discus gone dark??

[chris allsop]

Last week my ammonia rose to .25, its back to normal now after water changes and polly filler. I got ride of two silver sharks, to lower stocking levels yesterday so i suppose me with a net might have p****d them all off.

Also when i got up at 04:30 this morning to go to work the light was on??
Its on a timer so i dont know how this happend, it should come on at 10:00. I switched it off and when to work, when i got back they were dark and breathing a little quicker than normal.
Ive made sure the timer is ok and put some stress zyme in, so hopefuly they should be ok.

I also riged up another diy co2, so could this be a problem?
I have a nutra fin system plus the diy one. from what i understand this should not be a problem. I dont have a co2 test kit at the minute as no were has any near me.

 

[Discusophile]

I have had discus turn dark after a heater malfunctioned and they developed Hexamita or spironucleus. Their feces turned white and I had to treat with Metronidazol and 95 degree water. They got better after a couple of weeks. I think all discus are susceptible to this if they get stressed from something. Good luck.

 

[chris allsop]

dump

 

[chris allsop]

Ok ive sorted it now. my diy co2 is producing to much!! i finally got hold of a test kit and it said it was to high.

Now its back to safe levels shall i reconnect the co2 and leave the air stone in there?
As ive got the nutra fin co2 maker and a diy version i had out of a 2l bottle, 2 l bottle is disconnected at the minute.

I dont want my fish to suffer but i want the plants to thrive to.

any advice is welcome, thanks.

 

[chris allsop]

Some of my discus still seems dark and breathing a little faster any ideas?

 

[chris allsop]

Some of my discus still seems dark and breathing a little faster any ideas?

 

[elgecko]

How long has your tank been set up?

 

[chris allsop]

Ive had it set up for about 5 mnonths plus it was a second had tank so a few years b4 that.

Filter wise i have 2 internals, one jewel, not sure what size but its quite big, plus a smaller one at the other end of the tank. Do you think i need a new one?

I clean both every week, the bigger one is always really dirty.
In it i have pre filter floss to collect most of the solid waste, then about 6 jewel pads, plus 2 poly filters.

 

[elgecko]

So in that 5 months the tank was stocked?
How long ago did you get your discus?
Do you have gravel in your tank?
How often and what do you feed your discus?
This would not have anything to do with there breathing, but what's your temp? Discus like it around 83-86 degrees.
It sounds to me that it is an ammonia problem. I would recommend alternating cleaning your filters. You might be eliminating too much of your bacteria at one time cleaning both filters at the same time. It takes a while for the bacteria to recolonize the new filter media.

 

[chris allsop]

i have no gravel just sand.
i started adding discus about four months ago. i feed from once to three times a day depending on work. they have a varied diet, flakes, tetra prima, beef heart, blood work, plus loads of other frozen foods. catfish pellets. etc
I had temp at 82 but was told to raise it so now its anout 90 but i think im going to put it at 85.

 

[black angel]

how many fish and what size of tank? if you have such a heavy waste load each week then maybe your tank is still overstocked.

 

[chris allsop]

I have in the tank:
7 Discus, mostly about 2 inches, two are about 3.5
3 orange fin tetra
2 plecos, one gold nugget and one black spotted. About 2 inch.
1 clown loach, 2inches
2 cories
1 hipo cat 3.5 inch
3 fighters.

The tank was second hand, so most of the fish were already in it. Apart from the discus and the fighters.
Im going to get a tank so the fighter can be alone, i might add the tetra as well.
The tank is 48 by 15 by 18.