Is this velvet?? (pics attached)

[Cafe Tropical]

Hi guys, hope you can help...

I got home from work yesterday and noticed some 'scaley' marks on the right hand side of my spooted leopard that I have had for four months. bought him at 2 inches and he/she hasn't grown much and has lost some condition (weight).

Today when I got home, the 'scaley white' has gotten larger and is only on the right hand side. He is not eating, just pecking at plants, but is not hiding as much today as yesterday. Prob because I added some salt yesterday after the water change & because of the water change. (I hadn't done one for 10 days) Water change weekly 40-50%.

I have total 5 discus in my 285 liter tank 120cm x 50 x 60 and I have had the others from 6 - 14 months and all has been really really good. two are large and are the gutses & the other three are smaller, and a bit bullied (well at feeding time.) I've also got 5 BNs & just added 3 small clown loaches to control the snails.


Tank has been set up for one year now. Using fluval fx5 & Eheim 2217 auto co2.

Params are: 6.9ph temp 29 deg c just h2o changed 40% yesterday and Ni=0 Na=0 A=0. I need to just check kH. will post that soon.


Droppings I saw tonight are white & segmented.

So my guess is velvet and maybe it's time to worm.

Oh yeah and feeding, frozen blood worm, frozen discus dinner, frzn brine shrimp, omega one veggie rounds, sera vipa chips, sera discus granules.
Ffrom what I have just read 'no more frozen blood worms" I have to get a grinder and make my own dinner. Gotta do it.

So I have just dosed with 250grams sea salt. so thats 250grams for 285 liters. I am planning on adding another 250 grams later tonight, but..

will my other discus be ok with all that salt ??? I dont have a hospital tank.

Many thanks, I have been going SO GOOD with my beautiful discus!

(sorry will post the pics in a minute, just have to remember how to do it!)

Kerry

[Cafe Tropical]

this is the white scaley side, the right hand side. His colour is darker in this pic. But I have noticed it depends on where abouts in the tank he is. the next photo he looks almost normal... but the fins are usually more clamped.


http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j41/Kerpa/ruby19dec12.jpg



This is his left hand side that looks normal.
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j41/Kerpa/ruby19dec14.jpg

[iro11a]

Hello my discus had the same problem before i treated them with tri sulfa tablets for a week and they was fine after that try that its good stuff and did't loose any fish so i was happy

[Cafe Tropical]

Thanks iro11a for your response

Where do I get tri sulphur tablets from? LFS? I assume dosage is on bottle. Looks like I need to get a hospital tank set up.

Re hospital tanks... What is the best filter to get? a little box one that sits in the tank? I have only ever used external cannister filters. I have read somewhere to use a box filter (I think thats what they are called) and change the wool everyday to get rid of the mucos from the water from the sick fish.

My response for hospital tanks is a bit negative because I feel that taking the fish out of its environment will stress it out. but the positive is no bigger discus to bully it.

Back to tri sulphur tablets - what temp should I have my hospital tank set at?
I assume keep all param's same as tank the sick fish came out of.

Or can I treat the whole tank with tri sulphur and it won;t affect my other fish ? (that would be better)

sorry for asking so many questions, but I am very worried....

[Cafe Tropical]

Update: Today I got some Aquari-Cycline tablets, put "Ruby" in a hospital tank and we'll see how she goes for a speedy recovery.

I have also found out that that my weekly WC were too drastic combined with the poor water quality in Sydney. So it's smaller weekly WC and I'm doing more research into an UG filter & also improving filtration.

HTH someone out there.

Kerry

[Merrilyn]

Kerry, Tetracycline will wipe out your bio filter. Don't use it in the main tank.

By all means use it in the hospital tank, with daily water changes. You won't need a filter if you're doing daily water changes, but you do need a good airstone in there to provide lots of oxygen. All hospital tanks should have lots of oxygen, especially as we usually increase the temperature in hospital tanks.

A 50% weekly water change is pretty drastic, even on a fairly large tank. If you can manage 20 to 30% twice a week for your main tank, that would be ideal. That way you remove the nitrate from your tank, without altering the pH too much.

Don't go with an undergravel filter. They don't work well with discus. Your canister filters are a much better option.

Just check your Nitrate reading again. You should be showing some nitrate at least, if your filter is properly cycled. Your readings should be Zero Ammonia, Zero Nitrite and a low nitrate reading, around 5 to 10.

[Cafe Tropical]

Thanks Merrilyn for your post. I did a lot of reading on Tetracycline & I am only using it in the hospital tank. I now have 2 discus in there with white slimey patches.

Hospital tank I filled with 40l. I am using seacham neutral reg. to keep ph at 7.0.
Temp is 28 deg c. Got a good aerating box filter in there.
Two tetracycline tabs each day after a 25% wc. (syphoning out uneaten food)
No lights. keeping them quiet. cleaning box filter sponge daily.

Will treat like this for 10 days. (when I said white christmas, I didn"t mean white discus! lol!) fingers crossed.

If this doesn"t work, will try tri sulphur.

Yes I agree re my massive WC. My priority was on complete gravel cleaning of the 4ft tank. So only 20pc twice per week, grav vac half tank each time.

Merry Christmas & thanks again.

[Cafe Tropical]

Quick update - my 3 sick discus are now just fine. After 10 days treating with tetracycline in a hospital tank, they have regained their normal colour, behaviour and appetite.

All 3 are now happily back in the main tank.

Happy New Year!

[sammigold]

Yay!!!! I am so glad to hear that Kerry!

Happy new year to you.!

[iro11a]

Hey kerry great work when i used the tri sulta i used it in my main tank and it didt worry the other fish in the tank if you get velvet agian i would strongly sudjest it.

Jono