My discus has been bloated for a few hours, it's a snakeskin and I need help reducing food quantities. I use 1 cube of beef heart over 1 day, I feed 3 times with 1 piece of that beef heart a bit of prima and some flakes, again I feed all this 3 times a day, all my discus are only kind of new so the one that's bloated is the first one that is social and gets most of the food with the angels, any way to reduce this amount but still have enough for th discus? Id like to keep the 3 feeds a day due to them only being from 1 and a half to 3 and a half inches. I have 4 discus now and plan to increase and the tanks a 70g with 2 adult angels and a good few sterbas corys
Discus bloated, need help reducing food
- Thread starter Jamesy
- Start date
Bloat or Constipation:
Symptoms: Your discus will look bloated - like he swallowed a marble. There may be an indentation behind the bloated area as if he had been pinched by your thumb and forefinger. Your discus may shimmy and shake. He may not be able to maintain his balance and will generally look uncomfortable and be dark in color.
Treat with Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulfate - sold in grocery stores or drug stores as a foot soak for people). One or two teaspoons of Epsom Salt per 10 gallons of water. Discus should be better in 4 hours or you can add another dose. Epsom salt will not hurt the filter or the other fish. You may dose in higher amounts of even one or two tablespoons per 10 gallons. If fish is not better in 24 hours suspect a bacterial infection.
Symptoms: Your discus will look bloated - like he swallowed a marble. There may be an indentation behind the bloated area as if he had been pinched by your thumb and forefinger. Your discus may shimmy and shake. He may not be able to maintain his balance and will generally look uncomfortable and be dark in color.
Treat with Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulfate - sold in grocery stores or drug stores as a foot soak for people). One or two teaspoons of Epsom Salt per 10 gallons of water. Discus should be better in 4 hours or you can add another dose. Epsom salt will not hurt the filter or the other fish. You may dose in higher amounts of even one or two tablespoons per 10 gallons. If fish is not better in 24 hours suspect a bacterial infection.
No!!! Don't add aquarium salt to a discus tank! Siphon immediately, do a 75% water change. Discus and angelfish can not tolerate salt. You must never add salt to an aquarium if you have smooth skin (scaleless) catfish, corydoras, tetras, discus, angelfish, betta fish, and loaches. Epsom salt which is 3% magnesium sulfate is not the same as aquarium salt. BODYDUB was right on the money with his recommendation.
+1
add'l: DO NOT feed during treatment period and watch for big junks passing out hahahah
I'll siphon it out in a few minutes but I'm just wondering, The discus has lost it's bloatness and it's back to it's colors and I've done this before even with loaches and everything was alright?
Then you have been incredibly lucky! Fish that don't have scales (for the most part), suffer a burning sensation when in water with even 1% salinity (brackish water).
Discus are not scaleless fish and not salt sensitive within reasonable amounts. In fact salt & salt dips are a preferred choice of medicating before actual meds. But I do agree regular salt will do nothing for bloat; you need epsom salt for that.
I think what people mean is don't use salt that is for saltwater aquariums. That stuff will mess with your PH. Regular aquarium salt is fine and I use it from time to time just make sure to dissolve it first.
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Do you disolve your cubes before putting in the tank? The pieces are much smaller. Also, I feed my discus 3-4 times a day at minimum. Beefheart, bloodworms, flake and pellet. I always pre-soak the pellets in water then pour in tank. It's easier for the discus to digest.
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