New Discus laying on side.

[annj]

I added a new discus to my existing 4 today. It was shipped overnight. I left the bag in the water for 45 minutes then put the fish in the aquarium. It swam sideways and really had a hard time. After a couple of hours it has been lying on the bottom. It is breathing.
What should I do?

[Skip]

did you just leave bag in the water for 45 min? then just dumped it into the tank?!

well. it is probably very stressed.. you may have got the bag water and tank water to equalize, but not the other water parameters.. ph, hardness, etc.. that may have been a shock to it..

[Eddie]

It should get up, happens sometimes. Seen some folks on here that had their fish laying down for a day or 2. The thing that throws up a red flag is that you skipped quarantine. Right now that fish laying on the ground is being overwhelmed with any and all bugs in the tank, its like a sitting duck. It causes more stress than just the acclimation.

[annj]

After 45 minutes I removed the fish from the bag by hand and put it in the aquarium. I did not put any bag water in the aquarium. The temp is good. PH is good. No amonia. Nitrates and Nitrites are good. All other discus are fine. Day two now of laying on its side.

[annj]

Should I have guarantined for more than the 45 minutes in the bag?????

[Eddie]

No, quarantine is a process of isolating new fish in a separate tank to ensure their health, prior to mixing them with your current fish.


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[daveo]

Should I have guarantined for more than the 45 minutes in the bag?????

Some people will let 20% of the new water into the bag wait some time then after that another
20% this is after the bag is close to the same temp. or the same temp. as the tank water.

Daveo