ADVICE PLEASE: Will a discus ever stop eating and still look completely normal?

[cyang]

One of my best fish, a 4 inch nice and round juvenile leopard, suddenly stopped eating yesterday. It still looks absolutely STUNNING. However, all it has been doing is facing the sponge filter and not hanging out with the others. This is usually the type of behavior I see with the lowest fish in the pecking order. But my 4" leopard still chases other fish away from the sponge filter.

1. Fish stopped eating after water change on Monday (last night). I changed a little bit more water than I usually do, and added approx 3 gallons of cold dechlorinated tap water to my 75 after my aged heated water. It lowered the temp about 2 degrees (from 88 to 86 F). It still ate a few bites of San Fran Bay beef heart. But stopped today (Tuesday). Is the sudden 2F temp drop the problem? All the other fish are fine.

2. ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 10ppm. Is it the nitrates? This really isn't very high at all. In fact, it's actually been at that level from the beginning (about 2 months ago). Maybe it is a pH drop? 3 gallons really can't affect pH too much...especially when my tap and aged water are both pH 8.2

3. The color of the fish it fine. I have 4 giant floras and 5 leopards in the tank. The "sick" fish under question doesn't pick on the floras, which are the dominate tank leaders. The leopard does chase away other leopards that get close or near the sponge filter. Is it exhibiting mating behavior? Would it go off its food during this time?

4. Flukes, bacteria, hex, or nematodes? This fish shows no symptoms of hex yet (white feces). No yellow feces (nematodes). I have seen it shake and twitch its fins...and once or twice act like it is trying to swallow something big (even though it has no food in its mouth). It does not flash / scratch itself on anything. It's gills seem fine and are not breathing hard. Both gills are working. I can't rule out bacterial infection...but again there are no sysptoms and the fish doesn't turn dark. Also it is not bloated at all.

I know its only been 2 days...but I just wanted to prepare just in case this continues. Anyone have any advice? I really do not want to lose this fish...it is my favorite.

Here are some pics:

[William Palumbo]

Hi...your fish in question looks healthy to me. You sure there are no eggs on that filter? I had one of my Tiger Turks do that the other day...and when I looked she was tending to a few eggs...sounds more like breeding behavior than disease...Bill

[cyang]

Hi...your fish in question looks healthy to me. You sure there are no eggs on that filter? I had one of my Tiger Turks do that the other day...and when I looked she was tending to a few eggs...sounds more like breeding behavior than disease...Bill

Thanks for the advice, Bill.

Hmm doesn't look like there are eggs. Even if there were, would the fish usually stop eating?

[YSS]

I was going to say the same. Sometimes my discus would stop eating when it's ready to spawn. However, I did post a thread today about sick discus looking normal vs. dark. No responses, yet. Your discus looks great. Hope he/she isn't sick.

[William Palumbo]

I have seen instances where young female Discus had spawned without a mate....and guard the eggs the whole time they are present and not really eat. Usually in a pair...they take turns feeding. One stays behind to guard while the other one eats and vice versa. Again the fish looks healthy from the pics...and with it being the only one sick, I doubt it's the tank environment or temp. drop like you mentioned. But on the other hand I have had poor luck raising the spotted strains...they do seem to ALWAYS be the first ones to break down out of all my fish. As gorgeous as they are, I try to stay away from those strains. Touchy IMO. Try feeding some FBW or some CBW...that usually gets fish eating, which is your concern at the moment. Just don't start bombarding the fish or tank with a bunch of meds until you figure out what, if anything, is wrong...Bill

[cyang]

I'm simply going to have to watch the fish for a few days and see how things go. I'll let you all know. It's just really frustrating when fish won't eat even if there is food falling on its face...

[brewmaster15]

Chaz,
I agree with the others...That discus looks fine... colors look great... I'd just keep an eye on it... I wouldn't be surprised if it starts to shimmy and shake!:)

hth,
al

[kenhappen2u]

Chaz,
I wouldn't be surprised if it starts to shimmy and shake!:)

hth,
al

Hmmmm intresting


ive seen my LSS do the shimmy and shake thing.....is that a discus way of a wolf call (whistle) ?

