Discus disaster - please help

[Dave76]

Thanks Merrilyn

No more deaths overnight - the blue turq is holding in there so I've left him floating.

My other BD is just sitting in the plants nose down - so not too sure on him. The remainder are swimming around a little bit so we'll see how things go.

Dave

[ctvu]

Hi Dave

Sorry for your loss and you got my prayer for the rest.

ctvu

[Dave76]

Thanks a lot ctvu

Much appreciated. The hardest thing at the moment is is having to wait until I get home tonight to check on them all again - 8 hours away

The thing that really has me stumped is it is pretty much only the discus that were effected - I've got tank born panda cories less than 1cm in length swimming around happy as Larry and 6" discus close to death - you'd think that the baby pandas would be the first the go....and I found another batch of panda eggs stashed in my javamoss this morning as well - guess they liked the big water change last night....

Dave

[ctvu]

Hi Dave

Looks like you have done every thing . Would you think we'd better off put the sick one in QT tank? That way we can diagnose the sick one better. HTH

ctvu

[Trebs]

Seems too fast for an outbreak of disease? That's 3 in the space of a few days (Del and Jim) that are all quite similar. Would expect it to be poisoning from tap water or an external source. Can't see how they could be related - Sydney and Perth. Very strange and worrying indeed.

[Merrilyn]

Wonder if they have started adding chloramine to our water due to the drought.

I think we should all be investing in some extra test kits. Three in the space of a week is just too much of a coincidence.

In the meantime, perhaps check if your chlorine remover does chloramine too.

[Dave76]

Well just got home - as suspected my blue turq didn't survive

I use Safe or Prime for decloring - used prime last night - used safe mixed with distilled water on saturday i think for memory - been using it for a few weeks without any apparent problems.

The BD has a big white patch on his side - it isn't fungus - it almost looks like one of other fish have had a go at him. He can't stay upright - - I've move him to the 10 gal - 40% tank water - 60% new water. Any suggestions on what to add to the water ?

Other discus haven't eaten anything today but all look fine. All other fish in the tank seem fine - looks like I've got some new baby pandas today as well - some consolation I guess - altho not much....

And now just to really make my day - one of my breeding females is headstanding - other 7 fish in the same water system all appear fine. Exactly the same water used in change on Saturday as well. Her & her mate laid after the water change and wrigglers hatched today as well Any thoughts on this one?

My other tank system containing Malawi & Tangs are all fine - have a number holding eggs atm - again all with same water.

Dave

[Merrilyn]

It sounds bacterial, but it really should be looked at by a vet now, and skin scrapings taken and examined.

If you can't get to a vet then try tetracycline for the fish in the quarantine tank, and see if you get any results.

Head standing could be a swim bladder disorder, or simply a case of gas caused by rotten food. If she's not right tomorrow, she should be treated with tetracycline too, but not in the same quarantine tank as the other fish..

[CKY]

Treat as bacterial. Wow what a bummer, sorry to hear. I wonder if it was to do with the Perth H2O supply at the time or some other toxin introduced in the water.Could be a flavobacterium-but unlikely. It more sounds like fish with the white patch has been attacked when he/she was weak and has secondary infection. Call up your water supplier and see if there was repairs in your area or something added to your water. I would gladly disect the fish for you in the lab at Uni, if you lived in Melbourne, but would recommend you bring an effected fish to your vet and sacrifice it to see if there is a problem, that is providing you have enough fish left that are at risk. Without seeing what it is it would be near impossible to make a diagnosis over the internet. Tetracyline sounds like a good bet.

Out of interest are any of you guys phobic of injecting your fish with a broad spectrum antibiotic? It is possible but should only really be done by an experienced person, such as a fish doctor/aquaculturist or vet. I have found this to work miracles with higher end fish that are worth the extra effort and learnt the technique from a well known Biologist/Ichthyopathologist(Fish disease specialist) from Belgium.

[Merrilyn]

I would love to learn how to inject a fish safely. Having dealt with farm animals, I'm pretty competent with a syringe. Is there a way to learn.