a quickie quarantine

pica_nuttalli

don't be a twit
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ok, so i rescued 9 adorable cory cats from a PetSupplies Plus today and now they're going into quarantine. this is my first time to do this, so what do you guys think?

This is what the set-up looks like (~3 gallons of water from my tank, it came that greeny color.)
PICTURE REMOVED TO BECOME A DIAL-UP FRIENDLY TOPIC

all that's left is to add the fish and one of the following items:

(1) cultured filter material from the big tank (will start a nitrogen cycle)
(2) Methylene Blue (antibacterial, will prevent cycle)
(3) MelaFix (antibacterial, will prevent cycle)

which should i add? also, whats the general consensus on how long to quarantine?
 
Looks like solitary confinement ... :D

Whats with all the chemicals ?? .. Are the fish sick ?

I though the idea was to observe the fish for possible problems ? Chemicals can weaken immune systems.

Good Day ... B)
 
Hi pica_nuttalli :)

I can't believe I waited all that time for a picture to download on my slow dial up isp, and didn't even get to see any fish! :lol:

That's not very much water to hold 9 corys. I hope you don't plan to keep them in there for more than a few days.

When it comes to corys, the thing you will be looking for when you hold them in quarantine, is a bacterial infection (finrot). They get this when their immune system has been stressed like it is during shipping. The thing you want to avoid is adding more stress such as ammonia or nitrites building up in the water. If this happens, they could have been well when you bought them, but they are apt to get sick when they are exposed to the normal bacteria in your tank.

Since you are going to keep them in a bucket and not an established tank, I would suggest you forget about cycling it, at this point, and just do 50% (or larger) water changes every day. A little bit of MelaFix won't hurt, but isn't necessary.

Don't worry about them getting ich because corys don't get it. Just get them settled in as soon as possible.

What kind of corys are they? Please let me know how things turn out. :D
 
sorry about the pic... :*) i've been spoiled by my broadband. :wub:

i've got 6 aeneus (2 albino, 2 dark green, 2 maybe light green) and 2 pandas.

and yes, the bucket is just for a couple of days max. this really was a rescue mission, the tank water was filthy and there were several dead fish in there, including 2 pandas :( i wasn't going to get any pandas b/c i heard they were sensitive, but when i saw there were three still alive, i couldn't resist... (paid a frickin' arm and a leg too :X )

everyone's fins look great and the aeneus are a bit pale, but the panda's are colored up just fine. i just got back from putting them in the water. one of the pandas is acting a bit stiff, but the rest are swimming quite actively.

so the Melafix over the Methylene Blue?
 
Seeing as they are coming from a poorly maintained tank, with the possibility of diseases with the dead fish in there with then, I would quar for quite a bit longer than a couple of days. The problem that I see with the bucket is the lack of bottom space for the corys who are bottom dwellers.

If you can get a second bucket going and split them up you would double your "tank space". Fish from a known breeder with good tank maintenance I quar for 2 weeks. Unknown sources I quar for 4 weeks. I would definitely quar those corys for 4 weeks before I put a larger tank at risk for disease. The money you would spend on a 10 gallon tank for quar would be cheaper than the meds you wouls have to buy for your 60 gallon tank if they were to spread some sort of disease into that tank. Not to mention the loss of any fish.

Tolak
 
they're very small so space isn't a big problem. and i would restart my old 5-gallon for them except i now have nowhere in my apartment to put it (it has a 10g footprint). :( i guess i'll just have to sweet talk the bf into lending me some tabletop...

how should it affect the quarantine if i have a fatality? the biggest panda isn't anywhere near as lively as everyone else... :/
 
Hi pica_nuttalli :)

MelaFix is a mild antibacterial which is pretty good at knocking out many bacterial infections if treatment is started quickly. Methy blue is mainly used as an ingredient in some medications, or to prevent fungus, especially on eggs. Unless you have a cory that has been injured, don't worry about fungus. It's the stress that they have already been through that you need to be concerned about now.

The most important thing is to prevent more stress and to give them an opportunity to eat nourishing food and rest in a clean and safe environment. If you can get your 5 gallon tank going, it would be ideal.

I wish you did not say you have pandas. They are much more delicate than the C. aeneus and the chances of their survival are not exactly wonderful, even under the best of circumstances. They just seem to succumb to the slightest infection, and often before symptoms can be seen. Please do not be disappointed if, despite your best intentions, this happens. It will not be your fault.

