Discus darting around

Hello,
My albino pigeon blood scared the bejesus out of me this week: first on wednesday night he started darting around and knocking glass everywhere. The he calmed down. Early morning thursday i hear a lot of noise and when i go check he had managed to jump out of the tank through a gap in the glass cover and actually landed on the cover (outside and on top of the tank). I separated him and treated with salt at 3g/litre and did detect any other episodes since then.
At the same time, I see a fish with white stringy poo in the same tank, and I saw another fish rubbing its gills on the heater: the white stringy poo is consistent and its been a few days, and the rubbing of the gills is very occasional. Yet since the Albino went crazy i suspect some type of parasite drove him nuts.
While separated he kept on eating and is not really traumatised or anything. I have put him back with his mates and dosed the tank with salt at about 4g/litre since last night, I also increased the temp to 32 degrees. Dosed the tank with Spirohexol last night as well. All fish seem to be their usual selves but the albino seems overly active swimming around (kinda pacing around back and forth) but no dashing or no rubbing gills.
I was planning to decrease the temp tp 30 degrees as this was my original goal. And perhaps change 50% of the water with aged water and dosing with Spirohexol for 50% of the volume. I think i may have gone too strong on the salt concentration.

Any advice?

Mate only starting info on discus myself just ordered a book .off the point that article in this forum was very helpfull.Any way try lowering temp as cooler it is less active.see how that fairs.Any thing in tank bulling it.

And relax with salt .

I find walking into the room with my tank during the day with the reflections it freaks out my Discus. At night when the lights are on the second I step foot in the room they all come to the surface looking for food

doreilly wrote:

I find walking into the room with my tank during the day with the reflections it freaks out my Discus. At night when the lights are on the second I step foot in the room they all come to the surface looking for food

My fish are well used to me. And there is always a light on at night. This fellow has some type of parasite.

When u find out let us no be interesting what's wrong as I'm getting into discus myself.seems like red bull syndrome

Miamiheat wrote:

Hello,
My albino pigeon blood scared the bejesus out of me this week: first on wednesday night he started darting around and knocking glass everywhere. The he calmed down. Early morning thursday i hear a lot of noise and when i go check he had managed to jump out of the tank through a gap in the glass cover and actually landed on the cover (outside and on top of the tank). I separated him and treated with salt at 3g/litre and did detect any other episodes since then.
At the same time, I see a fish with white stringy poo in the same tank, and I saw another fish rubbing its gills on the heater: the white stringy poo is consistent and its been a few days, and the rubbing of the gills is very occasional. Yet since the Albino went crazy i suspect some type of parasite drove him nuts.
While separated he kept on eating and is not really traumatised or anything. I have put him back with his mates and dosed the tank with salt at about 4g/litre since last night, I also increased the temp to 32 degrees. Dosed the tank with Spirohexol last night as well. All fish seem to be their usual selves but the albino seems overly active swimming around (kinda pacing around back and forth) but no dashing or no rubbing gills.
I was planning to decrease the temp tp 30 degrees as this was my original goal. And perhaps change 50% of the water with aged water and dosing with Spirohexol for 50% of the volume. I think i may have gone too strong on the salt concentration.

Any advice?

The darting around the tank like they've been bitten in the ass is external parasites....(variety of treatments - I have a homemade mixtures that works well if you need some).

White Stringy faeces is typical of internal parasites....(metronidazole) or water life's octazin

Water change for sure but without a microscope I'd run with an external parasite treatment first....

Hope this helps Stephane...

Hi Brian i will take you up on that offer. let me know by pm where and when i could collect from you.
cheers.
stephane

i'd go wit brain on this but i think the root off your poo problem is over crowding in the tank an water

overcrowding 100%, but especially introducing the new young ones without QT.
Water i dont think so: 2 externals running, WC 5 times a week of more than 50%.

Here he is pacing around. Changed most of the water last night and dosed with wormer+

I had a silver arowana in a grow on tank a few years ago did similar darting about, I eventually spoted a damaged 200w heater leaking current into the tank giving the fish little shocks. Replaced the heater and problem solved. Worth checking out any electric equipment you have in the tank.

Does anyone know where I can source Praziquantel for fish on an urgent basis?

Have you got a positive ID for the helminths ?

Drontal is a source of praziquantel, and Hikari do an aquatic version (PraziPro) but I'm not sure if the Hikari prep is available in ireland.

There are plenty of antihelminth alternatives available.....check-out what JBL has as a complete range is stocked here.
But, I would strongly recommend making sure the fish have the specific infection before dosing with these quite potent drugs.

ian

I am not sure of anything Ian
Working off advice received by more experienced people than myself after they analyse the symptoms. Basically a fish looking great that suddenly gets bit in the ass and starts knocking himself around the tank. As soon as the 30 seconds of panic are over he eats. Not shy at all with me: on the opposite he will come closer to me if i look at the tank... Today he is pacing a look more and tends to want to rub his gills on the walls or bottom of the tank.
I don't have a Microscope and even if I would no be confident to find the answer until a few days pass. All this takes time and in the meantime i see this fish suffering and i need to take action. I have been reading that the Wormer plus is more of a gentle treatment that works over time but that the Prazi acts immediately and is recommended in cases where immediate effect is required.

paulv wrote:

I had a silver arowana in a grow on tank a few years ago did similar darting about, I eventually spoted a damaged 200w heater leaking current into the tank giving the fish little shocks. Replaced the heater and problem solved. Worth checking out any electric equipment you have in the tank.

HI Paul, there is only a brand new heater in there and no other fish affected. Also when i separated this fish and put it in QT for 48h he did the same and its a totally different tank with different heater and equipment. Also it is clear to me there is something that is forcing him to rub his gills against hard objects/walls.

Go with your gut instinct noting would be achieved without it.We be still living in caves.

Miamiheat wrote:

Does anyone know where I can source Praziquantel for fish on an urgent basis?

Pm sent Stephane...

Thank you for your help Brian.
Changed almost 100% of the water, filled up to 180L and applied treatment.
Hopefully things will get in order.

Miamiheat wrote:

Thank you for your help Brian.
Changed almost 100% of the water, filled up to 180L and applied treatment.
Hopefully things will get in order.

No worries Stephane and I hope it produces the desired results. On the water changes, id be careful not to overdo it. The regular Removal of uneaten food and faeces in a bare bottom tank is more NB than large almost 100% changes...a 35% change once a week should be more than enough with smaller water removals for uneaten food etc. if needed....let us know how you get on....cheers. Brian

Hi,
As far as WC I am going by methods used on simplydiscus forums, basically overfeeding them. But about to change all that as I bought a 4x 2x2 tanks that I want to have with bogwood and plants.
My sick fish seems a lot more calm and i haven not seem him rubbing against anything since i came back home yesterday. You mentionned you leave the treatment in for 5 days right? no WC in the meantime?

Good to hear your fish is getting back to normal.

Miamiheat wrote:

Hi,
As far as WC I am going by methods used on simplydiscus forums, basically overfeeding them. But about to change all that as I bought a 4x 2x2 tanks that I want to have with bogwood and plants.
My sick fish seems a lot more calm and i haven not seem him rubbing against anything since i came back home yesterday. You mentionned you leave the treatment in for 5 days right? no WC in the meantime?

Hi Stephane. Yes, no water changes during treatment. It's an effective treatment and I leave it for 5 days personally...Brian