Sick Discus Medication And Care
Discus Medication
Because Discus cannot be considered particularly hardy fish, it is wise to have certain medications on hand when you keep them. These include:
- Prazi (Droncit) A gentle worming
medication that treats worms and flukes.
- Metro (Metronidazole 400mg Tablets)
An antibiotic.
- Furan2 For the treatment of bacterial diseases.
- Aquarium Salt Though not a medication itself, aquarium salt is very useful in preventing ich, a common fish disease, and is widely regarded as being very good for the general health of your fish.
Discus can quite quickly succumb to worms and other common bacterial fish diseases, so it is vital that you familiarize yourself with these products and have them on hand should they be needed. There is nothing worse than seeing a sick fish and not being able to treat them until the next day, by which time they may very well already be dead.
Discus Tank Water Parameters
Discus will do well in water of ph 6 – 6.5. If you do not have tank water of the correct pH (your tap water may be significantly more acidic,) then you will be left with the difficult task of trying to modulate the pH. I would caution anyone ambitious enough to try this not to use chemical additives as they will need adding time and time again and can cause sharp spikes and drops in pH, which can and will kill Discus quickly. If your water is too acidic, you can use coral as a buffer to lower the pH. You will need to be adept with setting up aquariums and testing water conditions before you can do this effectively however. Limestone is also a potentially useful substrate, however neither Limestone or Coral are magic bullets. They take time to buffer the water, which means that you will need to have an established, cycled tank running for some time before the water reaches the correct pH.
Discus Tank Mates
Dicus can be kept with other peaceful fish, but it is generally not advised to keep angelfish and Discus together. Many people decide at some point that they like the idea of this combination because of the similarity in body shapes, but it very rarely works out as angelfish are relatively aggressive cichlids. Angelfish and discus also have many similar parasites and diseases which transfer easily from one to another. Your expensive discus could very easily be wiped out by angelfish diseases.
Personally, I think that discus only tanks are the most beautiful, and they certainly cut down on diseases introduced by other species, although new discus can carry diseases with them and for this reason, any new fish should be quarantined for a week before it is allowed to take its place in the main tank. Too many keepers have lost entire tanks of fish because they put in one diseased fish.
Good Luck!
Discus are beautiful fish, and whether
you are a beginner or not, it is possible to successfully keep them
if you are willing to make the not insubstantial investment of cash
and time into their care. When kept in a nice, clean tank, they are
some of the most stunning fish in the hobby and they are sure to
become a show piece and talking point for your home. Not only will
you appreciate how good they look, but you will be justifiably proud of having created an environment in which these relatively delicate fish can flourish.