Help Please - Fin rot and now headstanding!

[meliss]

DISEASE QUESTIONNAIRE


Problem

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

About a week ago, noticed start of fin rot, not too bad. Hoped to improve just with extra water changes and treating with Melafix. Today, fin rot is mostly the same, possibly a bit worse, but came home to find the fish headstanding. Color is fine, he is also trying to eat, but fighting to maintain control of his position.



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)

Fin Rot (relatively minor - at least compared to some I've seen), now headstanding. Breathing a bit difficultly, I wouldn't say looks overly bloated.




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

Just Melafix for the fin rot, was hoping to turn it around with better water care



Tank/Water

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

55 gallons, just one 8-year-old discus


5. Water change regime/ how long has tank been running/ bare bottom or gravel/ do you age your water?

gravel bottom, last water change on Sunday. Going to go do a water change now.


6 Parameters and water source;

- temp __ termometer battery is dead! Need to out for a new one tomorrow. But i have two heaters in the tank and they are cycling on and off as normal. Leads me to believe tank is at its usual stable temp of 83

- ph _around 6.2 to 6.4

- ammonia reading _0

- nitrite reading ____0

- nitrate reading ____20

- well water ____no

- municipal water ____yes

7. Any new fish/plants added recently

No.

I have on hand melafix, maracyn, and fungus clear (which is nitrofurazone, furazolidone, and potassium dichromate). Should I treat the tank with maracy or fungus clear?

With water changes I routinely add Prime and ph-Control minus


Thanks! I appreciate the help, I've had this discus for 6+ years with very little issue, so I'm not skilled in how to help him when he's not well!

[Melissa]

Why do you use ph control minus??
Stable water is more important than achieving a certain oh with domestic discus. Do you have any pictures of the sicky guy? And did I read right he is in a 55 gal all by himself?

[Skip]

just do daily water changes, min 50%.. then update condition in a week :)

ps.. STOP ADDING that PH stuff!! just use clean tap water :)

[meliss]

Hi! Thank you for the advice!

Yes, one 8-year-old (very large) discus in a 55 gal by himself. He started out with another discus of the same age/size, but lost him last year. I did a friend a 'favor' 6 years ago when they were moving and couldn't take their fish, and here I still am!

I do use ph minus - I guess this just may be bad advice from years ago. I will discontinue its use, but I have been using it consistently for years, so I'm inclined to think that isn't related.

In an effort (possibly misguided) to help, I went ahead and treated with fungus clear last night (before hearing back any advice). It has worked in the past for me to correct fin rot.

This morning all seems about the same in the tank. He is still facing down, obviously still the minor fin rot, but swimming around and not overly dark in color.

I have attached pictures from this morning. Pic 1 and 3 show his general downward facing orientation. Pic 2 is a zoom in of the fin rot.
66779
66780
66781

I will definitely do the water changes. I guess I should leave the tank for 48 hours after having already added the fungus clear last night before doing a 50% water change, right? Then I'll keep doing 50% each day. Thanks so much for the advice!

Melissa

[nc0gnet0]

How often do you clean your gravel? Your water change routing could be a bit better, but yet, considering you only have one fish in a 55 gallon, it's not terrible either. Poor old guy could be dieing of loneliness.......melafix is useless, I would discontinue its use. Hard to see the fin rot, I would be more concerned with the head standing ATM. Plenty of clean water, I might even continue with the use of the PH-. While I woud agree that it is most likely not needed, I would keep things as normal for him as possible in his weakend state. he just might be nearing the end of his life cycle..........

Rick

[jimg]

I lost my 7- 8 yr old discus with the same symptoms. I believe due to old age it's system is weakening and bacteria is getting the better of it. If i was to add anything to the the water it would just be a couple tbls salt to the 55.

[Skip]

mine do that every once in awhile.. i add epson salt 2tablespoons/10 gallons.. usually clears up in a few hours :)

[meliss]

Thanks everyone for the advice! I hope I can turn this around and get some more good time with this guy. To answer a previous question, I routinely vacume the gravel and change the water weekly. I will go ahead and try the epson salt. Is it ok to add on top of the fungus clear currently in there?

[meliss]

Update: Put in 5 Tablespoons of epsom salts into my 55 gallon tank 12 hours ago (since this was my first time trying this, I thought I would use the more moderate dosage of 1 tablespoon per 10 gallons instead of 2 per 10 gallons). He is still headstanding :(

Planning on doing a 50% water change in a few hours. Any other suggestions?

Thanks!
Melissa

[Skip]

yes.. add another 5 tablespoons.. if that doesn't work.. he may just say that way..

[meliss]

Hello All, Update:

I did double the dose of epsom salt, to no benefit. Its a week later, the fish is still headstanding. He is still eating, and otherwise seems about the same. I've been doing 50% water changes about every 2 days. Just keep up with the water changes and hope for the best/recovery?

Thanks,
Melissa

[Skip]

sounds like he may live a long 45 degree angle life..

there really isn't a cure

[Sean Buehrle]

I have to agree that his life cycle might be nearing an end, heck hes 8 years old. But lets not count him out yet, he might be a tough bugger.
Seems to me you took pretty good care of him and you know how to keep discus so heres the big question.

Who are you going to rent his tank too ?


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[Sean Buehrle]

Hello All, Update:

I did double the dose of epsom salt, to no benefit. Its a week later, the fish is still headstanding. He is still eating, and otherwise seems about the same. I've been doing 50% water changes about every 2 days. Just keep up with the water changes and hope for the best/recovery?

Thanks,
Melissa

Yep waterchanges and salt. Try to not feed him so much for awhile, let him get hungry. It will also keep his tank clean which is benificial with fin rot.


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[meliss]

Thank you all for the help and advice!