Discus Hiding

[rocknurworld2006]

What could be the reason for my discus hiding they all hide in the same corner of the tank, if they do comeout then they dive back to that corner.

they were eating prima fine, now ive had to go back to bloodworm as this is all they will eat at the moment, but i am percevering with other foods.

water quality is perfect.
there are no people dashing past tank etc, as its only me.

tank mates are corys,bn's, and emperor tetras-7

there are 8young discus


any thoughts on what it could be?
tank i swell planted, to provide cover so is not an open tank.

ligjhting is 2 x60watt small tubes.
no high flow filters

 

[Tolak]

Sounds like two out of three symptoms for internal protizoans. This is common in discus, as well as angels. Time for the copy & paste thing;

This is what I do for angels, you may want to look into the maximum temp your fish can handle. Metro was originally designed for humans, the closer you can get the tank to 98.6F the better.

Put the angel in a quar tank, I usually use a 10 gallon. Increase the temp over a day or so to 90-94F. Treat daily with 40 mg/gallon metronidazole, with 50% water changes daily. If the fish isn't eating, don't feed for the first 3 days. After 3 days, get some frozen brine shrimp. Take a portion about the size of a few match heads, and sprinkle on some metro. You have to eyeball this one, make the shrimp look kind of like a tiny powdered donut. Once it thaws, mix it in & feed. Sometimes they still don't eat for a few days, but once they start to mouth the food & spit it out, the meds seem to get in their system real good. Continue medicating the water & food for 7-10 days.

Metronidazole is sold as flagyl, het-a-mit, and a few other names I can't recall offhand, used to treat hexamita & hole in the head. They usually suggest 20mg/gallon, this often isn't enough. Metro deteriorates in 8 hours, so you could do twice daily water changes. I've done this on the weekends when I have time.

I've also added epsom salt while using metro, this helps with any constipation issues, cleans out the digestive tract. I start with 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons of water, increasing by 1 teaspoon daily for 2 more days to bring it up to 3 teaspoons per 10 gallons. You will have to adjust how much you use when doing water changes. You may want to give this a try.

 

[rocknurworld2006]

Sounds like two out of three symptoms for internal protizoans. This is common in discus, as well as angels. Time for the copy & paste thing;

This is what I do for angels, you may want to look into the maximum temp your fish can handle. Metro was originally designed for humans, the closer you can get the tank to 98.6F the better.

Put the angel in a quar tank, I usually use a 10 gallon. Increase the temp over a day or so to 90-94F. Treat daily with 40 mg/gallon metronidazole, with 50% water changes daily. If the fish isn't eating, don't feed for the first 3 days. After 3 days, get some frozen brine shrimp. Take a portion about the size of a few match heads, and sprinkle on some metro. You have to eyeball this one, make the shrimp look kind of like a tiny powdered donut. Once it thaws, mix it in & feed. Sometimes they still don't eat for a few days, but once they start to mouth the food & spit it out, the meds seem to get in their system real good. Continue medicating the water & food for 7-10 days.

Metronidazole is sold as flagyl, het-a-mit, and a few other names I can't recall offhand, used to treat hexamita & hole in the head. They usually suggest 20mg/gallon, this often isn't enough. Metro deteriorates in 8 hours, so you could do twice daily water changes. I've done this on the weekends when I have time.

I've also added epsom salt while using metro, this helps with any constipation issues, cleans out the digestive tract. I start with 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons of water, increasing by 1 teaspoon daily for 2 more days to bring it up to 3 teaspoons per 10 gallons. You will have to adjust how much you use when doing water changes. You may want to give this a try.

thanks alot tolak!! good advice there, i do have metro i managed to aquire from a friend, as normally u cnat buy metro in the uk.

i will kep u updated and let u know how i get on
thanks again

 

[Jim Curtis]

Yo! There's probably nothing wrong with them! Are they new to the tank? Have the ever come out? Discus can take weeks even months to get acclimated to a new tank. Are they eating?

Also, well planted tanks almost never have perfect water quality as it is almost impossible to clean all of the debris out of the substrate when you have plants to go around. What is your waterchange/gravel vac routine?

 

[Tolak]

If these are the same discus he's had them a little over two months. I realize discus can take weeks to settle in, but after a couple of months it's something more than a new tank or water parameters, especially if they have been outgoing & eating well previously.

If they are newer Jim is on the money, dim the lights, limit commotion, and let them settle in.

 

[rocknurworld2006]

If these are the same discus he's had them a little over two months. I realize discus can take weeks to settle in, but after a couple of months it's something more than a new tank or water parameters, especially if they have been outgoing & eating well previously.

If they are newer Jim is on the money, dim the lights, limit commotion, and let them settle in.

yes as you say tolak i have had these for over two months, and they were all eating prima fine etc.
but this has benn the last two weeks they have been like this now

 

[kev_kb]

How small are they?

If they are really young they should be in a bare bottom tank in a bigger group getting a part water change each day.

Even if they are adults I would try 25% water changes each day for a week and see how they react before trying to treat them. Also make sure your water stats are good and of the correct ph/hardness etc, use different test kits or get a shop to test for confirmation.

 

[rabbut]

I'd personally worm and waterchange for a few days I wouldn't go into any other treatments untill you have a deffinate diagnosis, as it could do more halm than good. All I see listed above are signs of stress, nothing that gives definitive disease issue warning bells. Something is upsetting them, and I'm not yet certain that it is disease

Has anything changed recently?

What are your waterchange and gravel vacing routiens?

Any flicking/rubbing?

I know you said the water stats are perfect, but could you please post them?

