Ongoing battle with rescued Discus
- Thread starter shawnhu
- Start date
I would really like to see the slide images if you had taken pics of them. I have been looking for a good resource for slide ID of parasites. If you wouldn't mind, I wouldlove to see them. Keep up the good work!
Anytime you see clear poo check for Hex.The most common internal for Discus and one of the easier to identify under the scope at 400x.Look like tubes ,lots of them ,more than 20 in the frame and some of them will be spiraling wildly.
Rachel,
Not a problem in posting the images, although they are not great, it's what I was able to get at the time. I also took some pics along the stages of necropsy in case someone might be interested in how it's done. I'll have the slide images uploaded when I return home tonight. Thanks for the encourageemnt.
yourchoice,
I don't plan on having to re-visit Hex, they're all going through a treatment of Metro in food at the moment, and all are starting to eat well. This will be the 3rd day of treatment of Metro, and will be the last for now. I do plan on looking into if a repeat treatment is needed, and will decide on a follow-up at that time.
Unfortunately, it was not easy to see this parasite under 400x. Even at 1500x, it was not easy to get a clear image of the thing, only as you described, how it behaves.
I would anticipate the next treatment will be for Capillaria worms with Fenbendazole.
Not a problem in posting the images, although they are not great, it's what I was able to get at the time. I also took some pics along the stages of necropsy in case someone might be interested in how it's done. I'll have the slide images uploaded when I return home tonight. Thanks for the encourageemnt.
yourchoice,
I don't plan on having to re-visit Hex, they're all going through a treatment of Metro in food at the moment, and all are starting to eat well. This will be the 3rd day of treatment of Metro, and will be the last for now. I do plan on looking into if a repeat treatment is needed, and will decide on a follow-up at that time.
Unfortunately, it was not easy to see this parasite under 400x. Even at 1500x, it was not easy to get a clear image of the thing, only as you described, how it behaves.
I would anticipate the next treatment will be for Capillaria worms with Fenbendazole.
I know I owe some pictures that I'm supposed to have posted up a long time ago, I'll get to them.
I think I have an emergency on my hands. Two of my healthier Discus have gone berzerker not more than 20 minutes ago. They've been acting a bit weird all week, but I thought that would go away. They've been chasing one another more often than before, and a lot more jumpy when there are noises or sudden movements. They still ate aggressively, and seems to have been recovering from the med treatments prior.
About 20 minutes ago, my largest, alpha Discus went nuts. Swam extremely fast around the tank, crashing into everything. In and out of the water, and went in small circles too. After that, it would lose it's balance, and go sideways, upside down, headstand, etc. Not long, the second fish would follow. This one is the second in command. He did similar, and I thought it was the same fish, until I realized that it wasn't. After he was done spazzing out(5-10 seconds of spazzing, crashing, darting), it curled up in a 1/2 moon, and froze. No mouth movement, no gill movement. I thought he was dead. He stood that way for several seconds, and then started breathing again. Since then, they have done similar attacks several times.
I'm very puzzled as to what has caused this, and more concerned about if they will make it. I've never seen them do this before. Recently, I've added 3 tablespoons of salt to the 46G tank to ease their stress and help with their slime coats. I've been feeding them mostly dry pellets lately as well. I immediately took a sample of the water for testing, and then did an 75% water change. The temp is at 90% right now and the fish range from 3" to 5". The water tests came back with .25 ammonia, 0 nitrite and 10 nitrate. I usually don't get any of these readings, but I've had the lights off to ease aggression, so the plants are starting to not look so good. That, and they have been eating 3x as normal.
I really don't want to lose any of these guys, especially the largest one. He's still hiding in the top corner, trying to "hump" the glass.
I think I have an emergency on my hands. Two of my healthier Discus have gone berzerker not more than 20 minutes ago. They've been acting a bit weird all week, but I thought that would go away. They've been chasing one another more often than before, and a lot more jumpy when there are noises or sudden movements. They still ate aggressively, and seems to have been recovering from the med treatments prior.
