Discus Fish Diagnosis

This information is geared toward the hobbyist who is willing to put forth a little effort to read, learn and develop proper discus fish care techniques. If you are taking the time to read this you probably fall into this category.
While this may sound elementary it is vital that any time your discus act or look like there may be a problem, the first action you take should always be to test the water. Do not take a water sample to the local fish store. Invest a few dollars in a liquid drop test kit for ph, ammonia and nitrite. You can get all three for under $15. and you need them. You do not have to get a nitrate test kit. Nitrate levels just indicate that the biological filter is working, and if you are adding plant fertilizer, which is not needed, the nitrates could get to a level that is not good for the discus. Do not use the dip stick tests, especially for ph and hardness. If the ph test shows a yellow color the ph is too low and is causing the nervousness, hazy eye, clamped fins or lack of appetite you see in the discus fish. A yellow color on ph means the ph is somewhere below 6.0 but does not show how low. Slowly raise the ph in the discus fish aquarium exhibiting a low ph by doing several small water changes over a day or two using tap water and Prime to condition it. Just add the Prime to the aquarium before adding the tap water. Get into the habit of always testing the ph before changing water on the discus fish aquarium.

Elevated ammonia or nitrite levels can be deadly to discus. For that reason I have an article devoted to managing ammonia and nitrite spikes.

To ensure the prevention of ammonia buildup in the discus aquarium, purchase BIOLOGICAL FILTER MEDIA sold for canister filters and place in your filter using a mesh filter bag if needed. It is made of lava rock, sintered glass or a porous ceramic. Once in the filter it is not necessary to clean it or replace it. If the filter is cleaned place the media in aquarium water. It is a delicate, living entity. This media will fit into any type of filter and is usually not sold in new filters with the exception of some canister filters. The reason for this is that filter manufacturers like to provide replaceable filter inserts which drives the after market for the filters. The simple hang on the back filter is excellent if properly loaded with media. Basically, any filter that pushes water through the bio media is fine. Rotating paper wheels are fine for a tank with a few tetras but not enough for the discus fish aquarium. Very course sponges are not a good bio material either. Your bio media is the backbone of the system and this is an area you do not want to skimp on. There are a lot of products on the market that are sold to help speed up the filter process but the best route is to let the naturally occurring process take place. Cycle and stress coat are two products that stores push heavily but I do not recommend them for the discus tank.