External parasites-discus fish disease

External parasites come in many types and I am unsure of exact species. However, I have found by symptoms, that there are differences and different medications are required. Basically I have two main medications for use for external parasites.

Jungle Labs 
Jungle Labs Parasite clear which I use for fish that are scratching themselves on objects in the tank. I believe this to be skin fluke and use this drug for anything I feel requires mild treatment. Dosage is one tablet for every 40 litres of tank water, repeating two weeks thereafter.

Gill fluke
Gill fluke is a common disease in Discus and is worth mentioning separately to other external parasites. In adult Discus, it is usually associated with heavy breathing, however, in fry it causes much greater problems.

Discus with diagnosed gill flukes

When young Discus get to around 10 cent piece size, gill fluke may become a problem. The parents carry gill flukes in small amounts all the time and if the parents are left with the babies too long, after free-swimming, then the parents can pass them on to the babies. The classic symptoms are heavy breathing, and erratic swimming as though the fish has been bitten on the gill by something inside. This can be accompanied by a spasm and sudden paralysis resulting in the fish sinking motionless to the bottom. This condition seems to be brought on by overcrowding and high feeding rates associated with raising the fry, and can be avoided sometimes by spreading the fry out as they grow.

Gills with gill flukes, microscope photo

image souce from : http://www.jbl.de

discus fish disease - the kinds of common diseases that attack the discus

All ornamental showcase fish are prone to disease and tackling them is a delicate and difficult affair. Specially, since the discus fish are from the South American tropical soft waters of the Amazon with very little water plants where the environment is maintained by the tropical rains, and thrive by living in the forest areas where the vegetation is dense with plants and other vegetation carried by the flood waters, they are found to be very delicate and are easily afflicted with disease even if there is a slight change in the climatic conditions. It could be said that some of the diseases encountered by the discus fish are treatable while some need not be treated. The fish recover in the natural course. Some of the diseases or conditions that afflict the discus fish are discussed below.

The discus fish needs to be housed in very large tanks with very clean water and ample space for them and their co-inhabitants to move around freely. The temperature should be maintained as per the requirement. If there is any change in these conditions the fish become unhappy which is immediately revealed by their bright colors becoming dark or even black. They then will refuse feed and their breathing becomes faster. They also start to pass rope-like white colored fecal matter, and worms are seen to come out of anus. This condition is cured simply by replacing the water with good cleaner water and improving the conditions.

Discus fish are very affected by stress. Some Aquarians tend to have the Plecostomus and other algae eating varieties of fish in the tanks along with the discus fish. These tend to attack the discus fish and damage their outer skin by sucking on them. This causes great stress for the discus fish. The treatment is to remove the attacking variety of fish from the tank.

A few discus fish diseases are caused by worms. All types of worm food are imported from different water sources or waterways. Since these sources are always polluted the worm foods are infected and carry parasites which in turn affect the discus fish.

The infection causes ‘hole in the head’ disease which is treated with drugs. The problem is giving the drugs to the discus fish. They have to be mixed with frozen food and then administered. For de-worming of the discus also, the same method can be followed. Metronidazole a drug easily available is used for treating the above conditions.

There are a number of other abnormal conditions or diseases like Gill flukes, not eating food (Off-food), Pop eye, erratic swimming (Swim bladder problems), Split fins, Clamped fins, and Sluggish fins, that can afflict the discus fish. The discus fish can also develop Bacterial lesions and Fin Rot which are only rare conditions. It is advisable to give frozen food that is always clean and hygienic than live food, which is always bound to be unclean and parasite infected.

The treatment for all of the above is to mainly see that the water in the tank is always clean and clear and the right temperature is maintained. Discus fish are very sensitive. They have to be taken care of in healthy manner to be healthy, beautiful show pieces in the home aquarium.

Internal parasites - discus fish disease

Internal parasites in the gut can be assumed, if the fish becomes emaciated or produces white, jelly-like faeces. I have no idea of what species of parasites are infecting our fish, but in most cases heat treatment (as for Hole-In-The-Head Syndrome) and Flagyl given orally cures the fish. To treat the fish, assuming the fish is still eating, soak some live blood worms or black mosquito larvae in a solution of 10 ml of liquid Flagyl to 200 ml of water for about one hour. Then feed the worms or wrigglers to the fish. This treatment can be repeated every 2 to 3 days for 10 days. If the fish is not eating, then the job is a little more difficult. I have had success by removing the fish from the water and placing it on a wet towel and injecting (using a syringe without needle) the medication down its throat. I use a 2 ml syringe and a mixture of 1 part liquid Flagyl, 2 parts of Liquifry (to try and get the fish’s strength up) and 3 parts water. Before returning the fish to the tank wait for the fish to swallow. It is normal for excess medication to be expelled from the fishes gills and mouth. This treatment can be done twice a day, until the fish shows signs of recovery. The treatment of non-eating fish is not always successful.

White Spot and Velvet Disease - the treatment ...

These two diseases are rare in Discus due to the high water temperature (30°C) they are kept at. But if you do happen to get these parasites then heat treatment will cure it without drugs. White spot is treated with 34°C for 10 days, whereas Velvet Disease is treated for 2 days. Heat treatment can cure many problems, because most parasites can’t withstand high temperatures. Another parasite, which is also treated with heat, is Costia: 33°C - 34°C for 4 days.

 white spot fish disease on discus

 When heat treatment is used, use a separate low wattage externally adjustable heater and keep a careful eye on the temperature as often as possible. Make adjustments only if someone is home for a few hours after the adjustment, to minimise the risk of "cooking" your fish. When administering medications, calculate the tank capacity accurately to avoid overdosing. A good method is to take the internal dimensions in centimeters and multiply the length by width by height to the water line divided by 1000.

Usually if velvet, fish color body be dark / black, fin fin his contract, likes to rub her body into a nearby object and usually get together in a corner / own.  procedure of fish disease treatment 

1. Discus quarantine suspected of velvet 2. Enter Acriflavine chloramphenicol 1.5 grams + 20 ml + 1-2 salt fish into a tank containing approximately 100 liters for quarantine. 3. Replace the aerator is rather large. 4. Install the heater 30 C.  5. If the water is turbid and white in the day after tomorrow, chiffon. Add a solution of the same as before. Do so until the disc looks healthy (usually 1 week).   6. eat less (fasting).

discus velvet Disease

Hole in the Head Syndrome-discus fish disease

 The 'hole in the head disease' can be fatal and at present, very little literature is written about the cure for it. The symptoms that started off as a small "pimple" on the head erupts and grow into a deep crater that may affect the skull/head. Worst scenario is fatality and in lucky circumstances, it may just remain as scars on the face. Unfortunately, the disease is difficult to cure as it rarely responds to any medication. There are some water proof cream with antibiotic functions that can be applied to the injury areas but there's no real guarantee it will work.
This is a disease often associated with Discus, but it also affects Geophagus species, Uaru amphiacanthoides and Astronotus ocellatus. If treated correctly it need not be a problem. if.. left untreated, it can cause permanent scarring and even death. The most important treatment is heat treatment. Over a couple of days raise the temperature from 30C to 36C. Additional aeration will be required to ensure adequate oxygen supply. This temperature must be maintained for 8 to 10 days for full recovery, however, the temperature must be dropped if the fish goes into stress. In addition to heat, the fish can be given Flagyl (Metronidazole) orally once every three days for the duration of the heat treatment. See next paragraph for the method.