what type of med will I need for outter body infection?

[discusjoe27]

just like the type says, how much and where can I buy it. my discus's seem
to have a outer infection problem. they never seemed to have a problem till
I tried some new food. the ocean nutrition discus formula then they all started to act funny, swim together, and stay at the top. now 2 are died. I wish the camera would work so I could take photos. so what should I do? i've stopped feeding them the discus formula.

it's a sad sad day.

[Ardan]

First increase the water changes, 50% daily with good clean dechlorinated (no chloramine ) water.

What are there external symptoms?
How many discus? what size tank?
Check for ammonia and nitrite in case the biofilter has been compromised.

Hard to determine if its parasite or bacteria at this point.

hth
Ardan

[Justice]

Firstly sorry to hear that your fish are sick.

I feed both Ocean Nutrition Frozen Discus formula food and Ocean Nutrition Discus Flakes with no problems.

If it was the Frozen did it happen to thaw out on you ether fully or partly?

[Eddie]

DJ, follow the instructions in this thread for better assessment.

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=38545

Eddie

[discusjoe27]

roblem

1. Please explain the problems with your fish/when and how they started

it started a few days ago, my nephew was spending the night. he wanted to go look at the fish,him and my brother noticed they where swimming funny.
"they described to me that seemed like they where in an elavator with no space to move,and touching one and another. with there fins and gills moving
fast, and swimming close to the top,some with dark dark color, and the skin didn't look smooth and nice, looked ruff.(it still does)





2. Symptoms (i.e. turning dark, excess slime, not eating, clamped fins, flashing, darting, clamped gills, white/yellow/green poop, hiding, headstanding or tailstanding, white on tips of fins, rotting or fungus, blisters/ white zits on fish, bloated, cloudy eyes, wounds)

swimming close together,turning dark,some clamped fins, darting back and forth real quick,some white spots on tail, some of them look like they got cuts on there body(wounds would be a good word)also hidding behind the driftwood only to come out to eat.



3. What medications/ treatments that you have already tried and results. Include dosages and duration of treatment.

I've done 1/4 water, water changes. treating them with fanken 3 in 1 buster.
from the box this agent is formulated for expulsion of bacteria,protozoa,and parasites. it does not contain antibiotics and works weel with costia cillates,trichodina, oodinium,aquatic moulds,mycelium,white mouth and fin rot.





Tank/Water

4. Tank size and age, number and size of fish

tank 135 long(custom sized 84x16x24)


5. Water change regime/ how long has tank been running/ bare bottom or gravel/ do you age your water? 1/4-1/2 WC every 3 days, tank as pool filter sand at the bottom. when I do a big water change I run the siphon from the tap to the tank, let the water run in to the tank slow and treat with prime, and add some stability.



6 Parameters and water source;

- temp _____ 85

- ph _____7.0

- ammonia reading ____

- nitrite reading ____

- nitrate reading ____

- well water ____(don't have a well)

- municipal water ____(what needs to be checked here? the readings from the tap?)

7. Any new fish/plants added recently(10 bumble bee catfish, and started giving them ocean nutrition discus formula.

[Eddie]

What are your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings?


Eddie

[discusjoe27]

What are your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings?


Eddie

I'll find out in a second. I forgot where I lay the test bottles down at.

api test kit
ph-6.0
ammonia-0
nitrite-0
nitrate-(found part of the problem) 20ppm maybe higher(it was a orange-ish/red) how much water should I change? could it be there dying from
nitrate shock and not a infection, or both a infection and a nitrate shock?

[Eddie]

I'll find out in a second. I forgot where I lay the test bottles down at.

api test kit
ph-6.0
ammonia-0
nitrite-0
nitrate-(found part of the problem) 20ppm maybe higher(it was a orange-ish/red) how much water should I change? could it be there dying from
nitrate shock and not a infection, or both a infection and a nitrate shock?

Nitrates are not bad, maybe in excess but really depends. Your good if you have no ammonia/nitrite, that is what is more important. With a PH of 6, registered ammonia isnt even a problem. How do you have a PH of 6? Is this the PH right from tap? Can you run a test for hardness? I'm wondering how stable your PH is? Your first post registered 7 PH

Eddie

[discusjoe27]

Nitrates are not bad, maybe in excess but really depends. Your good if you have no ammonia/nitrite, that is what is more important. With a PH of 6, registered ammonia isnt even a problem. How do you have a PH of 6? Is this the PH right from tap? Can you run a test for hardness? I'm wondering how stable your PH is? Your first post registered 7 PH

Eddie

oops 7ph was a fee days ago when I got tested. 6ph was when you asked me to test it. hardness do I do GH or KH?

[Eddie]

oops 7ph was a fee days ago when I got tested. 6ph was when you asked me to test it. hardness do I do GH or KH?

Both and if your PH drops a point in a day or 2, that can be a problem. You probably have a very low KH, causing your PH to swing. This will stress your fish, especially on the way down. Check your KH and report back.

