to seem harsh, you seem to have thrown a cocktail of meds at them without any form of proper diagnosis. It is likely that this cocktail of meds has caused them significant stress weakening an already compromised immune system.

As for this being discus plague - and btw its not AIDS - I very much doubt it. One lot of the new fish will have introduced a pathogen that the others had little or no immunity too and these fish have subsequently broken down. It is probable that the existing fish have likewise compromised the newer fish.

Treating and medicating fish in a tank with substrate is not recommended, the substrate harbours all sorts of things, some good, some not so good. Also as far as your water params go I am surprised to see 0 nitrates, most cycled tanks show some nitrates, even in planted ones. I would be suspicious of those readings if I was you.

Are you using a dechlor when doing w/c's? f not you should. Also it would make sense to transfer the remaining fish into a hospital tank, bare bottomed with just a heater and a sponge filter.

It is difficult to recommend a med at this time as the fish could be suffereing with an internal or external bacterial infection or some form of external parasite. Formalin and Malachite Green may work here, but whatever med you choose to use it is important that you complete the dosing regime.

Cloudy eyes that come and go are usually symptomatic of poor water quality.

Sorry I can't be more specific.

[turtlelovesjems]

Okay, first I've done so many water changes in the tank that the gravel doesn't have anything.
The only reason why I haven't moved the plant out is because 'it' is way too tall to go into any other tank.

As far as my water, I don't know if you have every heard of this (alot of people haven't) I have what is called 'Break Point Chlorination System' . The system is confusing, and I will have my mother post what is does, to remove everything. It's better than an R.O. system because, it doesn't strip the minerals from the water.

As far as the meds, this program (simplydiscus) wouldn't allow me to get on, for two weeks I tried and emailed. I had read the post and got confused after I had started treating. What else was I suspose to do but do the only thing that I knew best. I had no clue, going into this, because of everyone else opinion about this subject was different.

As far as tranfering the fish. I have a hospital tank here at my house that I would like to bring them to. They are in the 100XH at the store (about an 20 minute car ride) do you think that it would be too stressy on dad? (he had a bad day) It's a 35 hex with an Emperor 280, no gravel. The Dad is 6", High Blue is 4" will they be okay in it empty and bare? I read to lower the PH, what are your thoughts? and if so what to 6? Then, High Blue is looking like he's feeling alot better, he can be aggressive towards Dad when he's in good health. When should I seperate them or just put in some fake plants to break up the "I see you fights"? And should I really Q them for 6 months without any other fish?? (I've read on a couple of sites) If not, for how long before there over it to where I can place them with other discus?

Thank you for your help.

I've only been doing discus for almost a year. I'm very picky about what I get, and lately they have been VERY hard to find in good health. So when I find something I jump, needless that has been kicking me in my ***.

Sorry for asking so many questions. I just want to make sure I get this.

Thanks Again

[pcsb23]

Jeremi,

Hopefully the fish are still hanging in there. Can you not take the qt tank to the shop and put it in a back room or something? if not it may be the best thig to bring them home and treat there. I know you believe the gravel will not be hosting stuff but trust me it will! You woill be surprised at the amount of gunk that gathers there. With all the meds there is a good chance of toxins having developed too. As most discus are raised in BB tanks the "I see you fights" are normal, allow them to do this sooner or later they will sort it out :) cichlids bicker!!

I've not heard of the water system you use but suspect its similar to the HMA system we get in the UK, if so then you don't need a dechlor. May be worth testing the product water though with a chlorine test jic.