Ask The Doc, Fish, Parasites, Treatments

Stunting of Discus While Attacking Hexamita

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Sadly, stunting can be permanent if it goes on long enough. I got a question about Hexamita, and a medicine that kept crushing his filtration beneficials. By the time he ‘beat’ the Hexamita, his Discus fish had been held back by poor water quality and he wonders if the Discus will resume growth.

It has everything to do with:

  1. Age they got stunted
  2. How long they were stunted?
  3. How much space they have
  4. What they’re fed.
Stunting of Discus While Attacking Hexamita
Stunting of Discus While Attacking Hexamita

If the Discus were VERY young, stunting has a greater impact because holding a fish back during it’s most rapid growth phase is the most devastating.

If they’re held back a year, it’s almost impossible to restore growth at any “typical” rate.

If they’re turned out into a LARGE facility, like a lake or pond, MOST species of fish get a “shot of the wild” and may start growing again. But it would seem, from experience, that the higher levels of dissolved organics and background pollution will keep a stunted Discus from fluorishing.

Stunting of Discus While Treating Hexamita

Feed the best nutrition you can afford and consider water replacement all the time.

Name
Darren B
My Question Is About
I’m Asking About Tropicals and Tanks
So, What’s Your Question? Comment?
I have discus and I had a ammonia spike which I didn’t notice quickly and have developed hexamita. I have treated with a UK brand med “waterlife octozin ” which works great but without realizing my HMA filter needed changing and kept making my filtration crash and I kept blaming the med. This kept setting me back to square one. (Note from Doc: If you have other tanks, you can replace those beneficials FAST) I am on the verge of fixing this issue which has gone on for 3 month but my question is, will the fish be permanently stunted from that as none have grown through the whole process. Thanks Darren

Stunting of Discus While Treating Hexamita

 

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