Need Some Help With Bgk

[amy1994]

I have been having some trouble with my discus so had to dose the tank with myxazin. Beforehand i tried looking up on the internet what was toxic to BGK but couldn't find much and it didn't say anything on the bottle(don't use with BGK eg). But today i have noticed his bottom fin is going pale, as well as a little of his body. I have quickly put him in a seperate tank with fresh RO water and am planning on doing a water change tomorrow. He is a good 10" or so and i would hate to loose him. Is there anything anyone can suggest?

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I am not a bkg keeper, but I am concerned about putting it into 100% RO water. These fish have a weak electrical sense they use and the purer water is, the less of a conductor it is. Using pure RO may be upsetting/stressful to the fish under these conditions. If you are not mixing in either a good amount of your tap or else remineralising the water, this might be an issue. I am not 100% certain of this, but it would make sense.
 
Also, make sure the fish has a place to hide in the temporary tank.
 
If the fish is reacting to the medication, then you are likely doing the best thing for it by getting into clean water. I doubt there is much you might add that would be more helpful than this. Also, if you have not got a cycled filter on the tank, be sure to monitor for ammonia at least twice a day.

 

[amy1994]

Yes i have added places for him to hide, it isn't 100% RO as i did have to add a little of the tank water, keeping him in the bag and gradually adding the fresh water so he could adjust. This tank has been used before and not too long ago with baby discus, just using a sponge air filter, but i will continue to monitor and will do a water change later.

 

[NickAu]

Using PURE R/O water  is not a good idea, it has zero hardness, no buffering to keep the pH stable, and no trace elements.

 

[amy1994]

Okay fair enough but i set this tank up last night 10-12, had to get him out of the water he was already in because of the meds and that was all i had. I was going to do a water change soon, again all i have is RO, it is worth filling up eg a bucket up with either RO or tap water and leaving it for tomorrow? Or is there something anyone would suggest?

 

[Byron]

You can easily mix in some tap water (use a conditioner to dechlorinate).  I would aim for parameters close to what you normally have in the other tank.  If he was healthy with that previously, and depending upon how long you've had him, he should be OK in similar water.
 
I can understand others' concerns over RO, but we must remember that this species is native to water with basically zero GH and very low TDS primarily from organics.  However, most reliable sources give parameters ranging above this, so mixing in some tap water should work fine.
 
Byron.