I have just started an aquarium with discus fish all was going well until I added some new fish now it appears that all the fish are ill, they have a white slime coating and are obviously distressed, went back to the pet store and their fish also have the same symptoms. I have been doing water changes today and yesterday, tank is 600 litre temp is 27.8 ph7.3 ammonia .25ppm, nitrite 0, nitrate 40ppm, I have started treating with Prime, meal fix, & Pimafix. Does anyone have any other suggestions?
Discus fish fin rot
- Thread starter Bluefin45
- Start date
Pictures could help.
Since the store has the same issue I doubt your tank is the root cause, although your ammonia is high.
Also how big are the discus, and what other fish are in the same tank?
Since the store has the same issue I doubt your tank is the root cause, although your ammonia is high.
Also how big are the discus, and what other fish are in the same tank?
Discus are 8 - 10 cm. filter is Fluval FX5 with foam,bio tube noodles, Matrix, and Purigen. Tank contains 12 discus, 50 rummy nose tetras, 6 rams. Fish seem less stressed after treatment and water change tonight, I have 2 x 300 watt heaters and dual air pump on the tank as well.
While the problem certainly appears to have originated from the pet shop where you got the fish, on the surface it doesn't sound like fin rot, as suggested in your thread title. Fin rot is a bacterial development that causes fins to begin being eating away, and fin tips will often be white, but a white slime coating is not normally cited as a fin rot symptom.
In any event, frequent, large wcs, along with improvements to water quality & conditions, by thorough vacuuming of the substrate, and a good tank cleansing routine should improve the situation.
The fact that you have some ammonia, and nitrates of 40 ppm is not a good sign. Discus do not do well with nitrates above 10 ppm (they should preferably be under 5 ppm), so wcs should improve this condition (does your tap water contain nitrates ?)
Perhaps someone knowledgeable at the store can confirm whether or not it is fin rot, and a pic of your tank would certainly shed some light on the matter.
White slime on the fishes' bodies may be a loss of slime coatings, particularly in the discus, and taking the above-mentioned actions should help to improve that condition as well - which could also have a bacterial origin.
If it is in fact fin rot, treatment should be given using methylene blue, or malachite green, or an antibiotic like tetracycline.
Please post a pic so we can help determine your situation.
In any event, frequent, large wcs, along with improvements to water quality & conditions, by thorough vacuuming of the substrate, and a good tank cleansing routine should improve the situation.
The fact that you have some ammonia, and nitrates of 40 ppm is not a good sign. Discus do not do well with nitrates above 10 ppm (they should preferably be under 5 ppm), so wcs should improve this condition (does your tap water contain nitrates ?)
Perhaps someone knowledgeable at the store can confirm whether or not it is fin rot, and a pic of your tank would certainly shed some light on the matter.
White slime on the fishes' bodies may be a loss of slime coatings, particularly in the discus, and taking the above-mentioned actions should help to improve that condition as well - which could also have a bacterial origin.
If it is in fact fin rot, treatment should be given using methylene blue, or malachite green, or an antibiotic like tetracycline.
Please post a pic so we can help determine your situation.
I agree that it sounds like a water quality issue. I'd do daily water changes of no less than 50% volume. If it were me, I'd probably do more like 75%-80%. Discus need clean water with, as Paul pointed out, low nitrates and no ammonia or nitrite.
Mark
Mark
P.S.
1- Medications of any kind should not be started until you are fairly certain the problem has been well identified.
2- Water quality is also adversely affected by overfeeding, so ensure that your feedings are small, and any uneaten food vacuumed up.
And as Mark mentioned, wcs should be as large in quantity as you can accomplish in your fairly big tank.
1- Medications of any kind should not be started until you are fairly certain the problem has been well identified.
2- Water quality is also adversely affected by overfeeding, so ensure that your feedings are small, and any uneaten food vacuumed up.
And as Mark mentioned, wcs should be as large in quantity as you can accomplish in your fairly big tank.
I have increased temp to 29 overnight and will retest water and do another change tonight, I have been doing 40percent changes but will increase that tonight. Lost 2 rummy nose. Maybe because of the temp increase, but if I have to sacrifice them to save the discus I will.
OK - yes it does appear to be fin rot, no doubt occasioned by stress from poor water quality & conditions - likely both from where you got them & in your own tank.
The close up shots of that one discus clearly show it is not in good condition.
So I hope you have done a very thorough substrate vacuuming - along with wiping down the inside glass walls of your tank, and continuing with the largest wcs you manage, daily if possible for the next while until you begin medicating.
See if you can find the antibiotic erythromycin or tetracycline - or in substitution, maracyn, or maracyn 2, or API melafix, or jungle fungus eliminator. Follow the treatment directions as to dosing & wcs, and repeat the treatment a second time if need be.
Good luck - I hope you can save them, but if not, & you wish to keep discus again sometime in future, be sure to get your discus only from an acknowledged, well-known reputable breeder or importer known for supplying quality, healthy, well-shaped fish (not an LFS).
The close up shots of that one discus clearly show it is not in good condition.
So I hope you have done a very thorough substrate vacuuming - along with wiping down the inside glass walls of your tank, and continuing with the largest wcs you manage, daily if possible for the next while until you begin medicating.
See if you can find the antibiotic erythromycin or tetracycline - or in substitution, maracyn, or maracyn 2, or API melafix, or jungle fungus eliminator. Follow the treatment directions as to dosing & wcs, and repeat the treatment a second time if need be.
Good luck - I hope you can save them, but if not, & you wish to keep discus again sometime in future, be sure to get your discus only from an acknowledged, well-known reputable breeder or importer known for supplying quality, healthy, well-shaped fish (not an LFS).
thanks Paul, I started treatment last night with melafix & pimafix,I also added 2 tablespoons of salt to try to bring the ph down a little, I will continue with the water changes but change 75% or so. Should I also try malachite green as well as the melafix? I will try to get some tetracycline tomorrow as well. I will retest the water tonight and hopefully the Prime will help to bring the ammonia level down, will Prime also help reduce the nitrate. I am very nervous about using a lot of chemicals with discus.
I too am nervous about using chemicals with discus, and I do it only as a last resort.
And as to medicating, since you are already using melafix & primafix, just stick with them for one medication session for now. Avoid using more than one medication at a time. I don't know if melafix (is it API ?) or primafix is used to treat fin rot - I'm not all that familiar with those.
Don't worry about altering your pH - it should be fine.
If there doesn't seem to be any improvement in a few days, you can do a large wc and try something else -at that point I suggest you do a treatment of tetracycline. If you can't get that, then give malachite a try.
Yes the Prime should deal with the ammonia, rendering it into far less toxic ammonium, and could help to reduce nitrates as well. But your wcs should rectify that.
Have faith & maintain good water quality & conditions - it's amazing what lots of fresh, clean water can do to help improve discus health issues.
And as to medicating, since you are already using melafix & primafix, just stick with them for one medication session for now. Avoid using more than one medication at a time. I don't know if melafix (is it API ?) or primafix is used to treat fin rot - I'm not all that familiar with those.
Don't worry about altering your pH - it should be fine.
If there doesn't seem to be any improvement in a few days, you can do a large wc and try something else -at that point I suggest you do a treatment of tetracycline. If you can't get that, then give malachite a try.
Yes the Prime should deal with the ammonia, rendering it into far less toxic ammonium, and could help to reduce nitrates as well. But your wcs should rectify that.
Have faith & maintain good water quality & conditions - it's amazing what lots of fresh, clean water can do to help improve discus health issues.
