Treating with octozin ammonia level 2ppm

[Whitey]

Hi guys
I've been heat treating my discus with salt, octozin and temps of 32*c
The ones with the White poop are now fine
My problem is i think I've knocked my filter out as there is now ammonia present.
my white discus is not well he keeps lying on his side, then swimming about and then lying on his side again.
Water Params are:
Ammonia 2ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 40ppm
Ph 6.4

I use RO water buffered with seachem neutral regulator and discus buffer

I've added seachem prime and stability
Is there anything else I can do?
Water change everyday?
Thanks

[kris2341]

water change, addition of methylene blue i believe can relieve symptoms of ammonia poisoning.

[Whitey]

Not sure I dare add anything else but thanks will keep up with the water changes

[pcsb23]

Just water changes for now and lose the neutral regulator, no need for it, let the pH go where it will. Whilst meth blue does in fact aid O2 transport it can also adversely affect the bio filter. And get your temps down, lower temp = more dissolved O2 = easier breathing & less stress for the fish.

[Whitey]

Hi thanks for the advice
I've just done a 40% water change, put the temp down to 30c and have 3 air stones and a 4.5 ft spray bar
I've attached a pick of the White diamond swimming at an angle

[kris2341]

As long as the ammonia is completely taken care of, the discus should be fine if this has only been going on for less than a day. Never underestimate the havoc strong meds can bring to a system, this is why I always keep zeolite on hand.

Looking at the nitrates, I feel like the system may not be all that clean. How often do you do your water changes Whitey? Around here, plenty of people do water changes in the range of 50% and up every other day to keep their adults in top form. Water may be expensive in some parts, but discus even more so.

Also, unless you have some awful water or the discus have lived their whole life in low TDS water, there is no real need to use RO if you are just keeping them around. The majority of hobbyists only use RO water for breeding purposes and maintain their fish in tap water so it is easier to care for them.

Your flagellate problem that you have been treating may be related to either bad food, or you got fish from a bad source. Are these fish new?

[Whitey]

Hi kris
Thanks for the reply
Stupidly I took on 3 discus that were emaciated thinking I could fix them and even more stupidly put them with the rest!
2 are now dead the 3rd has made a complete recovery.
I have an RO unit in a kitchen cupboard that goes through the wall outside to two 200 ltr waterbutts, then I have a waterbutts pump that pumps the water back through the wall into my lounge and into the tank.
The fx 5 filter has a T tap valve on with one going to a a vecton 600 uv on the outlet back to the tank.
The other goes back out the lounge wall and to the drain. (Yes I live alone lol)
I think what has not helped was the substrate it was a mix of aquatic sand and jbl manado about 2" thick.
I had small snake like tremadodes in the substrate so I hoovered it out to about to about 10mm thick. I think that's where the spike came from.
I do 50% water changes once a week but will be upping this to two a week.
In the fx filter I have seachem matrix in 3 baskets with one of the top sponges removed and in its place seachem carbon matrix and purigen ( I've just put these back in after the meds)

I've been feeding them homemade heart mix it's pigs heart not beef though.
Pigs heart, carrot, banana to bind it, garlic, prawns, and white fish fillets.
And tetra pro menu crisps
I've just started feeding them tetra prima granular

My tap water has 50ppm nitrates in which is why I went down the RO/DI route.
I could only do a 40% yesterday as the ro unit could not keep up.
I usually fill the butts and leave it a few days to age
Thanks

[Whitey]

I'm also thinking of taking the rest of the substrate out and putting kiln dried block paving sand in at a depth of 1/2 inch so I can see the muck easier and take it out with a turkey baster but need to get rid of the ammonia first

[kris2341]

Thats some awful nitrates in your tap! You are definitely one of those who needs an RO for basic husbandry!

Anyways, when it comes down to it, the number one remedy for the things that ail our discus is one simple thing: good, clean water and LOTS of it! The recommendation for adult discus care is a bare bottom tank, 50% water change every other day or at least twice a week with careful attention to detritus siphoning. Nitrates should be as low as possible.

The only time meds are used is if the actual ailment has been identified and is deemed to be necessary since over medicating a fish is often more deadly than the disease itself.

IMO, feeding a homemade mix like your own practically requires additional water changes as it fouls the water fast even if the fish eat it. It has to come back out eventually!

[Whitey]

Hi pcsb23
Going back to the 'lose the neutral regulator' are you saying the fish will be fine just using discus buffer and discus trace
And nothing else for the ro/di water?
Thanks Dave

[brewmaster15]

Hi pcsb23
Going back to the 'lose the neutral regulator' are you saying the fish will be fine just using discus buffer and discus trace
And nothing else for the ro/di water?
Thanks Dave

Not Paul, but I'll take a stab at this for you. That neutral regulator works by precipitating out minerals like calcium and magnesium from your water. You don't need that with RO water. If using pure R/) you will need to put something back..I use R/O right, or I add back a small amount of my tap. Buffer really should not be needed if you do regular and adequate water changes.

Last note Dave, you said that your tap water has 50 PPM... Thats some serious nitrate levels, might want to check with the local heatlh department or water company....somethings not good there.
hth,
al

[Whitey]

Thanks brewmaster I get it now
I will check that with the water company