Blue Diamond Not Eating But Looks Fine

[swick]

I have a blue diamond together (about 4 inches) with a blue turq in a 55g aquarium. I've had the blue diamond for about 6 months and the blue turq for about 2 years.

About 4 days ago I put an extra bloodworm cube in than I normally do, and later on I noticed my blue diamond had an unusually large belly. Looks like he ate too much and I thought nothing of it.

Next day, he doesn't eat. I figure that's normal and hes probably just full. He doesn't eat for 2 more days after that.

Now its the 4th day and his stomach looks like its back to normal. Today he went to eat some brine shrimp, but then spit it out.

He's normal color, no abnormal behavior, still swimming around the tank, water changes are being kept up with, everything else is fine... he's just not eating yet. He's usually a very aggressive eater that's why it's kind of weird that he's still not eating yet. I'm not sure what would cause him to attempt to eat and then spit out the brine shrimp... maybe he's still full and his stomach is still telling him to hold off?

Any ideas?

[swick]

forgot to mention I also noticed a tiny oval shaped hole on his top fin which is kind of odd

[DiscusBR]

You have to fill the questionnaire:

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?38545-Disease-Questionnaire-please-complete

[swick]

DISEASE QUESTIONNAIRE


Problem

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


About 5 days ago I put an extra bloodworm cube in than I normally do, and later on I noticed my blue diamond had an unusually large belly. Looks like he ate too much and I thought nothing of it.

Next day, he doesn't eat. I figure that's normal and hes probably just full. He doesn't eat for 3 more days after that. On the 4th day I noticed him trying to eat brine shrimp, but he spits it out.

Now its the 5th day and I just tried to feed him bloodworm and he is continually eating and spitting out the food over and over. I didn't see him swallow one piece. Something is definitely not right.


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)

He's a little darker now, not as aggressive as he usually is. He wasn't at the top of the tank this morning waiting for food which was very unusual.

His poop is starting to come out white it looks like. I can only see the tip of it starting to come out and it's white.

There's a new small oval shaped hole on the top of his fin. Not sure if this has anything to do with it.




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


Nothing yet.


Tank/Water

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

55 gallons, about 2 years old. 1 full grown Blue Turq discus, 1 blue diamond about 4 inches. Some glass cat fish, tetra, and cory cats.

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

50% weekly, tank has been running for 2 years, about 2-3 inches of gravel, no I don't age the water.

6 Parameters and water source;

- temp _____82F

- ph _____7.0

- ammonia reading ____

- nitrite reading ____

- nitrate reading ____

- well water ____no

- municipal water ____yes

7. Any new fish/plants added recently

No


I don't want to lose this fish... help! thanks!

[swick]

he's a lot more jumpy/anxious than usual too...

[Skip]

when do you change your water.. and how much?

[judy]

Are the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings blank because they are zero or because you don't know them? You should know them-- they might reveal a water quality problem, whihc is almost always the first thing that's wrong when keeping discus.

[swick]

when do you change your water.. and how much?

50% weekly

[swick]

Are the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings blank because they are zero or because you don't know them? You should know them-- they might reveal a water quality problem, whihc is almost always the first thing that's wrong when keeping discus.

blank because I don't know. it was always the same readings before with regular water changes

but I will check again... what should I do about my fish illness though, any ideas what it is? how to treat?

[Skip]

what should I do about my fish illness though, any ideas what it is? how to treat?

first thing.. up your water change to DAILY.. 50%..

the most common discus problem is cause by lack of water changes..
also you only have 2 fish.. they are a schooling fish.. they are much happier in groups of 5-6..

the most common solution.. water changes..

it my take a few days.. to see if the wc was the problem...

my took about 4 before the pepped up! and i was really freaking out.. BUT.. WC is what was needed and i have not seen a problem with them since..

[judy]

blank because I don't know. it was always the same readings before with regular water changes

but I will check again... what should I do about my fish illness though, any ideas what it is? how to treat?
that's why I asked. check them. I suspect you have water quality issues. always keep on top of those readings, even if they are zero for months on end. check them anyway. they will tell you if your water change regimen is sufficient. do 50% changes daily for a week or so. see how the fish responds. and consider a larger tank with three or four more discus. They are much happier as a schooling fish. they work well as two fish if they are a mated pair.

[PAR23]

As others have mentioned, up the WCs to daily and check water parameters. Would also increase temp to 86-88F if water measurements are in check. Have some metro powder on hand just in case he does not turn around in a week.

[swick]

just want to let everyone know my fish is back to normal, active and aggressively eating.

In case this happens to anyone else, this is all I did (over about an 8 day span starting from the beginning):

1. Another 50% water change 2 days after the regular once-per-week change. (had my water tested too, its fine)
2. 2 doses of epson salt over 2 days (2 teaspoons per 10 gallons)
3. Added a dose of Blackwater Extract from Tetra Aqua (peat extract).

It wasn't until I added the extract that I noticed improvement. He got a couple pieces of brine shrimp down about an hour after I added that. I was amazed. But then the next day he didn't eat again until the afternoon when he ate just a little again.

The next morning he was at the top of the tank and ate like a horse! And is now back to normal swimming around, his anxiety is gone too. Its the night now of this same day and hes still looks good swimming around actively.

It looks like I just overfed him and he got constipated or something. It knocked him out for just over a week. I think the blackwater extract took a little stress off him and gave him a little jolt of happiness which allowed him to fully recover.

Either way I will continue using the extract.

Thanks!