About 20 minutes ago, my largest, alpha Discus went nuts. Swam extremely fast around the tank, crashing into everything. In and out of the water, and went in small circles too. After that, it would lose it's balance, and go sideways, upside down, headstand, etc. Not long, the second fish would follow. This one is the second in command. He did similar, and I thought it was the same fish, until I realized that it wasn't. After he was done spazzing out(5-10 seconds of spazzing, crashing, darting), it curled up in a 1/2 moon, and froze. No mouth movement, no gill movement. I thought he was dead. He stood that way for several seconds, and then started breathing again. Since then, they have done similar attacks several times.
I'm very puzzled as to what has caused this, and more concerned about if they will make it. I've never seen them do this before. Recently, I've added 3 tablespoons of salt to the 46G tank to ease their stress and help with their slime coats. I've been feeding them mostly dry pellets lately as well. I immediately took a sample of the water for testing, and then did an 75% water change. The temp is at 90% right now and the fish range from 3" to 5". The water tests came back with .25 ammonia, 0 nitrite and 10 nitrate. I usually don't get any of these readings, but I've had the lights off to ease aggression, so the plants are starting to not look so good. That, and they have been eating 3x as normal.
I really don't want to lose any of these guys, especially the largest one. He's still hiding in the top corner, trying to "hump" the glass.
unfortunately my female turq did the same thing before passing away a little bit after what you describe. I believe it has something to do with the parasites they had affecting the fish eventually.
Good luck it really sucks to watch I know!!
Good luck it really sucks to watch I know!!
I guess another mini-update. The two fish that went ballistic, is doing ok, for now. They seem to be swimming fine now, and started eating again. They even started establishing their dominance again by chasing the others away. I was really scared that they wouldn't make it. It'll be lots of clean water and more bloodworms for them for the time being.
prolude, sorry for your loss, but thanks for sharing. It's difficult to be reminded sometimes of the things that we don't want to remember.
prolude, sorry for your loss, but thanks for sharing. It's difficult to be reminded sometimes of the things that we don't want to remember.
Good to hear shawn! Yes, I think that little spike you saw had something to do with this. Keep an close watch on that.
hey what's the latest? what an experience! I would say you have done more indepth research analysis medication experimentation autopsy than anyone I would or could have in the aquaria world. talk about dedication & love for the hobby. I wish you had better luck & not had to have suffer thru all these trials & tribulations. but, tho very informative & hope many can learn some lessons here from all the feedback, I truly hope yours was just an abnormal experience of infestation & disease ridden cases of bad timing. after reading your logs I am so discouraged & truthfully scared to start up discus raising again (over 25 yrs ago was when I last had them - back then 3" were only $10-15!!). it is a very expensive hobby, discus that is - but someday I will start again. best to you! I am truly in awe on how you tackled your problems!!
Here's an update and some over-due pictures I've promised.
First, the pictures.
The first picture is of some unknown organism with spikes and what looks like a fingure-print pattern. This was found in the digestive track.
The second picture is of a worm, what I believe to be a capillaria worm. It's rather long, and twines around several times.
This thrid picture is also a worm, but not as long as the capillaria seen above. I believe this may be a different species, or a young capillaria in it's early stages.
This fourth picture shows the fingure-print patter of the unknown organism much clearer.
This fith picture shows a closer-up of a capillaria worm.
And finally, this last picture shows a capillaria egg, still in the digestive track.
I'll create an additional post for updates. I hope that these photos would help someone ID the parasites that I've found in the past.
Shawn
First, the pictures.
The first picture is of some unknown organism with spikes and what looks like a fingure-print pattern. This was found in the digestive track.
The second picture is of a worm, what I believe to be a capillaria worm. It's rather long, and twines around several times.
This thrid picture is also a worm, but not as long as the capillaria seen above. I believe this may be a different species, or a young capillaria in it's early stages.
This fourth picture shows the fingure-print patter of the unknown organism much clearer.
This fith picture shows a closer-up of a capillaria worm.
And finally, this last picture shows a capillaria egg, still in the digestive track.
I'll create an additional post for updates. I hope that these photos would help someone ID the parasites that I've found in the past.
Shawn
