HELP! white patches on body

[seanl]

hi i bought this discus about 4 days ago and i put it in my adult tank and this sub adult got harrased like crazy and now it has white patches where the bites were. i moved it to my juvie planted tank for now. and i was thinking about moving it to a 10 gallon spare to start treatment. what should i do? salt? medication? or should i move the fish at all? this is the first time one of my discus got sick so please help me. i really want to save this lil guy.:(

[Graham]

Hi Sean , How the fish acting now that he's away from the bullies? The odds are that the white that you're seeing is nothing more than excess mucus where the skin was irritated. Unless it looks fuzzy or inflammed I wouldn't do a thing for the moment

Graham

[MostlyDiscus]

Hello,

Salt wont hurt, it will reduce stress and impeed pathogens. If you transfer to a new tank, use an established spong filter if you can so that you dont get a bloom and put more stress on your poor youngster. Temp and ph are important as well.. GLGD(good luck good discus)

[Graham]

While salt will help with osmo-regulation, it will have little to no affect on on any pathogen, especially at the levels that are normally used.

G

[seanl]

things have gotten worse since this morning i was going to set up the 10 gal tank. is there a medication i should buy im going to the petstore today to get some aquarium salt. the fish is now at the top and it is not swimming straight. i need a reply asap.

[Graham]

More going on that just a few pecks from other fish...exactly what do these white patches look like...are the fuzzy like cotton batten?

Does the whole fish have a white film on it?

What do your other fish look like...any problems....all new fish should be quarantined...this new fish may have caught something from them

My 1st reaction is to try a formalin & malachite green based med, like Quickcure...this is a good shot gun based chem.

Don't worry about buying aquarium salt, it's a rip off waste of money...any salt will do, even table salt, just watch which anti-caking agent is in it...no YPS.

[seanl]

More going on that just a few pecks from other fish...exactly what do these white patches look like...are the fuzzy like cotton batten?
YES
Does the whole fish have a white film on it?
YES
What do your other fish look like...any problems....all new fish should be quarantined...this new fish may have caught something from them

My 1st reaction is to try a formalin & malachite green based med, like Quickcure...this is a good shot gun based chem.

Don't worry about buying aquarium salt, it's a rip off waste of money...any salt will do, even table salt, just watch which anti-caking agent is in it...no YPS.
OK COOL ILL LOOK FOR THAT. WHAT DOSAGE FOR SALT?
SOME OF THE ANSWERS ARE ON THE QUOTE

[Graham]

Since they are fuzzy that suggests a bacterial infection, probably columnaris... But that maybe secondary....

I'd try using the F&MG 1st then going to a Furan based med ...forget the salt

[seanl]

i did the f and mg and i added some salt. it looks a lil better but its still at the top.

[Dave LaVigne]

imo, increase temp slightly to 86, add air stone if one isnt in there

[seanl]

theres an airstone, and the temps around 87-88.
its still sideways.. ill see if i can get a pic for u guys.

[Graham]

Have patience...nothing happens quick...don't kill him with kindness

[plecocicho]

My discus have white patches on the surface of their skin. Amazingly are patches best seen, when discus face me upfront. Is this columnaris?
lp

[seanl]

Update... ok the one sub adult seems to be doing much better its eating and swimming up right. it seems to be shedding the slime coat
i assume that this is normal after what happened.

New Problem:(: in the juvie tank that i moved the sub adult to after being harrased by the adults, all the discus have lost their appitite and seem to be very skittish after i took out the sub adult to move to a QT tank. did they get whatever the sub adult had? can i treat a planted tank with Quick cure?

[digthemlows]

Update... ok the one sub adult seems to be doing much better its eating and swimming up right. it seems to be shedding the slime coat
i assume that this is normal after what happened.

New Problem:(: in the juvie tank that i moved the sub adult to after being harrased by the adults, all the discus have lost their appitite and seem to be very skittish after i took out the sub adult to move to a QT tank. did they get whatever the sub adult had? can i treat a planted tank with Quick cure?

I can't help with whatever you are fighting, but I've used quickcure in my tank for Ich and the plants were fine.........plants are cheap, discus are not...........

[seanl]

the sub adult has gotten much better.
unfortunately the juvies have gotten much worse. right now they are on the bottom of the tank struggling...:( i dont think that they are going to make the night... all of them are in a qt tank along with the sub adult its being treated with Quick cure and salt. any ideas whats wrong. they were fine up until last night when i moved the other one into the QT tank.

[seanl]

update... i had my first discus fatality today...:( im down to 2 juvies. one of which is struggling to breathe on the floor and the other is sort of ok. any ideas the one on the floor can swim but its swims head up. im gonna do a WC and just put salt see if that works.

[seanl]

:(.... it wiped out all my juvies and the sub adult is still holding on but its still not good.. i was also thinking that it could also be a internal parasite or infection. if so can i treat with marycyn1&2 along with quick cure? if so can i give 10 grams of minocycline intended for humans in substitute M2 its the same ingredients as the box says for m2 b/c i have some m1 not m2 and i dont have the time to get more.

[kaceyo]

The Quick cure is apparently not working or there is a secondary infection also. I believe they can be mixed but don't take my word for it. I'd go to an antibiotic at this point but I've never used minocyclin or the Maracyn's so can't advise there. I'd get online and find out what the recommended dose of the med you have is for fish and use what you have. You can get the other Marycin (eurithromycin?) tomorrow.
HTH's

Kacey

[seanl]

after doing some research this is looking to be the Discus Plague, i have the same symptoms for the Plague from this website
:http://www.fish-disease.net/diseases/discus_plague.php

Symptoms:
Fishes infected with Discus Plague will lose their natural coloring, turn dark, and become reclusive, huddling together in a dark corner of the tank. Heavy mucus secretions on the skin, accompanied by severe fin rot, scratching or rubbing against objects in the aquarium, and rapid breathing are also characteristic symptoms of Discus Plague. Upon close examination, the fins of sick fish may exhibit clear, non-pigmented areas where the tissue appears have dissolved. The mucus layer will also appear streaky where the fish has been rubbing against objects. Even though infected fishes appear to be very sick, they continue to eat, although sparingly. When feeding, they move in a tight school to the food, and retreat together to a dark corner. Some fish may even lie horizontally on the top or bottom of the tank, trying to hide in the merest shadow!

if these symptoms are correct symptoms for the Plague then it looks like it has also spread to my main tank. is there a cure? b/c some sites say there are none.

[kaceyo]

Those symptoms can be present with many different diseases and Discus Plague is a rare occurance these days. I seriously doubt that's what you're dealing with.

Kacey