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I recently came across healthy-looking discus in two separate fish stores. I'm curious to know if there's a risk of cross infection if I were to buy discus from both stores and keep them together in one aquarium. Apparently, some discus are immune to certain diseases they carry, but these diseases might still affect discus from a different source.

Re: Discus quarantine and plague
Yes, that's a possibility.

Re: Discus quarantine and plague

That's correct. I've noticed that many Asian discus appear to have a natural immunity, but my German discus didn't share the same resistance. When they started showing signs of illness, it gradually spread throughout the tank. It's a good idea to quarantine any new discus before introducing them to the main tank. Interestingly, the two discus that initially brought the problem into the tank never showed any symptoms themselves.

Re: Discus quarantine and plague

It makes sense, just like humans, discus from different parts of the world can have varying levels of immunity to certain diseases, while others might be more susceptible.

Re: Discus quarantine and plague

If you can keep them separate for quarantine, do it. Once they've both been healthy for the full quarantine period (let's not get into that debate), take a healthy fish from the larger set and introduce it to the smaller set. Let them coexist for another quarantine period. It's not the most ideal situation, but it's just the way it is with fish.

Re: Discus quarantine and plague

That's a valid point, I think.

Re: Discus quarantine and plague

Originally posted by Blazer

If you can quarantine the two sets separately, then you should. When they have both been healthy for the quarantine period (a topic of debate I won't open up here), take a hero fish from the larger (or better) set and introduce it into the smaller (or lesser) set of fish, and let them stay together for a second quarantine period. I know it sucks, but that's fish.

Experience has taught me that there's usually a right way to do things. You might get lucky by taking a different path, but I've learned that mixing discus from different regions can be a recipe for disaster. I've seen it firsthand - the slow decline of fish that can't handle the stress of being introduced to unfamiliar tankmates. It's a painful lesson, one that I won't soon forget.

Re: Discus quarantine and plague

The OP's concern is about different sources, not necessarily a specific origin like German or Asian discus. I've had experience keeping Stendker discus with Asian ones for years, and it worked out fine. But I know this topic has many differing opinions.

Re: Discus quarantine and plague
This plague is something fish carry for life. It spreads through water or air when infected fish are near others. A separate quarantine area is a must to keep it from reaching healthy fish. Once the discus are no longer in contact, they can be mixed, but keep a close eye out for any signs of the plague coming back. I've seen it before - a breeder will release discus into their hatchery, only to have the plague start all over again.

Re: Discus quarantine and plague

Quarantine is about spotting pre-symptomatic sick fish. Once that's done, the risk shifts to exposing your established fish to something they're not immune to that the new fish are carrying without symptoms. Same goes for the new fish. So, the safest approach is to have a display, quarantine, and third tank where a hero from your DT and a hero from your quarantine tank mingle to see if both stay symptom-free.

Discus plague is a different story. It's extremely infectious, airborne, and can jump from tank to tank without cross contamination. Fish that survive are lifetime carriers, and can relapse with stress or age. If that's true, then I think the humane thing to do is euthanize those fish and sterilize the tank, or keep a 'plague tank' far from other tanks. I've no experience with this, so I'm curious if others have 'cured' plague-stricken fish and then successfully introduced new fish to that tank.