fish acting very strangesince filter media change

[dandaman352]

I posted on the discus questions about my discus being sort of sideways with their fins clenched as they hit in the back. Anyway I recently fed them to try to get them out (which worked only for the duration of the food) and I noticed 1 didnt come out to eat and I couldn't find him. He was laying on the filter (part that sucks) I got him out but none of 7 discus look good. All seem larthargic and don't move normally. Should I do a water change?? I dont know what to do its been going on for 2 days.

[dandaman352]

To add, they are also swimming with only 1 fin if that means anything.

[ILLUSN]

hows the water chemistry?

[dandaman352]

I'm doing a water change as we speak, and I purchased things to measure all my parameters so hopefully even though its late i'll have full parameters soon.

[dandaman352]

Ok my temp is at 84 degrees, my ph 6.2 , my hardness is at 50 ppm , alk like 40, ammonia and nitrite 0 , nitrate at like 20 ppm.

My nitrate seems kind of high but this is my second huge water change I've done today. I don't understand as to why its so high. Thats probably whats doing it. I don't worry about anything else as I use an RO filter with RO right and discus essentials to get the water in good shape, so if anyone can make any sense of this it would be appreciated because my lovely fish look miserable =(

[ILLUSN]

sounds like your NO3 is a bit high, test your tap water, if its clear then you'll just have to do more changes and remove all uneaten food after each feeding.

[fishgeek]

did you change all your filter media?

is there anywhere else for your biological bacteria to have colonised in significant numbers

andrew

[dandaman352]

Yeah, I changed it all. I'm going to test my tap water as advised pre- and post my RO filter. I don't think theres anywhere else they could colonize other then my filter.

[fishgeek]

if you changed all your filter media you have just got rid of all the bacteria that keep your water clean

it is likely you will have to go through a cycle again and i am sure the fish will not be happy with that

i get the feeling i might have got the wrong end of the stick?