MelaFix can often help, so do not waste any time using it. If, however, you see symptoms for more than a day or two, move up to an antibiotic right away.

The green C. aeneus are actually the color they refer to as bronze. If don't know why they call them green, but it is a common error. These fish are much more sturdy than the pandas, and will have a much better chance, even if they are sick already. I've had good luck treating a half dozen wild caught ones that were so badly infected that others in the tank had already lost all their tails and barbels.

Good luck and please let us know how things are going along with them. :D
 
Discomafia said:
Cories don't get ich? How come Inchworm?
:D Hi Discomafia :)

I think that corys can actually get ich, but it would be very unusual. What happens most often is that when a tank has a sudden drop in temperature that causes other tropical fish to break out in ich, the corys will get happy and spawn instead! :hey:

I've never had a cory with ich and even on the forum, when someone thinks theirs have it, it turns out that the white spots are bacterial infection or fungus instead.
 
Inchworm said:
I wish you did not say you have pandas. They are much more delicate than the C. aeneus and the chances of their survival are not exactly wonderful, even under the best of circumstances.
yeah i know... i just couldn't bear seeing them in that filthy tank. at least if they die on me, it'll be in nice clean water. even if it isn't my fault, per se, i think i'll still be sad...

The green C. aeneus are actually the color they refer to as bronze.
oh, i know. i just like to say "dark green" if i'm also going to say "light green" :p yes, i'm really looking forward to the aeneus school... i love cory cats; they're such cute twitchy fish!
 
Inchworm said:
:D Hi Discomafia :)

I think that corys can actually get ich, but it would be very unusual. What happens most often is that when a tank has a sudden drop in temperature that causes other tropical fish to break out in ich, the corys will get happy and spawn instead! :hey:

I've never had a cory with ich and even on the forum, when someone thinks theirs have it, it turns out that the white spots are bacterial infection or fungus instead.
Hi Inchworm.

Thanks for all that info. I have 5 green C. aeneus (bronze cories) and I had an ich outbreak 2 weeks ago due to my heater not working properly and I had very big temp. fluctuations from day to night as a result. This sadly killed both of my newly acquired juvie angels, but I didn't notice any signs of ich on the cories or on the guppies I have in there.

The angels died after a week of medication but the cories are still going strong. I think the trick is you have to get some that have been at the lfs for some time... The lady who fished them out of the tank in Walmart said they had been in there for quite some time and were definitely healthy.

BTW, are bronze cories just a colour variation of albino cories? I'm a bit confused about all this.
 
Discomafia said:
... I think the trick is you have to get some that have been at the lfs for some time...

BTW, are bronze cories just a colour variation of albino cories? I'm a bit confused about all this.
Hi Discomafia :)

That is usually true for most fish. While they might be healthy at the breeders, or when they are caught in their place of origin, they are terribly stressed during the time when they are being shipped from there to the lfs. Often they make many stops along the way and have to adapt to different waters.

Perhaps the most serious problem is that water is heavy to transport, so they carry the fish in as little as possible. As you can well imagine, it can get very polluted by the time it arrives at it's destination.

After a short time of rest and clean water, even if it is at the lfs, they will have had time to adapt to your local water and build up their immune systems again.

Here's a link you might find interesting. It was written for another purpose, but it does give some insight into what the fish go through.

http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=22068&hl=

Your bronze and albino corys are indeed the same, C. aeneus. This species has a number of color variations including some with amazingly colored red, gold, orange and green neon stripes. While there are albinos of other species, the most frequently sold are C. aeneus.

Here's a link you might enjoy looking at:

http://www.planetcatfish.com/cotm/2001_12.php
 
Captain's log, update 2-28:

added 1/4 tsp of Melafix this morning with 1 gallon water-change. all 9 still alive and eating (put in a few shrimp pellets and they dissappeared after a few hours). the worrisome panda is no longer distinguishable. prospects improving. will repeat medication with water-change tomorrow.
 
3/1:
again changed the water this morning, with an additional 1/4 tsp Mf. fed a bit of algae wafer. all still active and looking pretty good.

water looked cloudy/white-tinged this evening. changed another gallon, only added 1/8 tsp Mf. checked water at change, moderate nitrates & no nitrites. did not check ammonia.

note: albino fish are hard to see in a white bucket.
 

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