sick discus not eating

Question
hi lynda,i have have keeped discus fish for the passed 4 years and now have 4 lovely fish ,but on sat 5th my husband bought me another discus a red melon 2" i slowly put it in my tank after keeping the bag and fish in for 15 mins adding my water in bag ,the fish swam of and hid behind the pump and stayed their for 2 hours i put some blood worm in the tank and it didn't move normally they eat,2 hrs latter it looked dead so i put it in a safety net ,which i have done many times before when i get a sick fish, i have tired every thing i know to try to make it better ,i have put Epson salts in and kusuri wormer pluss in the tank but it still is not eating i have tired live food every thing can u plze help it as been like this for 3 days ,i have keeped my fish in water at 6.4 pH 8 GH 82f and had nothing like this happen my other 4 discus r all well. thanku what else should i do?Lisa.

Answer
Hi Lisa,
When a Discus fish stops eating, there could be many reasons.  Stress can cause a discus to stop eating, and let himself die.  Since you have discus fish for the last four years, this little one may not be accepted by the bigger ones, and is afraid.   A difference in the PH from the water he use to be in, can also stop a Discus from eating if he was not well acclimated.  Sometimes 15 minutes is not enough for a Discus.  I spend over an hour with mine when I must acclimate one.  Maybe adding a new plant may help, but if the Discus is afraid, then there is nothing you can do, but bring him back as quickly as possible to the tank he was in.   Epsom salts is not a good idea, as I do not think he is sick, but stressed.  If you have another small tank, you could try to put him in to see what happens, and if he will eat.  Fill it with the water from your main tank, so that it will be cycled.  I know the feeling when a fish won't eat, but in this case,  I am quite confident, that the little fish is stressed, and afraid.
Lynda