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Discus NOT Eating & Injured...Hexamita? (Advice Wanted)

Discussion in 'Fish Diseases & Cures' started by LemonDiscus, Sep 27, 2008.

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  1. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

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    I have a discus, the smallest one, that quit eating a few days ago. I have isolated him and he still will not eat. Actually here is what I did:

    2 days ago - placed him in the 10 gallon quarantine and put a cory in to clean up what he did not eat. He ate nothing. In addition the lack of having him in my 125 stressed my other 4 discus (strange) so I put him back the next morning (still ate nothing). I tried these foods:
    Frozen Blood Worms
    Tropical Flake
    Cichlid Pellets (crushed)

    Yesterday - I bought a 1/2 gallon plastic fish bowl and cut a few holes in it and rigged it to the side of my 125 using my mag-float. I dosed him with some garlic soaked food and tried these combos of food:
    Frozen Beefheart
    Tropical Flake
    Garlic Juice

    Today - I dont know what to try. Deep down I think this fish is as good as dead but I dont want him to dye!

    About the fish:
    *Usually pretty dark even if not stressed so the color does not really tell me much.
    *Has ALWAYS been the 1st to the front of the tank for food (til now)
    *There are NO signs of Ich, Hex or ANYTHING that I can see.
    *Breathing seems good
    *Overall the fish looks healthy
    *Now is not dark or with any signs of stress but still will not eat

    My water
    Temp 80
    PH 6.5
    Nitrite 0ppm
    Nitrate < 20ppm
    Ammonia 0ppm
    GH immeasureable
    KH 0/immeasureable
    Same conditions I have ALWAYS had.

    I just want to see him eat again so I can release him back to the tank. I think he got bullied each time for feeding and got sick of it so decided not to eat then. Just my guess.

    Any ideas?
     
    LemonDiscus, Sep 27, 2008
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  2. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

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    Re: Im in a pickle

    Ok, so I tried getting his uneaten food out of the container and he got injured :( so I went ahead and hit him with a good dose of metro/formalin/malachite green. I dont like medicating, but I feel if I dont he WILL die.

    Reading he may have early signs of Hex and I hit him with the other meds to keep any type of bacteria/fungus off of his wound.

    Cant wait til he is like this ( :D )
     
    LemonDiscus, Sep 27, 2008
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  3. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    Re: Im in a pickle

    Well, if it is Hexamita and he's in the early stages of it he should be fine. Good luck.
     
    Anthony, Sep 27, 2008
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  4. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

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    Re: Im in a pickle

    If it is hex, he is 3 days into showing anything (I had other discus die of hex and did not notice a problem til about 5-6 days after they quit eating)

    Well off to hex treatment we go.
     
    LemonDiscus, Sep 27, 2008
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  5. noshow discus

    noshow discus New Member

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    Re: Im in a pickle

    lemon a discus can go about 18 day without eating before it gets bad for them.
    sometimes they go on a feeding strike because of something they dont like <ie alot of moving from tank to tank>

    i hate to suggest this but try Live food and if that doesnt work add some salt and or Prazi treatment and it is best to treat the 125 to stop it from spreading to the other discus.
    Turn the temp up on the tank alittle bit to can remember what you said you were running but try to get the tank to around 84-86 degrees.

    If you can get a pic up so we can see will help alittle.
     
    noshow discus, Sep 28, 2008
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  6. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

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    Re: Im in a pickle

    Really, nothing looks wrong with him. I have him in a 1/2 gallon tank attached to the INSIDE of the 125. This separates him but does not really remove him from the 125.

    His poop is brown as normal. Definitely not white and stringy, another reason I wanted to isolate him some how. I dont have the time always to inspect poop, and if he is not eating that could be minimal the amount of poop he has. But I do know now that is normal.

    He really looks exactly the same, it would be this one though:
    View attachment afarm4.static.flickr.com_3131_2860366095_84c1d13c3b.jpg

    That is an older picture but nothing is different with him.
     
    LemonDiscus, Sep 28, 2008
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  7. luvfish

    luvfish New Member

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    Re: Im in a pickle

    I don't know if this will help or not but you could try raw shrimp from the grocery store. Take the shell off and then chop a piece up really well. Soak in garlic juice for a few minutes before feeding.
    IME few fish can refuse the combo of shrimp and garlic! Heck, I like shrimp in garlic sauce too! :roll:

    I hope he gets better!!
     
    luvfish, Sep 28, 2008
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  8. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

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    Re: Im in a pickle

    Well, update..

    Day 2 of treatment and the fish is a bit more active today. I did try feeding him just a pinch (maybe a half a pinch) and he did not eat.

    He is back to attacking the angelfish in the tank (he cant really attack them as the discus is in a separate tank) but he is showing some activity that he has not done for the past few days.

    I have been myself starving him during treatment so hopefully he will respond in a day or 2 for feeding. But I have tried a pinch here and there hoping I will see a change in feeding behavior.
     
    LemonDiscus, Sep 28, 2008
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  9. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    Re: Im in a pickle

    Hopefully he'll pull though.
     
    Anthony, Sep 28, 2008
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  10. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

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    Re: Im in a pickle


    Would cooked work. I do have cooked frozen shrimp in my freezer. I could thaw it in garlic juice and warm water.
     
    LemonDiscus, Sep 28, 2008
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  11. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Top Poster Of Month

    Re: Im in a pickle

    The shrimp has to be fresh I think, like not the shrimp from the frozen bags. The stuff in the bags has chemicals in it etc that are bag for the fish.
     
    Anonymous, Sep 28, 2008
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  12. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

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    Re: Im in a pickle

    Ingredients in this shrimp:
    Shrimp
    Water
    Salt
    Sodium TriPolyPhosphate
     
    LemonDiscus, Sep 28, 2008
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  13. noshow discus

    noshow discus New Member

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    Re: Im in a pickle

    get you some live brine orblood worms and try that.
    Keith has both i believe.
     
    noshow discus, Sep 28, 2008
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  14. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

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    Re: Im in a pickle

    Off to the store now to get me some live bloodworms. I would rather have them then brine shrimp.... brine shrimp do not do too well for a few days (I never had luck keeping them)
     
    LemonDiscus, Sep 28, 2008
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  15. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

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    Re: Im in a pickle

    Well, Live Worms and he wont eat them. He looks at them and pecks but does not actually eat them. Actually he really does not pay the food any mind. Just the occasional look and nip and spit out
     
    LemonDiscus, Sep 28, 2008
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  16. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    Re: Im in a pickle

    Is it possible he has bloat ?
     
    Anthony, Sep 28, 2008
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  17. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

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    Re: Im in a pickle

    Well that would be internal Hex.... Kind of what I think it is.... but his poop is not white and stringy, no damage to his scales, and no "bloating".

    I do have his section being hit with metro and this is day 2 of water treatment. I dont know, I feel I am running out of options.
     
    LemonDiscus, Sep 28, 2008
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  18. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    Re: Im in a pickle

    Try adding some epsom salts to his little area.
     
    Anthony, Sep 28, 2008
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  19. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

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    Re: Im in a pickle

    How much? (1/2 gallon)
     
    LemonDiscus, Sep 28, 2008
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  20. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    Re: Im in a pickle

    Try about 1/4 a teaspoon. Dissolve it first before adding it to his little area.
     
    Anthony, Sep 28, 2008
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