[pcsb23]

Hmmmm intresting


ive seen my LSS do the shimmy and shake thing.....is that a discus way of a wolf call (whistle) ?yes :)

[cyang]

Hopefully, my discus is just exhibiting potential mating behavior as opposed to being sick... We shall see in the next couple of days...!

[cyang]

Tomorrow, if my fish doesn't eat...it will be five days. I did see that he has become less active and aggressive. He used to come up to the front of the tank and beg for food. No he just sits there faces the sponge filter. I did notice that he was getting picked on a bit by some of the giant floras (red turqs) which are the dominant ones. I am not sure if it is more than the usually...because he was occasionally picked on by the dominant fish even when he was eating. His color is still good. Though he is showing a few more stress bars and getting a little bit darker (though its barely noticeable).

Can a fish be bullied into not eating within a matter of 24 hrs? I mean, he was eating one day and stopped the next... Should I separate my 4 giant floras and 5 leopards? The leopards are definitely more timid. If I should do this, what is an easy way to make a tank divider without using pliers or heavy duty cutting tools like wire cutters? I just want to go to Lowes/Home Depot and buy something that I can cut with scissors...

[William Palumbo]

Chaz...If the fish is looking worse, and being bullied, it probally is best to remove him to a smaller "hospital" tank. Because he is getting no better, meds will probally have to be used...and is best used on smaller volumes of water(cheaper). If not you will have to use MUCH more medication on the main tank, and subject your healthy fish to the meds. Good luck...Bill

[pcsb23]

A fish can be bullied so much that the stress levels become intolerable. Like people if they are bullied enough it can have a really bad effect. I would try sperating them before using meds. Maybe some R&R is all it needs for a while.

[cyang]

UPDATE:

Fish still isn't eating. Showering more stress bars occasionally, but still looking pretty good. Can't really diagnose or rule out flukes (no microscope, haven't seem glaring symptoms). I might try CBW before I put the tank divider in.

Regarding bullying, the problem is that I don't see this fish being bullied anymore than any of the other fish. Actually, it is probably bullied less, as it is one of the thicket and largest of the 9 fish in the tank. However, one of the other leopards is now actually more active and a better eater. Maybe the large non-eating leopard really did just get bumped down the "chain of command." However, the large leopard is still chasing this smaller leopard occasionally, and the small leopard shows no aggression towards the larger leopard. In fact, no leopards show any aggression towards this "sick" large leopard.

Also, its stomach isn't "deflated" and it doesn't look starved. It has been one week.

So frustrating...worst part of the hobby!

[cyang]

The fish still hasn't eaten. It looks more pale than before. It still has bouts of aggression where it will chase away a smaller fish. The sick fish is still sulking and not eating. Its stomach doesn't look sunken in at all. I do not believe it is bloat b/c well...the stomachs looks normal and not bloated. I saw feces last week that look brown and normal. But haven't seen feces in about a week.

I suspected flukes or bacterial problem initially. Maybe its round worms (but no yellow feces). Can it be hex even if no other fish show symptoms and no white feces? I have also treated for hex before successfully. I have no microscope so I cannot be sure of a diagnosis. All water parameters check out: 0 ammonia & nitrites, perpetually 10ppm nitrate, extremely constant pH 8.2. 40% water changes daily, which was increased after the discus stopped eating. Salt doesn't work at 2 teaspoons per 10 gallons. Fish doesn't seem to be in "mating mode" and looks visibly weaker every week (2 ongoing).

I have not yet used a tank divider. This fish isn't picked on anymore than any of the other fish, whom are eating. In fact it is picked on less, because it is one of the biggest fish and used to be no. 4 or 5 on the pecking order of 9 fish.

Please help! What do you recommend I do? Try a treatment of prazirpro? Maracyn II? Quick cure? I am completely out of ideas!

[YSS]

May be you can also try raising the temp close to 90. Other than that, I don't know what to tell ya. I've been there many times, so I know it's very frustrating. Hope things work out.

[Porkchop]

Any update? I have fish that are showing the same signs. They are really pale with their bars showing dark and haven't eaten in days.

Anthony