Discus only getting more sick, long white stringy poop

Hi, I have a discus who got stressed and has had very long stringy white poop, not eating, not social and going dark. I initially removed her from my main tank and treated with metro for 10 days and prazi on days 1,5,10, she recovered was eating so I moved her back to the main tank. No one else in the main tank has exhibited any symptoms. She stopped eating again and displayed symptoms so I treated once again with metro for 10 days and prazi on days 1,5,10 and again she was eating however became a bully with food which she wasn’t before. 2 days after metro treatment again she stops eating and is darker at times. I just finished levamisole however she’s not looking much better. Any help would be appreciated.

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5

What dosage of metro were you using?

When was the last dose of meds? If recent I would back off and give it time to recover. But, I would crank the temp up to 93 and add 3 TBS salt per 10g for 10-14 days. Replace the percentage of salt removed during water changes.

If this is who I think it is, remember, metro works best with high heat.

After all this, if you see no improvement I would pick up an inexpensive microscope and examine the feces. This will eliminate the guesswork and tell you exactly what's going on.

HI,
Really need alot more info here. We have a disease questionaire that can help us help you..


Please complete this questionnaire if your fish are sick (copy and paste). The more details you can provide, the better we are able to diagnose and help you treat your sick fish.

DISEASE QUESTIONNAIRE


Problem

1. Please explain the problems with your fish. When did you notice the problems and did anything unusual happen that you think started them?


2. Symptoms (i.e. turning dark, excess slime, not eating, clamped fins, flashing, darting, clamped gills, white/yellow/green poop, hiding, headstanding or tailstanding, white on tips of fins, rotting or fungus, blisters/white zits on fish, bloated, cloudy eyes, wounds).


3. What medications/ treatments have you already tried and what were the results. Include dosage and duration of treatment.



Tank/Water

4. Tank size and ages, numbers and sizes of fish.


5. Water change regime (What percentage and how often).


6. How long has tank been running? Is it bare bottom? If you have substrate, what type and how deep is it?


7. Do you age your water? If you do for how long and what is the ph swing.


8. What type/brand water conditioner do you use? Do you add it to the tank or aging barrel? How much do you use?


9. Parameters and water source;

Note: Water Parameters are important in diagnosing problems within a tank. If you don't own test kits for the following information, you can purchase them, test your parameters and post this info as soon as possible.

- temp _____

- ph _____

- ammonia reading ____

- nitrite reading ____

- nitrate reading ____

What type of water or combinations of water sources do you use? If it is an RO/tap/well water mix, please list percentages in the mix.

- well water ____

- municipal water ____

- RO water ____

10. Any new fish, plants or inverts added recently.


11. Please tell us what you feed your fish and how often. This can be critical information for solving the problem so be as specific as you can.



12. Include any pictures or videos you have which shows the symptoms. If you can't add them to this post, please provide a link to them.





Personally I need to see pics of the "healthy" fish as well as the sick one.


One note that comes to mind here by your narrative is this sick fish my have cryptobia or it may have a persistent hexamita infection. In persistent cases the protozoan can attack internal organs like kidneys which makes it harder to eradicate and more likely to rebound.

Additionally it could be the fish has no Protozoan infection at all and instead has a bacterial.infection. If bacterial metro alone can knock.back .the bacteria as it works on anaerobic bacteria.. but it may not be enough to treat it permanently. In these cases dosing metro with kanamycin is sometimes beneficial.

Al

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LizStreithorst

What dosage of metro were you using?

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I was dosing 5mg/L of metro.

Ok thank you, I have other fish in the tank that can’t handle that heat….I’m pushing it at 84° I’ll pick up a pick up a microscope and try and figure it out that way.

1. Please explain the problems with your fish. When did you notice the problems and did anything unusual happen that you think started them?
The fish got stressed, due to an aggressive fish that was in the tank (no longer in the tank was not supposed to be aggressive was supposed to be fine) I rehomed the fish. Anyways this was the only fish targeted likely due to her markings.


2. Symptoms (i.e. turning dark, excess slime, not eating, clamped fins, flashing, darting, clamped gills, white/yellow/green poop, hiding, headstanding or tailstanding, white on tips of fins, rotting or fungus, blisters/white zits on fish, bloated, cloudy eyes, wounds).
Turning dark at times, not eating, very long white stringy poop, has become food aggressive

3. What medications/ treatments have you already tried and what were the results. Include dosage and duration of treatment.
Metro 5mg/L for 10 days and prazi on days 1,5,10 2x levamisole. All medications got her eating. Levamisole got her acting normal as well.
Currently dosing metro in food however one fish refuses to forage


Tank/Water

4. Tank size and ages, numbers and sizes of fish.
75 gals 7 discus 5”-6”, 3 sterbai Cory, 3 yo yo loaches (they accidentally came with some fish) and 9 Congo tetras. I’m waiting for 90 gallon was supposed to be here 2 months ago.

5. Water change regime (What percentage and how often).
50% 3x weekly

6. How long has tank been running? Is it bare bottom? If you have substrate, what type and how deep is it?
8 months, sand substrate 2” deep

7. Do you age your water? If you do for how long and what is the ph swing.
I do not age my water

8. What type/brand water conditioner do you use? Do you add it to the tank or aging barrel? How much do you use?
Seachem prime, 2caps my water has .5 ammonia in it

9. Parameters and water source;

Note: Water Parameters are important in diagnosing problems within a tank. If you don't own test kits for the following information, you can purchase them, test your parameters and post this info as soon as possible.


- temp _84____

- ph _7.4____

- ammonia reading _0___

- nitrite reading _0___

- nitrate reading _5___

What type of water or combinations of water sources do you use? If it is an RO/tap/well water mix, please list percentages in the mix.

- well water ____

- municipal water _x___

- RO water ____


10. Any new fish, plants or inverts added recently.
I’ve added plants

11. Please tell us what you feed your fish and how often. This can be critical information for solving the problem so be as specific as you can.
I feed, tetra flakes, beef heart, vibra bites, brine shrimp, black worms, tubifex worms.


12. Include any pictures or videos you have which shows the symptoms. If you can't add them to this post, please provide a link to them.

I don’t have pics is that weird?

Well its not "weird" but pics would help us get a general feel for the health of your fish. For instance if the face and forehead are "pinched" or thin. The fins can say alot if they are ragged.



On the diet.. tubifex is associated with potential disease issues.. its a risky food . I would suggest researching that one.

That both metro and levamisole got the fish eating is a problem. They work on different organisms... metro works on anaerobic bacteria and protozoans. Levamisole works on worms. Its possible the fish has both but the symptoms arent indicative of worms.

It likely the levamisole made the fish feel better because its known to be an immuno booster... its a temporary thing though.

My best guess is your issue is protozoan or bacterial. ..or both which is why the metro worked initially.

I think your need to increase the metro dose.. the base amount is 250 mg per 10 gal.. if my math is right you are a little shy of that.
I would suggest. 500 mgs per 10 gals. The temp in the tank should be no issue. I would dose daily after a large water change and do this for 10 days min.

If that doesnt work.. adding kanamycin or oxytetracycline or minocycline (maracyn 2 by fritz) are a really good option.

Al

Ok it says I can only upload through my computer I will have to do that this evening. I am not be sure how to get it from my iPhone to my computer it might take me a bit. Yea I was concerned when both medications got the one eating as well. They They’re all healthy weight and are eating currently with food dosed metro. I will definitely up my metro dosage. Thank you so much!