Discus skinny as a toothpick!

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Stambo6194

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 9, 2011
99
1
0
Long Island, NY
I've had this gorgeous blood pigeon since feb and I've never seen it eat any of the food I've thrown in the tank but somehow it's still alive. But now it's really skinny! It's not stunning looking like the day I brought it home and it's pooping white! I think that's a sign for internal parasite but what else could it be? It's almost like a swimming fish corpse, please help me before it passes away, thank you
List some remedies and medicines that you recommend


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I'm currently having the same problem. Posted my problem on simply discus. Suggested internal parasite and should be treated quickly.
 
Is fish currently isolated? Really need quite a bit more info to even hazard a guess. Pics would help. "T"
 
White, stringy feces and weight loss are usually a sign of intestinal/gut flagellates like hexamita, cryptobia, or spironucleus. Some are easily treated (hexamita), some are nearly impossible to cure (cryptobia). You can't know 100% which one you have unless you do a necropsy on the fish, so the best course of action is to attempt treating for the ones that are curable and see if it has an impact.

The first recommended treatment would be to isolate the fish into a small QT tank, raise the heat to 88F, and treat with pure metronidazole (you can order this at jehmco.com) for a minimum of seven days. I use 1/4 teaspoon per 10 gallons. Dose once daily for seven days, completing a 50% water change before each new dose. If the fish begins eating in the seven days, finish the treatment and then leave the heat elevated for an additional seven days to keep the fish's metabolism up and ensure that it's eating well. Then you can slowly drop the temp back down to 82 - 84F where it should be for normal discus range.

If the flagellates are really bad and the fish only shows somewhat moderate improvement then you can continue the treatment for an additional seven days. In most cases I have had success in the initial week, though.

You can also add metro to the food but that's not going to help you if the illness has advanced to the point of the fish not eating.
 
I should also note that these issues are usually brought on by stress. Going forward, you need to make sure that your tanks are clean, your water quality is high, and there are no additional stressors on the fish. Regular weekly water changes are recommended, but that could be raised to multiple times a week (or even daily) on a very overstocked tank. Discus, unlike a lot of other cichlids, will not do well with infrequent tank maintenance. They have developed a reputation in the hobby for being finicky or difficult, but the bottom line is that discus are extremely easy as long as you follow three basic rules: clean, low-nitrate water, warm water (82 - 85F), and varied diet with high quality foods. Keep them happy and stress-free and you will rarely have issues.

That may all be a moot point if you already knew that, but since we don't really know anything about your tank or your experience level with discus, I figured I'd throw it out there for any discus newcomers who may be reading.
 
You guys are awesome. Thank you all for the response and input, I'll be going to the store tomorrow to buy the meds. But one issue I have is, I don't have another tank to quarantine the sick fish:( so will it kill my other fish to throw the medicine in while they are in there?


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My advice is to p/u a 10g tank & heater when you go for the meds. If you're gonna treat the sick fish it's best you separate from the rest. "T"
 
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