Discus swimming erraticaly then Dieing

[ILLUSN]

Andrew my fish diet was discus dinner, tetra color bits and breeders blend flake. when not eating fish was hiding under a pice of driftwood, fish would still respond after an "attack", if i moved the wood or went anyware near it, no heavy breathing, no scratching or flicking onto any objects except when darting around the tank and smashing into things. fish never lost its color and there was no physical damaged observed on the fish.

[Andrew Soh]

As you mentioned...it is a brand new discus. You bought it somewhere?

If so, check whether it has been fed with frshwater aquatic animal like black worms or bloodworms or tubiflex...

Take care,
Andrew

[ILLUSN]

Hi Andrew, thanks for the fast reply. i bought these from xtreme in the april shipment, i brought them home on the 22nd of may and they have been fed nothing but the foods i mentioned above, plus a little blood worm (hikari) over the 1st week, traeting the tank with prazi now. will let you know how it goes. I know Wayne was feeding them of beefheart in the shop, as i said all other fish are finne and none of them display any symptoms of paracites.

[Andrew Soh]

Hey,

Why I want to know whether the fish is a new introduction to your tank is because most newly added discus react with stress to a new environment.

I am not saying anything about where you buy from....because that is not an issue you and I can control...neither is it an issue by itself.

Therefore since you confirmed that it is a new addition to your tank, prophylactic treatment is needed. Did you do that?

Best is to treat with metronidazole. ....as it is effective against intestinal flagellates and micro-organisms in the large intestine/gut.

Take care,
Andrew

[ILLUSN]

your a good man Andrew,
when the fish went in they were the second lot of fish into the tank (the first lot was 4 small royal whiptails added before my honeymoon 14/05/2007), this is my quarentine tank. i hadnt treated with anything. the fish were fine for 3 weeks(23/05/2007-12/06/2007), then i added a blue diamond pair on saturday the 9/6/2007. All seamed fine till 3 days ago (12/6/2007), thats when the fish started to have trouble, i havnt treated the fish with anything prior to yester day, i was delaying treatment till the last 5 fish arrive then i was going to treat the entire quarentine tank with octozin (I just dont have enough metro for 3 days treatment in 300L also the whiptails might be sensitive to it) yester day i added 15 wormrid (prazi) tabs to the 300L tank ( i still believe that paracite is the most likely cause even though there are no other symptoms), today fish all seem very hungry . so I wish i knew what caused this. will let you all know how it goes.

[Andrew Soh]

Hi,

Good to know they are in great shape...and eating.

But since they are all eating...best is to give metro in feed....please..this is the best time....my friend.

Don't keep putting in concoction....may do more harm than good

Take care,
Andrew

[ILLUSN]

thanks mate will add metro to the beefheart so as the whiptails dont get it, thanks again.

[axl]

Hey,
whats the best way to add metro into your beefheart. I am very curious and wouldnt hurt to no either just in case. what steps do you do???
Axl

[ILLUSN]

Hi axl,
i crush up a 200mg tablet and mix it with a thawed cube of discus dinner, i then re freeze it and feed the fish, most come eat from my hand so i know the metro is going into them you proablydont need to re freeze it i just find less white stuff (crushed tablet) comes out of the food if its frozen

[Andrew Soh]

Though I generally recommend a mix ratio of 1gm to 100gm of beefheart, 2gm seems to be more effective and is still harmless.

Andrew