I know you say you are the only person to enter the room. This in itself could be the problem, as the fish may not be used to movement outside the tank. I'd acctually surgest at this point moving them to a high-traffic area. Discus that are kept in a quiet room are usualy shy and reclusive, where as those kept in a usy room are usualy more outgoing...

All the best
Rabbut

 

[kev_kb]

I know you say you are the only person to enter the room. This in itself could be the problem, as the fish may not be used to movement outside the tank. I'd acctually surgest at this point moving them to a high-traffic area. Discus that are kept in a quiet room are usualy shy and reclusive, where as those kept in a usy room are usualy more outgoing...

That's not true in my experience. Taking stressed Discus and putting them into a potentially more stressful situation surely isn't the answer.

My Discus are in a very quiet room and it makes no difference to them if they are left alone all day. Like all fish if they are comfortable and healthy they will soon learn where their food comes from and that your not going to eat them...

 

[rabbut]

If the fish are venturing out and then darting back, there is something startling them once they come out. I suspect the owner, but realy it could be anything outside the tank that moves or makes noise, that is not there constantly to allow them to get used to it. I don't suppose OP, that you only have the main room lights on while you are in the room? Is there anything you could think of that would startle them? How long have they been in this location, since you bought them or has they been moved since? Obviously if they were fine with the location and yourself at one point, they should still be. Any changes to your routien with them? I know it's a daft question to ask, so please don't shoot me for asking, but do you or does anyone else that has access to the room ever tap the glass, even by accident? There is a chance that the cowering in a corner is a "learnt" behaviour that they associate with people by the tank, but I have never seen that happen personally...

My thoughts on this is there is something outside the tank that is upseting them, rather than disease.

I don't suppose Mike OS is watching this somewhere? He is one of three people on here that I would consider a discus "expert" and is probibly better placed to give an idea of the issue than me who has only been keeping these fish for a few months Same with Discuslova and angelmouse the other experts. Any of you three have any thoughts?

I know I'm just on gut feeling here, but it is a strong feeling that there is something outside the tank going on, rather than it being a health issue or similar. If is was disease IME they wouldn't be eating anything.

All the best
Rabbut

 

[rocknurworld2006]

If the fish are venturing out and then darting back, there is something startling them once they come out. I suspect the owner, but realy it could be anything outside the tank that moves or makes noise, that is not there constantly to allow them to get used to it. I don't suppose OP, that you only have the main room lights on while you are in the room? Is there anything you could think of that would startle them? How long have they been in this location, since you bought them or has they been moved since? Obviously if they were fine with the location and yourself at one point, they should still be. Any changes to your routien with them? I know it's a daft question to ask, so please don't shoot me for asking, but do you or does anyone else that has access to the room ever tap the glass, even by accident? There is a chance that the cowering in a corner is a "learnt" behaviour that they associate with people by the tank, but I have never seen that happen personally...

My thoughts on this is there is something outside the tank that is upseting them, rather than disease.

I don't suppose Mike OS is watching this somewhere? He is one of three people on here that I would consider a discus "expert" and is probibly better placed to give an idea of the issue than me who has only been keeping these fish for a few months Same with Discuslova and angelmouse the other experts. Any of you three have any thoughts?

I know I'm just on gut feeling here, but it is a strong feeling that there is something outside the tank going on, rather than it being a health issue or similar. If is was disease IME they wouldn't be eating anything.

All the best
Rabbut

yes i dont think it is disease as you say i feel its just scared.

em nobody else has access to room, only me and no tapping on glass etc.

they are in my beddroom, they seem to be hiding now all the time all huddled together real close.

the emperor tetras are always out etc as well as corys and bn's

but the discus are just hiding all the time now.

even at night sometimes when all lights off etc and if im still awake i sometimes hear them splashing about darting etc.
its only occasionally thyre coming out now.

any ideas??

thanks alot for your help guys

 

[kev_kb]

The fact they are jumpy at night rules out noises and traffic around the tank and general shyness IMO. Something in the tank is freaking them out.

It could be:
Unsuitable water parameters.
Dirty tank, unwashed gravel etc.
Bristlenoses defending territory.
Tetras nipping them.
Vibrations or noise from filter.

Are you doing daily water changes?

 

[rocknurworld2006]

The fact they are jumpy at night rules out noises and traffic around the tank and general shyness IMO. Something in the tank is freaking them out.

It could be:
Unsuitable water parameters.
Dirty tank, unwashed gravel etc.
Bristlenoses defending territory.
Tetras nipping them.
Vibrations or noise from filter.

Are you doing daily water changes?

none of them things, these tetras arent nippy at all
bn's seem fine with them, as i see them near them all the time and they dont bother each other
filters are quet, no high flows
tank is clean!!!!!
water aprameters are gd

i do frequent water changes i dont do daily, as there isnt the need for them, some people may do this, but this isnt nescessary

 

[kev_kb]

i do frequent water changes i dont do daily, as there isnt the need for them, some people may do this, but this isnt nescessary

I would agree when referring to keeping adult Discus normally. However your fish are acting strange, that's reason enough in my mind!

Unless your adding poor water from the tap you'll know one way or another if your water is to blame...

Good luck.

 

[rabbut]

Any chance you could post the stats for water please? Include, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH Phosphate if you have it and temperature. What kits do you use?

I'm still not 100% that the issue isn't outside the tank. I have never know filter noise or flow upset discus. Mine were fine with the noise from a Fluval, and filters don't get much noisier than those IME with 4 manufactureres, and my fish love swimming in the 2400lph current from the jet outlet on my filters They have the option to go into quiet sections of plants and at the front, but choose for some reason to hang about in the flow. Possibly because this is where I drop the food (no gasping or any other things going on to surgest a problem)... Discuslova (I think) has reported that traffic noise is not an issue for his fish...

All the best
Rabbut