discus not eating

[johnwe]

I have one of eight discus that is not eating. I think today will be the third day that I have not seen it eat. All others are eating. A blue diamond has a very small white spec on its tailfin. Two of three cories had a white "drop of milk" size and colored thing on their dorsal fins. That has since passed. One neon had white stuff on its tailfin and some fin rot. I moved the neon to a isolation tank and treated it three days with QuickCure. It is still in the that tank (with two other neons) and appears to be doing fine. Tail even seems to be getting back to normal size.

The discus that is not eating I think is a turk. It's about 3". It is just a little dark (maybe), fins are a little clamped but not all the time. It spends a good amont of time hiding behind some plants near the bottom of the tank. It does appear at times to be rubbing against the plants, but honestly I have only seen that once or twice, and not too agressively. I have been treating since yesterday my main tank (55gall) with QuickCure, about 24 drops because of the tetras. There are two 5"+ discuss the rest are 3-4".

I change water ~50% every other day. Recently removed 1/2 of eco complete substrate so half the tank is bare. the other half has some plants.
Water is ~84F, pH 6.8, water straight from city tap (which is stable and 6.8 -7) other water stats 0.

I recently started to add some liquid chems as directed for the plants, flourish. Have not been doing that since I added the QuickCure. Only did it for three days. But that proceeded the fish not eating.

I did a 50% water change this morning and added today's dose (day2) of QuickCure when I got home tonight.

thoughts for next steps if the hiding non-eater does not improve soon?

[hedut]

Are you add some new fish recently?

hendri

[Eddie]

Lights off, extra air and tank temp at 82F.

Other than that, finish the treatment and see what the fish does from that point. Moving everything around probably stirred up some junk and the fish picked it up. I'd keep the tank prestine, even after treatment, doing daily 50% WC with good wipe downs on the tank surfaces. Also, when did you last clean your filter?

HTH

Eddie

[johnwe]

I removed a HOB filter last night, it was a little dirty. I have two canister filters that were cleaned two weeks ago, and additionally one of them inspected and a slight amount of stuff settled on the bottom of it removed. There are also two stacked sponge filters that I probably should wring out.

I'll shut the lights off now. Eddie why shut the lights off?

All the fish seem a little more combative lately, anything to that?

I did add some new neons before this all started. I had them in isolation for about two weeks prior. One of them seemed to pick up what started with the cory as described above.

and FYI, I just picked up a used 90 gallon that I want to move these to once I clean it up and do some work on the stand.

[Eddie]

Quick Cure is Formalin and Malachite Green. Malachite Green is inactivated under light. You may need to go another day of treatment if you had the lights on, I would anyways.

HTH
Eddie

[johnwe]

Update:
I did my 50% water change this morning. Before that I turned on the lights to see how things were going. The fish that has not eaten has his fins a little higher today, and he was out of hiding a little swimming with the others but he still did not eat.

Before the WC I removed him and placed him in a 1/2 full 10 gallon for a salt dip. I kept him there about 20 minutes then put him back and did the water change. I have attached a photo of the fish in the salt dip tank

http://dev.shortclip.com/fish/discus07262009.jpg


I might place him in a 29 gallon isolation tank tomorrow night if we is not eating. Should I consider some other meds tomorrow if he still does not eat?

Any other good steps now?

[Eddie]

I'd just finish the QC treatment and then give him fresh warm water. The warmer temps will get his appetite back and also try something live such white worms or california blackworms (from a good source), live brine shrimp. Its best to get the fish to build its own immune system without the use of antibiotics.


Take care and the fish definitely look good,

Eddie

[johnwe]

any suggestions on where to get any of that food. The fish still has not eaten, but it looks fine.

[Eddie]

any suggestions on where to get any of that food. The fish still has not eaten, but it looks fine.


If the treatment is done and the fish is well, as long as all the meds (all, meaning 150% water change) are out of the water, you can increase the tank temp to about 90-92F and try frozen blood worms.

Eddie

[johnwe]

will the cories and neons tolerate this temp? and for how long?

[Eddie]

They may take 90 but its a risky call on your part. May think about moving them.

Eddie

[johnwe]

I guess this makes at least 5 days without eating. I came home later tonight than usual and found one dead neon. It's body looked intact, no signs of injury or disease.

I fed the fish then did a 65-70% WC.

Stats
pH 6.6
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
I didn't test Nitrate but assume it's 0 from all the water changes lately.
Tank temp was raised the last day or two from 84 to 86. I am waiting for one more water change to consider going higher.


Not too long after the water change I noticed that the sick discus had a kinda large white poop hanging, kind of broken up.

http://forum.simplydiscus.com//showthread.php?t=48601

It looks like I should treat with Praziquantel?? Please instruct how to do this, what water temp should I go for? Does Prazi effect bio filter at all?

A good place to get it?

Do I treat the whole tank? It seem like two more discus are hiding a little more than usual. But this morning they all ate but the one "sick one".

Should I treat the whole tank or move the one discus to my 29 and treat it there?

I can't imagine keeping discus without this site!

I bought some chems recently to stock my "medicine cabinet:
Quick Cure
Methylene Blue
Neomycin
Jungle: Ick Clear and Fungus clear

Looks like I will be ordering some Prazi, what else should I order while I am at it?

[Eddie]

Prazi eliminates tapeworms (totally uncommon) and some external parasite, basically flukes.

Why do you suspect tapeworms?

Sounds to me that your fish probably need a round of metronidazole and epsom salt. I would QT the sick fish and the other ones that show ill symptoms.

Buy some metro laced flake food from Angel Plus or Jehmco and feed this food while treating your fish with metro.

Eddie

[johnwe]

Sorry I am tired. I misread that. The sick one has white somewhat mucousy poops. He still looks OK if maybe a little dark.

One or two other discus seem to be hiding a little more than usual.

Should I treat just one, or maybe three and not the whole tank?

[Eddie]

Sorry I am tired. I misread that. The sick one has white somewhat mucousy poops. He still looks OK if maybe a little dark.

One or two other discus seem to be hiding a little more than usual.

Should I treat just one, or maybe three and not the whole tank?

QT the 3, treat them with metro, keeping the tank warm add air. Try to get metro flake too, always good to use.

Eddie

[johnwe]

I have the three in the bare QT 29 gallon with metro and 87F

tonight I got home and all the discus in the main tank are acting skittish, two are hiding a lot, all of the rest hiding more than usual (usually pretty much not at all). A few of them (in the main tank) are wiggly and brushing against plants some, and they streak across quickly sometimes, and seem to be spooking eachother and darting away. I decided to add a dose of metro to this tank too.

How many days for a metro treatment?

[Eddie]

I have the three in the bare QT 29 gallon with metro and 87F

tonight I got home and all the discus in the main tank are acting skittish, two are hiding a lot, all of the rest hiding more than usual (usually pretty much not at all). A few of them (in the main tank) are wiggly and brushing against plants some, and they streak across quickly sometimes, and seem to be spooking eachother and darting away. I decided to add a dose of metro to this tank too.

How many days for a metro treatment?

That sounds more like an external irritant, where metro is useless. May try to perform large water changes daily for the next week. If you have scaleless fish in the tank, don't use salt but otherwise add 2tbsp per 10 gallons. Ordinary table salt (I use iodide free).

Eddie