What next, Please read
- Thread starter jkruger83
- Start date
I dont recommend copper to anyone because of the variables that can kill the fish. The variables are mostly pH and water hardness. If one or the other is not right, then it will kill the fish with ease.
-Ryan
Orlando Discus
I know there is a disease specific to discus that causes some of the symptoms you are describing, although the clearest symptom which I do not know if your fish have, is they turn almost a black color. The ich on your fish is probably just opportunistic, the fish were already weak. Although, I cannot remember the specific name of the disease, I do remember the treatment was to lower the pH over a period of a couple of days to as low as 4.5. After the fish have recovered, you raise pH back to normal levels more gradually for about a week. This information was from an article in Aquarium Fish Magazine by Jack Whatley. If you can find this article and the disease matches your symptoms, you might give it a try. I also seem to remember the usual passage of the disease was from new discus which you had. If this fails, Jack Whatley is supposedly one of the premier discus breeders in the country so you might try him for new stock.
You're thinking of Columnaris, which is not common...but not rare in discus. To treat that, I like to use lots and lots of potassium permanganate baths, followed up by either erthromyacin or Oxy TC to catch the secondary bacterial problems.
-Ryan
Orlando Discus
i have had similar problems with my discus. they are all gone now thanks to a couple of things. my fish get fewer diseases i've found if there is a chemipure bag in my canister filter, or similar scavenger resins and ion-exchange stuff. coppersafe is wonderful, (or any chelated copper sulfate. usually chelated with citric acid.) if its not a planted tank. 0.1 ppm copper sulfate will get rid of any external parasites, including ich and oodinium and one dose treats for a month, and no extra painful water changes are needed. second, if fungus is an issue, aquarium salt helps mucho. in serious cases i have put tank water in a 1gal bucket and made a dip with methylene blue. i dip for 10-20 seconds then back in the tank once or twice a day and the fungus shows improvement within 5 days. i also medicate my food once a week with metronidazole and garlic guard as a precaution to hexamita, which is common in the discus available around here. the lateral lines usually look absolutely horrible. i'm just throwin all these things at you and if you are inspired by one of them great, if not, i tried aight? peace
Sometimes it helps to raise the temp for discus to about 90. Also, I have to say that I know of 2 LFS that I would buy discus from. 1 will hold them for months if you want, so if they die in their care, they will replace or refund. The other only buys discus from local breeders, and they keep discus in store on display showing the care of discus and not selling them to someone that cannot care for properly. But there are others that I would never buy a discus from, they usually only have hormone discus for $10 each.
