One of my four Discus is permanently sat at the bottom of the aquarium with slightly faster gill/mouth movements than the rest and appears to have an opaque colour to its entire body. Fins are moving slowly and will sometimes close them against its body for extended periods. It is responsive to me putting food in that it will swim up but it has no appetite and so it will not eat anything. Yesterday the fish had a very healthy appetite; it consumed BCUK 'Discus Food' which I believe is a beef heart and vegetable matter mix.
1. Please explain the problems with your fish. When did you notice the problems and did anything unusual happen that you think started them?
I noticed the problem today after dosing the aquarium with WaterLife Protozin which contains malachite green and copper sulphate. I have treated the tank with this as a separate discus is being subjected to a lot of stress from a larger discus and this has caused a small outbreak of whitespot on it's body.
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).
Symptoms include not eating, darker appearance, clamped fins, opaque sheen to body and gill movements are faster though it is not going to the surface as though it is oxygen deprived.
3. What medications/ treatments have you already tried and what were the results. Include dosage and duration of treatment.
Waterlife Protozin containing malachite green and copper sulphate. 30ml into 300 litres of aquarium water was administered on the 28th, 29th and 30th. Next and final dose is due 1st of August.
Tank/Water
4. Tank size and ages, numbers and sizes of fish.
300 litres. Established for 1.5 years.
4 Discus measuring 12cm, 12cm, 8cm and 8cm approx.
8 Corydoras 3.5cm approx.
3 Bolivian rams 4cm approx.
5. Water change regime (What percentage and how often).
30% replaced every week. This regime has suited my larger discus for 1 year without issue. Newest fish which is the subject of this topic is the only one to appear ill.
6. How long has tank been running? Is it bare bottom? If you have substrate, what type and how deep is it?
Has been running for 1.5 years. It is bare bottom.
7. Do you age your water? If you do for how long and what is the ph swing.
No. It is dechlorinated tap water supplied to the tank at the usual aquarium temperature.
8. Parameters and water source;
Note: Water Parameters are important in diagnosing problems within a tank. If you don't own test kits for the following information, you can purchase them, test your parameters and post this info as soon as possible.
- temp 27.5 degrees C
- ph 6.5
- ammonia reading 0 ppm
- nitrite reading 0 ppm
- nitrate reading 15 ppm
What type of water or combinations of water sources do you use? If it is an RO/tap/well water mix, please list percentages in the mix.
Tap water.
9. Any new fish, plants or inverts added recently.
1 new 8cm Discus.
10. Please tell us what you feed your fish and how often. This can be critical information for solving the problem so be as specific as you can.
Tetra prima pellets once a day and BCUK Discus Food which is a mix of beef heart, blood worm and vegetable matter.
11. Include any pictures or videos you have which shows the symptoms. If you can't add them to this post, please provide a link to them.
My camera will not adjust to the light of the aquarium at this time.
1. Please explain the problems with your fish. When did you notice the problems and did anything unusual happen that you think started them?
I noticed the problem today after dosing the aquarium with WaterLife Protozin which contains malachite green and copper sulphate. I have treated the tank with this as a separate discus is being subjected to a lot of stress from a larger discus and this has caused a small outbreak of whitespot on it's body.
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).
Symptoms include not eating, darker appearance, clamped fins, opaque sheen to body and gill movements are faster though it is not going to the surface as though it is oxygen deprived.
3. What medications/ treatments have you already tried and what were the results. Include dosage and duration of treatment.
Waterlife Protozin containing malachite green and copper sulphate. 30ml into 300 litres of aquarium water was administered on the 28th, 29th and 30th. Next and final dose is due 1st of August.
Tank/Water
4. Tank size and ages, numbers and sizes of fish.
300 litres. Established for 1.5 years.
4 Discus measuring 12cm, 12cm, 8cm and 8cm approx.
8 Corydoras 3.5cm approx.
3 Bolivian rams 4cm approx.
5. Water change regime (What percentage and how often).
30% replaced every week. This regime has suited my larger discus for 1 year without issue. Newest fish which is the subject of this topic is the only one to appear ill.
6. How long has tank been running? Is it bare bottom? If you have substrate, what type and how deep is it?
Has been running for 1.5 years. It is bare bottom.
7. Do you age your water? If you do for how long and what is the ph swing.
No. It is dechlorinated tap water supplied to the tank at the usual aquarium temperature.
8. Parameters and water source;
Note: Water Parameters are important in diagnosing problems within a tank. If you don't own test kits for the following information, you can purchase them, test your parameters and post this info as soon as possible.
- temp 27.5 degrees C
- ph 6.5
- ammonia reading 0 ppm
- nitrite reading 0 ppm
- nitrate reading 15 ppm
What type of water or combinations of water sources do you use? If it is an RO/tap/well water mix, please list percentages in the mix.
Tap water.
9. Any new fish, plants or inverts added recently.
1 new 8cm Discus.
10. Please tell us what you feed your fish and how often. This can be critical information for solving the problem so be as specific as you can.
Tetra prima pellets once a day and BCUK Discus Food which is a mix of beef heart, blood worm and vegetable matter.
11. Include any pictures or videos you have which shows the symptoms. If you can't add them to this post, please provide a link to them.
My camera will not adjust to the light of the aquarium at this time.
