2 Discus Not Eating & are Sluggish also

[sushiray]

Sorry to hear of Swick's loss. Sounds like I may have similar ills but no other symptoms.

72gal BF 15 juvie discus (who btw are not sparring or chasing other around as much as last week!)

API master test kit

pH=6.6 (consistent since 7/15)

AM/NI=0 (last wk AM was .125)

NA=.25 (since 9/9 when it was last zero, between the 2 color scales)

temps = 85

80% w/c yesterday

So I have one that is so skinny cuz he's been on a hunger strike for a week now. Sluggish stays in corners also. If I place my hand there it will swim to other side. I'm afraid it will be near it's demise.

The other swims around albeit also sluggish but has been pecking at driftwood & sometimes sponge filter but lets the flakes go by & has ignored frozen brine & bloodworms. It does swim to the top like it was going to eat but fakes me out.

No physical signs of stress/disease/Ich/tail rot at all. No white pooping/actually I haven't caught either pooping.

I thought finally I reached a level of equilibrium after my bouts with Ich & I think I had a parasite in there along with fungus on my plecos & tail rot on my one angel & my albino corys. But there are only discus in the tank for now about 3wks.

So, hope someone has a clue or suggest what I can do - no meds yet right?

thx all.

[sarafish]

The only thing i can suggest is lots of tank cleans cuz they love that, and temp nice and warm, juvi dscus immune systems copes alot better when its at 32c.

[sushiray]

thks

[sushiray]

now one of the 2 looks like a bone fish! so skinny & thin. I fear the worst. hovers in the corner ignores feedings. I noticed white poop so I gather a parasite.

at least the other one pecks at the driftwood & sponge filter but still not eating my flakes or my frozen foods.

now I have a pleco in my angels tank going belly up floating at the surface upside down or when sticks to the glass starts sliding up! belly is a little bloated & white poop so I suspect another parasite (not sure how this time cuz angels are quite healthy).

trouble in paradise...

[ponderingky]

With discus, the main problem I had was bloat and heximita. I used metronidazole for the hex. It is called Flagyl (its an antibiotic) in human form. If you can, get your doc to write you a prescription for Flagyl/metronidazole, get a pill grinder, grind it up into a fine powder and treat the tank. It is supposed to be 250 mg per 10 gallons (although I would use 400 mg per 10 gallons if it was bad). It is generic now and cheap. Suggested treatment time varies - I usually went at least 5 days, sometimes longer. If you are keeping discus I would always have some on hand. Bloat I treated w/epsom salt, 1 tbs per 10 gallons. It sounds like yours have hex and may be too far gone to save. When they get really thin they are just about gone - they have no reserves left to fight.

[pinkertd]

Discus that are displaying that kind of thinness have gone without food for a very long time. They can go weeks and weeks and weeks and at this point, I'm sorry to say it's highly unlikely to be able to get him to eat. Hex is a definitely likely suspect.

[Dale11]

They defintely have an internal parasite.Like an earlier post said use metronidazole.Pet-smart has it ,but I do not remember the name of the product.It comes in a blue and white box.Drs.Foster & Smith sells straight metronidazole.I have used this product for years on discus and it always clear the problem.

[sushiray]

thx all, the one is probably a goner as you say, the other only picks at driftwood, this may me next right? so I presume my other discus are at risk? I used jungle clear with has the combo meds in it. should I just remove the bone fish discus now?

[sushiray]

update, been in n out looking for job & errands.

so I was able to set up a QT by using a food service 1.5 gal clear plastic square container, partially submerged it into the tank to use same water & have same temp control.

the one I QT used prazi worked in that it let loose some big oval clumps of white watchmacallits! they weren't moving so it's just poop maybe not the parasite itself? it became so sluggish like the life was sucked out of it - real bone fish looking & sluggish & head up at surface. sad to say - I took the step to "cull" & relieve it out of its misery. it was difficult - my 1st discus loss.

now I have another (I think it's stunted) which I saw have white poop so I QT & prazi. but just checked this morning to feed & saw poop that wasn't white, more tannish, when I scooped it out & wiped on paper towel, it was dark consistency. so is that a good sign & I can release back into the tank?

& maybe take another one not eating & QT-prazi?. it's not eating also but not at bone fish stage. it attempts to eat every so rare moment & even shows "attack" form towards food but then retreats. haven't QT it yet - treating whole tank.

also, one that wasn't eating for a week I had QT with the "culled" one & re-intro'd into the tank is now eating heartily.

so, in retrospect - I was foolish in not QT'g new fish so I think there lies all my troubles. my test readings have been fairly good.

