New 252l tank - Discus Behaving Weird

[Shimbob]

Hello guys and gals, I'm new to here, so a big hello and also very new to fish keeping.

I need some help please, I'll try not to bore you all to death with a long winded story, here goes...

I recently got a Fluval Shaker 252L tank. I have a few live plants, some driftwood, which I quarantined for 2.5 weeks and planted the shrubbery into a soil/substrate which sits underneath sand. My fish arrived last Friday, after also 2.5 weeks of running the cycle. I used RO water (the shop messed up and threw in for free), tap water + tap safe. Last Friday, 7th May my new little babies arrived. 6x 4cm discus, 2x little plecos, 4 x corydoras and 10 neon tetras. I have a proper test kit and a pH pen. My readings were 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and pH was 7.4. Arguably a little higher than expected for discus but the aquarium shop assured me this would be fine and not to worry.

All the fish were swimming around like the owned the place, the corydoras make me giggle, they're so active.. However, the discus have all pretty much been in hiding. Whilst I appreciate that this change of scenery can cause a little stress, I did not expect them to stop eating. I left the lights off, as advised by the shop, and also by a few people I'm chatting to on Instagram who breed discus. There is one chap on Insta who has said that them not eating is a bad sign. I have been feeding NT labs food twice a day and I have discus health frozen food and also beefheart. I will only throw in one of the frozen foods and the other two feeds per day. Over the last couple of days, these guys seem to have these little white markings, I sent pics to the shop, they said turn up the temperature a little, so I did (just today). They said they'd been de-wormed so no need to get any de-wormer.

Yesterday and the day before, the pH has increased to 7.8, Nitrite 2.0 and Ammonia 0.5. Yesterday, I added Evolution Aqua Pure Aquarium Balls into the filter and a couple into the tank. I have added seachem 7.0 regulator as per instructions. Same readings today.

I appreciate it takes a while for it all to regulate, and I need to be patient, but I don't want to have missed something, knowing things can escalate very quickly in an aquarium; my gut feeling is something isn't right. This could be because I too am learning...

See attached pictures of the discus, they also seem to have a gangster lean on and also, this Insta guy is freaking me out about their tummies esp as they are not eating. The faint white spots on tails etc, are these gill flukes?

I would appreciate some advice, I know I may be in over my head, but hoping I have joined a respectful community of fish lovers who all one day were in my shoes (hopefully in a better place ofc!).

Thanks very much guys
S

 

[redtailshark34]

Hello guys and gals, I'm new to here, so a big hello and also very new to fish keeping.

I need some help please, I'll try not to bore you all to death with a long winded story, here goes...

I recently got a Fluval Shaker 252L tank. I have a few live plants, some driftwood, which I quarantined for 2.5 weeks and planted the shrubbery into a soil/substrate which sits underneath sand. My fish arrived last Friday, after also 2.5 weeks of running the cycle. I used RO water (the shop messed up and threw in for free), tap water + tap safe. Last Friday, 7th May my new little babies arrived. 6x 4cm discus, 2x little plecos, 4 x corydoras and 10 neon tetras. I have a proper test kit and a pH pen. My readings were 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and pH was 7.4. Arguably a little higher than expected for discus but the aquarium shop assured me this would be fine and not to worry.

All the fish were swimming around like the owned the place, the corydoras make me giggle, they're so active.. However, the discus have all pretty much been in hiding. Whilst I appreciate that this change of scenery can cause a little stress, I did not expect them to stop eating. I left the lights off, as advised by the shop, and also by a few people I'm chatting to on Instagram who breed discus. There is one chap on Insta who has said that them not eating is a bad sign. I have been feeding NT labs food twice a day and I have discus health frozen food and also beefheart. I will only throw in one of the frozen foods and the other two feeds per day. Over the last couple of days, these guys seem to have these little white markings, I sent pics to the shop, they said turn up the temperature a little, so I did (just today). They said they'd been de-wormed so no need to get any de-wormer.

Yesterday and the day before, the pH has increased to 7.8, Nitrite 2.0 and Ammonia 0.5. Yesterday, I added Evolution Aqua Pure Aquarium Balls into the filter and a couple into the tank. I have added seachem 7.0 regulator as per instructions. Same readings today.

I appreciate it takes a while for it all to regulate, and I need to be patient, but I don't want to have missed something, knowing things can escalate very quickly in an aquarium; my gut feeling is something isn't right. This could be because I too am learning...

See attached pictures of the discus, they also seem to have a gangster lean on and also, this Insta guy is freaking me out about their tummies esp as they are not eating. The faint white spots on tails etc, are these gill flukes?

I would appreciate some advice, I know I may be in over my head, but hoping I have joined a respectful community of fish lovers who all one day were in my shoes (hopefully in a better place ofc!).

Thanks very much guys
S

Hello
When your tank was cycling did you add pure ammonia?

 

[Shimbob]

Hello
When your tank was cycling did you add pure ammonia?

Hi there. No I didn’t, told not necessarily needed ?‍

 

[redtailshark34]

Hi there. No I didn’t, told not necessarily needed ?‍

Okay, did you get any form of ammonia into the tank? If not your tank most likely never did a fishless cycle. You are now technically doing a fish-in cycle. For a fish in cycle there are several threads on here that can help, most are found under cycling your tank. I don’t know much about fish in cycling but a lot of people on here do. Also do you use a liquid test kit or sticks? Sometimes sticks can come back reading things wrong.

 

[NannaLou]

@Shimbob - we all get told that...?

