help required for 10 week old baby discus

[Karen]

My blue turquiose babies are dying at the rate of one a day.

At first it was the smaller babies and now the larger fish.

On Saturday I purchased Trichozole 400mg tablets from the local vet. These meds worked for the adults 1 year previous.

I have reduced the tank water to 125 litres removed any carbon from the external filter and ground 8 of these tablets and added to the tank.

Two days later I changed a little of the water and added 8 more ground up tablets. That was yesterday, I am due to add the final dose into the tank tomorrow, this has not stopped these wee babies turning a dark colour and swimming at the surface before lying on these sides and then dying.

I am also going on holiday for 1 week and leaving the care of my pets to a friend who is going to visit daily. I had hoped to have this problem sorted before I go on Friday.

help?

[tHEcONCH]

Quit the meds, do a large (75%) water change, and fill the tank back up to capacity. Do another big (50%+) water change again tomorrow. Make sure there is plenty of surface motion (install an airstone perhaps) to make sure the Oxygen levels are good. I don't know what your water is like, but make sure it has some kH - add something like JBL AquaDur and bring it to at least 8ppm. Its a popular misconception that Discus need supersoft water all the time. In nature it is soft, but not nil kH, and it never runs out - in an aquarium you need to add some back to RO water etc. to help with bone formation etc when they are growing. Add Vitamins to their food (don't overdo it and foul the water) or use a vitamin enriched food like JBL Grana Cichlid. Expect as few more to die off (its already too late for some), but numbers should stablise. Good luck.

[Discusguru]

The frys will be dying from flukes ( 99%) if there is 0 ammonia reading.

Nothing to do with soft or hard water IMO.

Treating it with metro is totally wrong ans the dosage is a bit too strong.

Metro is used when the fish is not eating and or pooing white fluffy poo.

Dosage I use are 1 tab (400mg) per 40 ltrs water daily after a 50% water before redose for 5 days. Increase the temp to 33 deg. Water used for WC are the same temp as tank to avoid more stress.

In your case I would do a big (100% if possible) water change and treat with prazi or PP if you know what you're doing.

HTH,

ron

[Karen]

Hi Ron

Thanks for the advice, I have done a 90% water change, have also managed to get some doncit which I will be adding to their food, hopefully I will not lose any more fish.

[BK]

Ron what is the dose for PP.

[Discusguru]

Hi BK,

I don't go by dosage on PP. I go with the colour.

Make up a stock solution with 1 tsp crystal pp to 120ml water (or just a small bottle) and shake till disolved.

Wipe tank clean and do a 100% wc (make sure you have the amount of aged water with similar water parameter and temp).

Fill tank back up and drip pp into the tank till tank water turns slightly darker then pink.

You have to have a lot of airation in tank .

Observed the fish for at least half an hr to make sure that they are not stressed (darting aimlessly, floating , lying on side....)

If colour changes to brownish before an hr, drip abit more pp in.

You can treat the fish for at least an hr or leave them overnight.

Always have water on standby just incase you need to do a wc or have some hydrogen peroxide on hand to neutralise the pp.

That is how I do it.

hth,

ron

hth