discus help

[Discus_boy]

i started my tank with a few tetras, then i got my first discus, it was a solid dimond blue. hes grown very well and not a shy fish, then there was a breeding pair come into work so i took a look at them, there were feeding and swiming together. so i put a sold sticker on the tank and left it another week. they went home and into my tank with my other discus, after a bit of fighting they settled in, and recenlty i noticed the fish were looking darker than usual. and one was sitting on the bottom the fins were looking a bit dark so i got a bit of Pimafix and put that into my tank, ive seen anydifference. anyone else had probs or got any idea wat can help it

 

[Cian McLiam]

Sounds like a bacterial infection, ideally change 25% of the water everyday with RO water prepared to match theirs, if you cant get RO water leave the new water overnight with an airstone and a good conditioner. Warm the water to match the tank temp with either a heater or adding the right amount of boiling water first. I find Myxazin to be the best treatment for this with Discus.

Keep this up until they start to perk up, make sure you clean the gravel and flter thoroughly as well.

 

[Doggfather]

what's the size of the tank, water conditions, etc

Edit: looks like ken answered, so what i just said is irrelevant

 

[Discus_boy]

well its too late for it now when i came home from work i found it very black and discoloured and not breathing, i tired pimafix and i was getting some melafix but by that time it was too late.

is there any chance of my other discus getting it aswell ?/

 

[nutter]

did u quarantine

 

[nutter]

yes, there is a huge chance to others will get it... a discus can become infected by just flitering out another tank with a gravel vac and then using the same gravel vac on the discus tank. They are not imune to this bacteria and will die if a %100 water change is'nt done with reverse osmosis water (RO) and it is treated.

If you did not quarantine pelase do it in the futer for 4 weeks for captive breed and 6 for wild. I did have a picture to show you of a trashcan full of dead discus just because one person didnt quarantine but i lost it

 

[Cian McLiam]

They are not imune to this bacteria and will die if a %100 water change is'nt done with reverse osmosis water (RO) and it is treated

That could be equally as dangerous to the fish as the disease, only an absolute emergency would require more than a 50% water change and then, you should try to match the water they are in at the moment. RO water is very pure and even with elements put back in with chemicals or powder, its going to be very different from the water in the tank. The shock this could cause could certainly kill a Discus. Only if you have always used RO regularly should you do this.

It sounds like a bacterial infection, you may be confusing this with 'Discus plague' which infects fish extremely quickly and if one fish has died, the others would be showing serious symptoms by now. There is very little known about Discus plague, and treatment is very hit and miss. Changing 100% of the water virtually guarantees the fish will die unless you have being doing 50% water changes per day with RO like some breeders do.

30% water changes everyday with treated water will be more beneficial.

Ken

 

[nutter]

oops, sorry. i forgot to add that about only if you use RO already

 

[Discus_boy]

did u quarantine

nah i didnt quarantine they were sitting in the pet shop where i work for about a week. so i figured if they lived a week there

ive never used any RO i dont know wat it is, ill ask the fish person at work.

 

[nutter]

Ok, yeah they need atleast 4 weeks + before any signs of illness start to show up.. at least you sound like you learn from your mistakes