 

[Naughts]

First thing, get rid of the ammonia and nitrite - it is poisoning the fish.
Usually large water changes are advised but I understand discus are too sensitive for that so you will need to do lots of small changes and use a conditioner that 'locks' the ammonia such as Prime. This is a temporary fix ( I believe 24 hours) so you will need to do the water changes with the Prime daily for a number of weeks until the tank is cycled.
Get better pictures of the white dots.
Don't worry about the fish not eating for now, they can survive for a fair while without food.

Cycling Your New Fresh Water Tank: Read This First!

Cycling Your First Fresh Water Tank What is Cycling and Why is it Important? Fish waste, and especially fish breathing, plus uneaten food and other organic matter breaking down in a tank all produce Ammonia. This can quickly become toxic to fish if it is allowed to build up to any measurable...

www.fishforums.net

 

[Shimbob]

@Shimbob - we all get told that...?

I feel really sad, I’m googling and seeking help left right and centre, I’ve got all sorts of deliveries all day and all I need is for someone to help.
It’s so frustrating that these guys just treat livestock like just another item for sale...

 

[Shimbob]

Okay, did you get any form of ammonia into the tank? If not your tank most likely never did a fishless cycle. You are now technically doing a fish-in cycle. For a fish in cycle there are several threads on here that can help, most are found under cycling your tank. I don’t know much about fish in cycling but a lot of people on here do. Also do you use a liquid test kit or sticks? Sometimes sticks can come back reading things wrong.

Thank you ??

 

[Shimbob]

First thing, get rid of the ammonia and nitrite - it is poisoning the fish.
Usually large water changes are advised but I understand discus are too sensitive for that so you will need to do lots of small changes and use a conditioner that 'locks' the ammonia such as Prime. This is a temporary fix ( I believe 24 hours) so you will need to do the water changes with the Prime daily for a number of weeks until the tank is cycled.
Get better pictures of the white dots.
Don't worry about the fish not eating for now, they can survive for a fair while without food.

Cycling Your New Fresh Water Tank: Read This First!

Cycling Your First Fresh Water Tank What is Cycling and Why is it Important? Fish waste, and especially fish breathing, plus uneaten food and other organic matter breaking down in a tank all produce Ammonia. This can quickly become toxic to fish if it is allowed to build up to any measurable...

www.fishforums.net

Thank you for making the time to respond, appreciate it.
Ok so should I do 10% water changes every day and get some prime? That’s 25l, which is easy.
Thanks for your help!

 

[Shimbob]

Thank you for making the time to respond, appreciate it.
Ok so should I do 10% water changes every day and get some prime? That’s 25l, which is easy.
Thanks for your help!

Also the aquarium balls are supposed to remove nitrites and ammonia, as is the seachem regulator. Not sure why it’s not working but I’m told it takes a few days. Few, so 3... mean Friday. I just worry it may be too late.

 

[Naughts]

I have never kept discus so I hope @mark4785 , @kribensis12 , @Lajos_Detari may see this and offer more tailored advice.
Initially do 50% water change every 4 hours until the nitrite and ammonia read 0, then reduce the water change to once daily.
Aqua balls help the bacteria build, but are in no way an instant cycle. Regardless, add the whole pack.
Reduce feeding and add live plants, especially floating plants. These measures limit the ammonia build up.

 

[Shimbob]

I have never kept discus so I hope @mark4785 , @kribensis12 , @Lajos_Detari may see this and offer more tailored advice.
Initially do 50% water change every 4 hours until the nitrite and ammonia read 0, then reduce the water change to once daily.
Aqua balls help the bacteria build, but are in no way an instant cycle. Regardless, add the whole pack.
Reduce feeding and add live plants, especially floating plants. These measures limit the ammonia build up.

50% every 4 hours, is not too much? These guys are stressed out already and I don’t want to keep disturbing them?
Thanks v much for the tips!

 

[Naughts]

50% every 4 hours, is not too much? These guys are stressed out already and I don’t want to keep disturbing them?
Thanks v much for the tips!

Like I say, I have no experience with discus. But I do know that fish will not survive water with nitrite and ammonia for long. Water changes can be less stressful if the syphon is placed in a corner near the substrate/ bottom to drain the old water; then fresh water added slowly for minimum turbulence. Ensure the temperature of the new water is the same.
The quicker the ammonia/ nitrite is removed, the quicker they can begin recovery.

 

[Colin_T]

Reduce feeding to a couple of times a week for the next 4 weeks. The fish won't starve.

Do a 75% water change any day you have an ammonia or nitrite reading above 0ppm, or a nitrate reading above 20ppm.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.

If the filter is less than 6 weeks old, do not clean it. After the filter has cycled (in about 6 weeks), you can wash the filter materials/ media in a bucket of tank water and re-use the media. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the garden/ lawn. Established filters should be cleaned at least once a month but wait until it has cycled before you start cleaning it.

Increase surface turbulence/ aeration to maximise the dissolved oxygen in the water.

The shop that sold you discus as a beginner fish is a bad shop. At the very least they should have made sure the tank was cycled and had been running well for a few months before you took any discus. They are not the easiest fish to keep alive.

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Hi there. No I didn’t, told not necessarily needed ?‍

??‍ Jeepers... Not that old chestnut. Every tank should come with instructions on how to cycle and the importance of doing so....especially when keeping discus. Where are they finding these jokers to sell people live animals?

Don't feel bad OP, it's happened to most of us! Hopefully we can help you through so you don't lose your lovely fish... Be prepared that you might though, discus are very sensitive