Eddie

[discusjoe27]

Both and if your PH drops a point in a day or 2, that can be a problem. You probably have a very low KH, causing your PH to swing. This will stress your fish, especially on the way down. Check your KH and report back.

Eddie

GH is blue which on the card says end.
KH is blue which on the says start.

so what is going on? go buy a big rubber made drum bucket? age some water and do a massive water change?

[discusjoe27]

oh I also forgot to say I left a fish net in the tank and now it has this white jello looking stuff with black spots on the handle part.

[Eddie]

oh I also forgot to say I left a fish net in the tank and now it has this white jello looking stuff with black spots on the handle part.

Yeah, not sure what that is.

Also, blue means start on KH:confused: What is the amount?

Eddie

[discusjoe27]

Yeah, not sure what that is.

Also, blue means start on KH:confused: What is the amount?

Eddie

I don't know the amount, because my ammonia,ph,nitrite,nitrate is a
api test, and my GH/KH is a red sea test kit, it just gives a start and a end on each card no numbers. hillybilly on MFK, said he found that well googling prime, he found a site that said prime can cause certin test kits to give falses readings?

[Eddie]

I don't know the amount, because my ammonia,ph,nitrite,nitrate is a
api test, and my GH/KH is a red sea test kit, it just gives a start and a end on each card no numbers. hillybilly on MFK, said he found that well googling prime, he found a site that said prime can cause certin test kits to give falses readings?

It does but shouldn't for KH. It gives false ammonia readings. Either way, you need to find a way to stabilize your PH. You will most like need to age your water and use either crushed coral or add baking soda to buffer your PH. This will prevent swings, lessen the stress of your fish which will in turn, prevent sickness. You have to fix your water before you fix anything else.

Eddie

[Mr Wild]

I can only agree with Eddie, Water is almost all the problems start from. I had to go to storing water, bought a 200litre tank from hardware so I can age it I also add air whilst it is there and treat with minerals but you might not have to treat with mins - I am a "special" case down here! LOL But I chime in because it is easy once you get the barrel and start I also heat the water in the barrel so water changes are really easy, Syphon out the old and pump in the new easy peasy. HTH

[discusjoe27]

thanks, I've got plenty of rubber maid containers to age water in. what can I use to put water from the container in to the tank? should I go out and get a new siphon or a mag pump to pump the water out of the container in to the water?.

baking soda? like arm and hammer baking soda, or did you mean aquarium salt?
so I should go out get some baking soda and pour it in the tank, or should I age some water do a water change,and then add the baking soda?

[Eddie]

thanks, I've got plenty of rubber maid containers to age water in. what can I use to put water from the container in to the tank? should I go out and get a new siphon or a mag pump to pump the water out of the container in to the water?.

baking soda? like arm and hammer baking soda, or did you mean aquarium salt?
so I should go out get some baking soda and pour it in the tank, or should I age some water do a water change,and then add the baking soda?

Here you go, first you need to find out how to stabilize your PH by adding either crushed coral or using baking soda.

I would add the coral to a hang on the back filter attached to the rubber maid if you decide on coral. Baking soda, yes just arm & hammer baking soda. I will post you a reference as to how much in a minute. You'll want to get everything conditioned in the rubbermaid before pumping the water to the tank. So you will want another heater to keep the temp the same as in the tank. You can use any powerhead or pump to pump water from the rubbermaid to the tank using hoses.

Eddie

[discusjoe27]

Here you go, first you need to find out how to stabilize your PH by adding either crushed coral or using baking soda.

I would add the coral to a hang on the back filter attached to the rubber maid if you decide on coral. Baking soda, yes just arm & hammer baking soda. I will post you a reference as to how much in a minute. You'll want to get everything conditioned in the rubbermaid before pumping the water to the tank. So you will want another heater to keep the temp the same as in the tank. You can use any powerhead or pump to pump water from the rubbermaid to the tank using hoses.

Eddie

I got powerheads but can you tell me how to make a powerhead work so it will pump the water to the tank. do I just put a hose on the out take and let pressure put the water from the container to the tank? so just dump arm and hammer baking soda in the tank?

[Eddie]

I got powerheads but can you tell me how to make a powerhead work so it will pump the water to the tank. do I just put a hose on the out take and let pressure put the water from the container to the tank? so just dump arm and hammer baking soda in the tank?

Read Al's post. No, you add the baking soda to the rubber maid and reach an amount to keep the PH stable.

Yes, just attach the hose to the outlet and run that hose to the tank to fill.

Eddie

[discusjoe27]

Read Al's post. No, you add the baking soda to the rubber maid and reach an amount to keep the PH stable.

Yes, just attach the hose to the outlet and run that hose to the tank to fill.

Eddie

what is the name of al's post? so the baking soda just goes to the container.
what if I have another ph drop/bounce? - do a water another water change with baking soda, or will the baking soda well keep the ph stable for a really really long time.

[Eddie]

what is the name of al's post? so the baking soda just goes to the container.
what if I have another ph drop/bounce? - do a water another water change with baking soda, or will the baking soda well keep the ph stable for a really really long time.

