Gills

[Gajowa]

Hi
I have lost some wild discus to a speeding frenzy. I have cut them open and found absolutly nothing wrong with their intestines except one, that had punctured swimblader with a splinter which went thru into a spine (unbelivable but true !!) This fish just speed accros the tank once, lied down and didn't get up again. Same speeding but different cause.
But all those fish had one thing in common; those tiny "bubles" on the edges of the gills. I have to say, that gills were looking normal to me, nice redish color and no visible damage. To see this "bubles" under mikroscope clearly, I couldn't see clearly gill plate.
What could it be?

[Poddan]

Good Barbara.
This part of the forum will be were interesting.

Have you tried to nuke the parasites and then put them under the scope again?

[Gajowa]

Hi
There was no parasite in the gills. Nothing mooved.
What do you mean "nuke" ?

[Poddan]

Nuke = a doze of something that would kill the parasites.

[Matte]

Hi Barbara

What you are describing is called Hyperplasia.. Caused by hi ammonia levels, hi nitrite levels, low levels of oxygen, parasites or high levels of particulate organic solids.

You can see that the primary filaments and the secondary lamellae are clumped together to one mass of tissue.. there is no gaseous exchange and the fish suffocates..

Usually PP or salt baths are used to free the fish from the "gill clogging"

[Gajowa]

Hi Barbara

What you are describing is called Hyperplasia.. Caused by hi ammonia levels, hi nitrite levels, low levels of oxygen, parasites or high levels of particulate organic solids.
Usually PP or salt baths are used to free the fish from the "gill clogging"

Hi

I can't agree with that a 100%. There was 5 discus in 350 l tank with O ammonia, NO2-O, NO3- 10-20ppm. There is a very good airation in the tank. Water change 30% weekly. No waste on the bottom, because I shiphon them out every day.
If it comes to PP, I have done this and it didn't help. Salt helps for about 2 weeks and after that speeding happend again.
In another 500 l tank we had 11 discus and only one went crazy. Why it affects only one fish, not the rest?

[Matte]

Hi Barbara

I understund that you do not want to agree to 100%...but those are some of the problems that can cause Gill hyperplasia.. there are also chemical issues and overcrowding..fungi etc..