Blind? Dazed? Weak...

[Gatecrasher]

I just bought a new turquoise blue and he seems as if he is blind and is swimming very weakly around the tank... he does not come up to the cone to eat the worms anymore. eyes are bulgy and gills look to be sticking out further than normal. My snakeskin red is energetic and happy, what could be wrong? ph is 6.8 temp 28-29C

[kittykat]

POP EYE or GILL FLUKES?

WHAT DO YOU REKON PEOPLES????

[Merrilyn]

Hi gatecrasher, welcome to the forum. You said you just got this fish today, did you test the water for pH before you transferred from him the bag and put him in your tank. Sounds like it could be a bit of pH shock here. Can you do all your water tests, like pH ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and hardness and post them here.

Most problems with discus seem to be water related, so we need to take special care of the tank water. Your other fish may be used to the conditions in your tank, as he has had time to adjust, but a new fish has had no time, and it can stress them badly if the conditions are different from what they are used to.

We should be able to help if the fish was healthy when you bought him from the dealers tank.