Oops, forgot the link. :o

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=71655

The BS will keep your PH stable depending on how much you add. Careful not to add too much or it will really raise your PH.

Eddie

[discusjoe27]

Oops, forgot the link. :o

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=71655

The BS will keep your PH stable depending on how much you add. Careful not to add too much or it will really raise your PH.

Eddie

THANKS!:angel::)

[Eddie]

THANKS!:angel::)

No problem at all. Mess with your water a bit and test it. This will give you a good idea of what you will need to do to keep your PH stable. Shoot for a number, and keep it there. Once the water is fixed, then everything else will be easy. ;)

Eddie

[discusjoe27]

No problem at all. Mess with your water a bit and test it. This will give you a good idea of what you will need to do to keep your PH stable. Shoot for a number, and keep it there. Once the water is fixed, then everything else will be easy. ;)

Eddie

cool, thanks eddie. oh eddie this is what my discus look like. the ones that are sick/died. I didn't buy them from this guy, I got them from a local breeder/fish shop owner
http://www.cichlidstation.com/catalog/DSCF5036final.jpg

[Daniella]

I don't know what it is but I doubt it is the food. I feed this same food to my discus and no problem.

I would suspect something with your water instead, and the food is probably just a coincidence.

It would not kill the fish unless there would be poison in it, which I doubt. In any case, it would be internal, not external.

for the Kh and Gh test, usualy you add one drop at the time and you register how many drop you add before the color change.

Like you add one drop, shake a bit, then check the color, add another drop, shake and check the color. Mine turn from blue to yellow when I read the Kh level. Your can probably vary. If it turn of the color right away it would mean that your Kh would be 0.

How many drops did you add? just one? you must continue then to add drop by drop and shake in between and look at the color when it change. If it change color after 3 drop, it would mean that your Kh is 3. At least that's how it goes with my test kit.




[/I]
just like the type says, how much and where can I buy it. my discus's seem
to have a outer infection problem. they never seemed to have a problem till
I tried some new food. the ocean nutrition discus formula then they all started to act funny, swim together, and stay at the top. now 2 are died. I wish the camera would work so I could take photos. so what should I do? i've stopped feeding them the discus formula.

it's a sad sad day.

[MSD]

That fish has a deformed gill plate, or so it would appear.

[discusjoe27]

I don't know what it is but I doubt it is the food. I feed this same food to my discus and no problem.

I would suspect something with your water instead, and the food is probably just a coincidence.

It would not kill the fish unless there would be poison in it, which I doubt. In any case, it would be internal, not external.

for the Kh and Gh test, usualy you add one drop at the time and you register how many drop you add before the color change.

Like you add one drop, shake a bit, then check the color, add another drop, shake and check the color. Mine turn from blue to yellow when I read the Kh level. Your can probably vary. If it turn of the color right away it would mean that your Kh would be 0.

How many drops did you add? just one? you must continue then to add drop by drop and shake in between and look at the color when it change. If it change color after 3 drop, it would mean that your Kh is 3. At least that's how it goes with my test kit.

if I remember right I added around 15 before it changed.


[/I]


That fish has a deformed gill plate, or so it would appear.

thanks. I believe I found my answer, I think I have a ammonia and nitrate problem. does prime come in a gallon jug size, or should I find some chloram-x?

[Eddie]

thanks. I believe I found my answer, I think I have a ammonia and nitrate problem. does prime come in a gallon jug size, or should I find some chloram-x?

http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-US&q=Seachem+prime+gallon&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=abwwSqOkE5_qtQOYm9zDAw&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&resnum=1&ct=title

You can control ammonia through waterchanges. I thought you mentioned that ammonia was zero??? Did you just start reading ammonia on the kit?

Eddoe

[discusjoe27]

http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-US&q=Seachem+prime+gallon&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=abwwSqOkE5_qtQOYm9zDAw&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&resnum=1&ct=title

You can control ammonia through waterchanges. I thought you mentioned that ammonia was zero??? Did you just start reading ammonia on the kit?

Eddoe

nope, I haven't seen any ammonia rise but I bet there will be ammonia now,
because some of the discus have died. hillbilly on monsterfishkeepers.just mentioned that I might have an ammonia problem

[Eddie]

nope, I haven't seen any ammonia rise but I bet there will be ammonia now,
because some of the discus have died. hillbilly on monsterfishkeepers.just mentioned that I might have an ammonia problem

You had more fish die?

[discusjoe27]

You had more fish die?

yep, I've had more fish die. around 10-12 total. I feel like there's got to be
some type of illness in the tank.

[Daniella]

If you had no ammonia then it is not the problem. Nitrates at the level you have would not kill or damage a fish like that. I have more than that often in my small tank without any problem with the fish.

You will not have ammonia rise because fish have dies unless you let them rot there, or unless you put med that kill the biofilter. If ammonia was 0, then that's not the cause.



nope, I haven't seen any ammonia rise but I bet there will be ammonia now,
because some of the discus have died. hillbilly on monsterfishkeepers.just mentioned that I might have an ammonia problem

[discusjoe27]

thanks, I'm going to keep on doing water changes.