Crazy Discus

Pure

Elite Fish
Nov 1, 2005
3,216
7
0
Jacksonville, FL
#1
This post is more for information purposes rather than me asking for advice. I’ve already done research and have a good idea of what the problem was. I want to put this on here just incase anyone else should run into this and now they can search “crazy” and this should pull up for them. Comments are welcomed and any additional info any of you may have please post it.

Last week I was sitting in my living room chatting with some fellow MTFers when all of the sudden my wild discus started thrashing all over the tank hitting the walls of the tank and swimming in circles. At first I thought she was trying to catch one of the rummynose in the tank. This would not be abnormal for her simply because she is a full-grown wild, and I would imagine they could be looked at as a food source.

Well over the course of the next few hours she kept doing this. By the time I went to bed her face was pretty beat up. The next day she continued with the swimming in very fast circles, and bumping into things. So that morning I started searching the net to see if I could find anything about this sort of behavior in discus. Well to my disappointment I found a little tid bit of information on something called “whirly disease”

It appears that this is a very uncommon syndrome caused by internal parasites that cause neurological disorder/brain damage in discus. I could find no mention of this happening with other fish, or any other species catching it from discus, but other discus in the same tank are in danger of contracting this parasite.

The sad thing is every person who reported seeing this with their fish, if medication for the parasite wasn’t administered as soon as signs of this behavior became apparent the fish died within 48 hrs after the first episode. Those who automatically treated with strong anti parasite meds seemed to recover to some extent. But the brain damage cause by the parasite is permanent. In my case I had no clue what was going on and it was pretty late at night when she started this, so it was too late for her when I found out what the problem was. I treated the tank, but she was dead by the next morning.
 

TLM4x4

Large Fish
Jul 21, 2005
706
0
0
70
southern oregon coast
#3
OMG how awful!! Im so sorry to hear about this as I know how attatched to my Discus I am and how hard it would be to lose one. In deed a good bit of information of things to watch out for if you have these beautiful fish. Thanks Pure for sharing this with us.
 

timisu87

Large Fish
Oct 15, 2004
810
0
0
36
Visit site
#5
I tend to find that internal parasites are the most annoying type of disease that an owner can encounter. It lays sitting inside stealthly with no sign and strikes at any moment. Sorry for your loss.
 

Pure

Elite Fish
Nov 1, 2005
3,216
7
0
Jacksonville, FL
#7
We treated with prazi, so far no other fish seems to be effected. We also just got a new wild green to replace her with. He is also being treated.

So other fish can indeed get this???
 

Oct 22, 2002
349
0
0
39
St.Louis
#8
they can, it doesnt mean that they will. the cardinals we had spread it to each other like mad. as in almost killed all 1000 of them. i bought 30 of them before they started getting it bad and ended up with 4 or 5. just stay ontop of things, feed garlic now and then and your risks will be lowered.
 

Jul 8, 2008
1
0
0
#12
:) I know 9-7-2008
I had exactly this problem for a long time ,40-50 dead fishes(discus)
Reasons ?
The water softener pillows.
I am 100% sure about this.
i don't use anymore pillows and my discus are strong and healthy