I had treated with jungle parasite clear initially & when I tested water pH went from 6.6 to 7.6! is that normal or do you think it was something else I can't think of?

AM/NI/NA = 0 (NA was .125 b-4)

I have been doing my water changes - once a week 75%, daily 20%. feeding ken's flakes & frozen brine (most of them devour the flakes & some like the brine).

I'm thinking maybe once a week using live - no blackworms right, so bloodworms ok?

thks for all your feedback all!

[Star_Rider]

a couple things to consider.

treating for parasites i generally treat the entire tank.. I do not remove the infected fish as the parasite has probably already spread to others.
Hex is a flagellated protozoan..you won't be able to see it with the naked eye.
it is also the beast that is associated with HITH..found particularly true when speaking of Discus.
it is easily combated with Metronidazole..


when feeding Discus I , among many, vary the diet.. mine included occassiona beef heart, bloodworms , flake and pellets.

[fishorama]

I'm sorry you had to euthanize the 1 discus but at least you were able to help the other. I agree on treating the tank, they probably all have whatever it is. Good luck.

[pam916]

I feed mine blackworms without any problem.

[yourchoice]

Prazi will help them expell tapeworms which are more string-like.Hex is more jelly -like and is common when a Discus get stressed out for whatever reason and stops eating.
Some fish will have a harder or even cronic problem with Hex even if they are getting a good balanced diet..It may take a long time before they get to the not eating stage.Look at the foreheads if you see pinholes or holes in the heads treat them all with hex.The metro only is active for 8 hours so what you can do is lower the water level to 1/3-1/2 at night(if the filter allows it) then in the morning siphon out the debris on the bottom and fill the tank.Repeat 3-4 days,then it may take the fish another 2-3 days to start eating again.

[sushiray]

Prazi will help them expell tapeworms which are more string-like.Hex is more jelly -like and is common when a Discus get stressed out for whatever reason and stops eating.
Some fish will have a harder or even cronic problem with Hex even if they are getting a good balanced diet..It may take a long time before they get to the not eating stage.Look at the foreheads if you see pinholes or holes in the heads treat them all with hex.The metro only is active for 8 hours so what you can do is lower the water level to 1/3-1/2 at night(if the filter allows it) then in the morning siphon out the debris on the bottom and fill the tank.Repeat 3-4 days,then it may take the fish another 2-3 days to start eating again.

I know I won't get fast results. today is 1st treatment with metro. It says tho to do partial w/c then treat every 24hrs. up to 5-7days. but says if don't see improvement in 3days to stop.

right now the one discus that was not eating is now eating.

the one I QT but released into tank after seeing its poop darker light brown had eaten in QT but not in the main tank. spits out the flakes & hasn't taken to the freeze dried bloodworms yet. but pecks at the driftwood & sponge filter. I'm still hoping this will recover.

otherwise all others eating well. but surely they are all carriers. I saw a couple of floating white strands of poop but now sure which ones did it.

after I get thru the metro treatment then will use pure prazi-q next.

thks again

[sushiray]

Prazi will help them expell tapeworms which are more string-like.Hex is more jelly -like and is common when a Discus get stressed out for whatever reason and stops eating.
Some fish will have a harder or even cronic problem with Hex even if they are getting a good balanced diet..It may take a long time before they get to the not eating stage.Look at the foreheads if you see pinholes or holes in the heads treat them all with hex.The metro only is active for 8 hours so what you can do is lower the water level to 1/3-1/2 at night(if the filter allows it) then in the morning siphon out the debris on the bottom and fill the tank.Repeat 3-4 days,then it may take the fish another 2-3 days to start eating again.

hi there, I treated 5 of 7 days pure metro since last friday, last treatment was past thurs.

I think I have a good turn to the positive finally. all the discus are eating including the stunted one I QT. in fact it now participates in the chasing around & be chased folly that's been going on with all the discus.

but in my other thread I now am contending with what I think may be "tail rot", what looks like white smearing in some tail finnage, some caudal fins, some splitting.

some think maybe from stress from changing using meds, one thinks from their chasing each other around & nipping.

latest tests are:

pH 7.2 (due to local water tap having extra buffers so pH went to 8.8)
AM=0 (was .125)
NI=0
NA=5 (same as prior reading)

thx again for your feedback