Discus Keep Dieing Exspensive Ones!

[stiffler69]

Real problem, i posted a little while back with regards to my discus pair well they passed away with no real reason to why they become so sick.

Anyway i turned of the heater and changed most of the water in the tank they lived in cleaned the filter and then just left it cycle for about 4 weeks empty the tank was spotless and couldnt possibly have any bad bacteria left over in it as it was give a really good clean.

so i went out and purchsed another pair this time some pidgeon bloods.

Before i acclimatised them i changed a large portion of the water again and the tank was heated to 29 degrees, i poped them in after a long acclimatisation and they have been fine for around 3 weeks very happy and healthy, until the last couple of days they became really ill not really moving much and laying on the bottom of the tank gasping quite a bit, the tank is very well airated since i use bio sponge filteration. Visually they look fine, just a little lifeless.

Heres some pics

I have 3 other tanks 2 with discus in, and they are all fine the problem seems to be this tank, they are cleaned in the same manor with the same water and are running the same type of filters.

I know its nothing to do with water stats because my other tanks would have issues aswell and it was fully cycled so thats not the problem.

Anyone whos had something similar to this and can assist please do because i have laced the tank with meds previously with my other pair that died and they have done nothing for the fish and i cant see how it can be poor water quality when cleaning has been upped to every 2 days. 25% changes

Food they eat is flake, prima, discus diet, prawns and fresh blood worm.

 

[WILDER]

Can you post your water stats please.
Laying to onside and heavy breathing can be a bacterial infections.
Do they look pale or darker in colour.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing.
Any excess mucas on the body or gills.
Do the gills look pale or darker in colour.
Can they maintain there balance in the water.
Do the fish they rise off the bottom of the tank only to fall back down again.

 

[stiffler69]

Sorry im away at work my girlfriend is currently passing the infomation on to me, colour is normal, their has been no flicking or rubbing, no mucus,

But they definately have lost the balance in the water and have tried to swim up then floated back to the bottom ill tell her to try a double dose of bacteria treatment but like i say it done nothing to help my other pair and these have become ill really quick as did the others, wouldnt bacteria have a longer process ?

thanks.

 

[WILDER]

Whats your location.
I would add a bacterial med to the tank.

How long have you had the fish.
How long did you climatise them for.

 

[stiffler69]

Im in the uk i have already added a broad spectrum bacteria med to the tank think its made by esha its all i have availible at the moment,

thanks.

I have had them atleast 3 weeks they were acclimitised with another pair i got at the same time for about 2 hours but they had been in the car long so wanted to let them in the tank as quick as possible they have been fine up until the past few days

thanks.

 

[WILDER]

Not a great med if I'm honest.
The fish look bad and might not make it, Once they lay like that on the bottom of the tank the med can be to late.

The third type of infection produced by Aeromonas is by no means the least. This form is often the most virulent (potent) and can be rapidly fatal. This insidious form does not produce any noticeable external ulcers. The most notable feature is a behavioral change in which the infected fish generally become listless and lethargic. Some fish may lose color or appear darker. The fish do not feed, frequently seem off balance and may sink to the bottom laying on their sides. The course of the disease is rapid, and by the time the behavioral changes are noticed, the entire population of a tank may succumb, sometimes in a day or so. This is an internal infection, with the bacteria being found in the kidneys and blood of these fish. The bacteria produce potent toxins that account for the severity of the disease.

 

[stiffler69]

Yeah i belive one has already past but 2 days and gone that seems like some sort of super bug i have never known anything take a hold so quick

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

Start with a big water change, if you can do it with aged water with the same temperature as the tank it would be ideal. What is your water changing regime like? See if that helps. I would also urge to check your water stats. You say you acclimated them for three weeks? Did you drip aclimimate them? Did the breeder (or whoever you got them from) have a different pH or anything like that?

As Wilder said, we can't rule out a bacterial infection.

 

[stiffler69]

No i never acclimitised them for 3 weeks sorry two hours they were floated for, the guy who i got them from used ro water i use treated tap water but surely i would see signs of water problems early on, the fish have been in the tank for 3 weeks and very happy with no signs of bad water quality.

water changes are 25% every two days, they have had large water changes today and yesterday with no signs of improvement.

thanks.

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

No i never acclimitised them for 3 weeks sorry two hours they were floated for, the guy who i got them from used ro water i use treated tap water but surely i would see signs of water problems early on, the fish have been in the tank for 3 weeks and very happy with no signs of bad water quality.

water changes are 25% every two days, they have had large water changes today and yesterday with no signs of improvement.

thanks.

Still though, you need to slowly acclimate your fish, if he uses r/o and you use tap chances are your pH is going to differ, which can kill the fish quite quickly.


This seems really odd though. I think you should keep doing the big water changes and keep up with the medication. Not much else I can think you can do really. Is your water movement really strong?

 

[rabbut]

Still no water stats posted...

Can we have numbers for

Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate
pH

pH shock will clear in fish within 15 minuites of being shocked, so you can rule that one out. Scientific evidence shows that 15 minuites is all it takes for a fish to adjust it's internal pH to that of the water it is in, by 5 full pH points within 15 minuites. KH shock has longer lasting effects, it stops the fish from excreting Ammonium at their gills as easily, and can lead to them poisoning themselves if it drops too fast. On the flip side, suddenly increasing the KH will upset the osmotic balance and cause stress for a few hours. All the same, shock due to water chemistry changes would have been and gone by this, the three week point

ATMl, your symptoms fit well with;

Internal Bacteria
Water Quality issues/poisoning

I don't suppose you happen to have a good microscope that does up to 3,000 times magnification to hand do you?

All the best
Rabbut

 

[stiffler69]

Sorry no stats of as yet as the girlfriend doesnt know how to do them and im 400 miles away, i just cant understad how it could be bacteria due the water changes every 2 days.

i use the equipment for all the tanks and i have another pair i got the same time as these doing fine and 7 young discus aswell doing great it seems more of a problem with this individual tank do you think before i replace this pair i should change the filter for a new one and clean everything again as im not sure these are going to make it as i belive one has already passed

 

[WILDER]

R.I.P.

If you have problems with the tank before maybe strip it down and start again.

 

[WILDER]

R.I.P.

If you have problems with the tank before maybe strip it down and start again.

 

[rabbut]

If you do lose them (I'm hoping for you at this end that you don't), sterilise the tank with Chlorine Bleach before adding anything else.

I assume that nothing like Flea Spray or Polish or Air Freshener gets used by this tank by chance does it?

All the best
Rabbut