Setting up a quarantine tank help? :)

[Charhendrix]

Hey everyone, I've got 1 discus who seems to be a little under the weather, or maybe he is just being a little over bullied ( smallest in the "pecking order" but I'm gettin pretty worried about this fish. I need some advice on setting up a quarantine tank, I.e how big should the tank be? Should I leave it empty or put a small piece of driftwood in? Should I use water from my main tank to fill the new qt tank?
I'm trying to do this to save a little cobalt! Ha so all the helps appreciated . I'm hoping he'll get bigger and a little healthier and I'll be able to reintegrate him!

[Bill63SG]

How many discus do you have in what size tank?More in likely you pull him and the next lower one will get picked on.He wont do well on his own.But to answer your question.I like a 20gal,you can use water from your other tank.If you put driftwood in there youll never see him,plus it could absorb meds.You should have had a sponge filter seeding in other tank for 3 weeks to put in new tank.If not some media from other filter,and keep up with wc's until cycled if you have to put it together fast.

[Charhendrix]

I have 6 in a 46 gallon bf. I'm just really worried about him . Didn't know what else to do that's all! Ha

[Orange Crush]

Fill this out completely and then we might be able to tell you if it is illness or being low man on the totem pole. http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?38545-Disease-Questionnaire-please-complete

[Bill63SG]

Fill this out completely and then we might be able to tell you if it is illness or being low man on the totem pole. http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?38545-Disease-Questionnaire-please-complete+1,should have had you do that first instead of geussing.

[Charhendrix]

DISEASE QUESTIONNAIRE


Problem

1. Please explain the problems with your fish/when and how they started
ok Well ive had six discus +1 pleco, for 6 days now ( today being the sixth) five of the six discus are doing great. but the sixth the fish in question only stays in the corners, and has only eaten twice. ( the first two times i fed the tank ) but since then he hasnt eaten, his fins are down and like i said before he just kind of swims stationary in the two bottom corners of the tank. only moving when he gets bullied out of the way... :(




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)

dark, not eating, clamped fins, other then that no visible rotting fungas or anything like that that i can see






3. What medications/ treatments that you have already tried and results. Include dosages and duration of treatment.
i have not tried any treatments , ive been told by the man whom i purchased the from that he is simply taking longer to adapt to his tank... but im beginning to lose faith in this person haha.

Tank/Water

4. Tank size and age, number and size of fish
46 gallon bowfront tank, i had the tank cyclying for almost two months, 6 discus +1 1inch pleco. the discus go from about 3 inches to 4.5 inches. These fish have been in the tank for six days


5. Water change regime/ how long has tank been running/ bare bottom or gravel/ do you age your water?
i do a 25% WC every other day , as well as siphoning excess food when necessary, the tank is bare bottom. And the tank has been running for 2 1/2 months now give or take a couple days. I do not age my water, but my tap water is actually great for tanks, i still use a conditioner and a product called stability with every WC.


6 Parameters and water source;

- temp __84___

- ph _____7.4

- ammonia reading ____0

- nitrite reading ____0

- nitrate reading ____0

- well water ____no

- municipal water ____yes

7. Any new fish/plants added recently

nope, well all fish were added at the same time.

[PAR23]

Cycled tanks should always read nitrates especially the amount of water you are changing. Either your test kit is inaccurate or your tank is not fully cycled.

I would retest your water parameters and increase your WC for now.....at least 50% daily.

[Charhendrix]

sorry i was filling that out with a little guy on my lap. (6month old ) it was somewhere in between 10-20, purple shades on test chart are rather close if you ask me ha. but definetly read 10-20. sorry aboutthat folks!

[PAR23]

No worries. I would try to keep the nitrates less than 10 by performing larger WCs. You are slightly overstocked so just up the WCs for now and give him some time to come around.

[Keith Perkins]

No worries. I would try to keep the nitrates less than 10 by performing larger WCs. You are slightly overstocked so just up the WCs for now and give him so time to come around.

+1 I would then give it about a week and see if he improves. If he gets worse however post immediately.

[Charhendrix]

ok so were thnking hes just not used to his new srroundings yet ?

[Keith Perkins]

And he may just generally be the weakest and the one who is reacting to your water quality.

[Charhendrix]

ok well thanks for the input! appreciate it. Ill up my WC's and see what happens. thanks again !