Dead Panda Cory, Now Sick Fish? Beginners Mistake?

Mylesmom08

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Help! Today I was staring at my aquariums longer than normal due to my platy giving birth in my 5 gallon (next to my 55 - sharing an air pump) and I looked over at my 55 and noticed one of my panda cory was getting nipped at by the platies. This obviously alarmed me, as my platies usually swim up and down the tank walls with all my cories as well as school with them, being very peaceful. Upon closer examination, I seen why. The only physical symptoms he showed was a red splotch next to where his right fin meets his body, almost like internal bleeding, about the size of a pea, and his barbels were almost non existent (which is strange to me, keep reading..). I did not want to move him and stress him out, so I distracted my platies with some live worms in their feeding cone. 

20 minutes later, he was dead. I was alarmed, so I did a quick water test and everything came back fine (Ammonia - 0; NitrIte - 0; Nitrate - 20; pH - 7.4). I decided to do a water change incase of disease, so I did a 50% water change with sand surface cleaning and new filter floss and as a safe guard, removed my purigen and added Seachems Paraguard for sterilization. while I was cleaning, I noticed my baby panda cory was missing the points of his tail! AND, not only that, it is covered in like a moldy fuzz! Now this is why I am confused.. The adult panda who died with the red spot had no fuzz on him at all, yet my baby seems to be growing it?? AND THEN! My Betta, who battled fin rot months ago, seems to have it back? Yet, this is all happening so fast that I am confused as what to treat them for! It feels like fungus, bacterial, parasite, etc..?? 

Ok.. more info.. I have been staring at my tank now for hours (partly out of bordem, partly out of observation) and I can see what looks almost like clear dead black worms which would make sense since I feed them that twice a week, except now I am overly paranoid and figured I should throw it out there so I can give as much info as possible. BTW this tank has been established for months, I mean no new fish for at least two months, never any illnesses except the betta with finrot who was treated before I added anymore fish. I also threw in 2 large indian almond leaves just because, what the heck, ya know?

I currently have on hand:
--Seachems Metronidazole
--Seachems Focus
--Seachems Paraguard
--Tetra Parasite Guard Tabs are in the mail right now and to be here Wednesday!

**If pictures are needed, I will try my best to get the best angle possible, however I havent uploaded any because my betta and panda are hiding under my bubble wall right now. If I have to disturb them and get them to move I will though.

Will Paraguard + IAL help for all this?? Is there any use in the Parasite Tabs? I looked everywhere but I couldnt find all the mixed symptoms in one post.. I need advise. I call this my beginners mistake because I have been so caught up in my pregnant Platy getting ready to drop all week (my first fish babies) that I may have missed any symptoms my fish could have showed me. I feel like a horrible fish mother right now letting petty stuff get the best of my usually observent care, because I did neglect the 55 gallon for a week (aside from small 5% sand cleanings here and there and the daily feedings). Ugh!!!
 
 
Here is my Betta's fins (with a closeup)
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And here is my Panda Cory (it is the small one - the bigger ones swam by to protect it, at least thats what I like to think :) 

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(The False Juliees barbels and mouth is fine I swear he just looks creepy in this photo lol)
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To my believe this could mean three things : A sudden ammonia-spike, Chilodonella or most likely a bacterial infection. Most likely because this is a heavy case of finrot and the whitish skin is probably the infected slimecoat. Don't clean your filter too much and don't remove filtermedia : That removes all good bacteria as well and your tank will cycle again !!!! Don't really know the meds overthere but get a antibiotic / heavy anti bacterial med.
Uptil the moment you'll get that : Do waterchanges !!! Keep my fingers crossed these fellows (esp. Panda) will survive. 
 
API melafix can cure that. and some others are tetra brand.
 
Thanks DerpPH !! But be quick !!! These fish are really ill !!! By the way : What do you feed these fish?
 
I would not advise adding Melafix to a tank with a betta.  Any medication with the ending "fix" has tea tree oil that can adversely affect the labyrinth organ of the betta. To me the betta's fins look ok.  He does have some healing ends to his fins (the clear edges) but it doesn't appear to be fin rot to me.  It is possible that he is nipping his own fins. With the betta, I would be more concerned with the fact that he appears to be a bit bloated.  The panda cory does look rough and a bacterial medicine might help that.  Hard to tell for sure since it is hard to get a good picture of the tail.  Water changes are always a good way to start treatments though.  
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Oh and I went and looked at the pics again and wanted to ask -- do you have multiple bettas in that tank?  A mix of male and female?  
 
OK, that's good to know !!! The tail is nearly gone, so I really would suggest a antibiotic containing med or heavy anti-bacterial med.
 
I don't use Melafix because I heard so many bad reviews, so I instead have Seachems Paraguard I have been treating. Unfortunelty, the panda cory and ANOTHER adult panda passed away! I have been doing 50% water changes every night before bed so I can treat it with a full dose of Paraguard afterwards, I never change the filter media or clean it unless it gets dirty, then I just swirl it in tank water. But since I added filter floss, I haven't had to clean the media since. I heard Pandas are pretty sensitive and die for no reason, and aside from the infected tailed panda, the one that just passed away last night had no symptoms :(

They get a mix of food weekly, anything from Betta pellets, Hikari sinking algae wafers and sinking bottom feeders food, sinking shrimp pellets, frozen blood worms/BBS, live black worms, zucchini, lettuce, peas, and each time I feed (5x weekly) is soaked is Vita-chem and Guarlic Guard.
 
Paraguard isn't an antibiotic or antibacterial to my believe. Or am I wrong?
 
Panda's are often imported from the Tjech republic and getting in the UK in a terrible state.
But in this case there is really something going on in your tank. The other Cory seems to have the same problems (fins / skin).
 
Still think due to less waterconditions.
Grts,
Aad
 
DoubleDutch said:
Paraguard isn't an antibiotic or antibacterial to my believe. Or am I wrong?
 
Panda's are often imported from the Tjech republic and getting in the UK in a terrible state.
But in this case there is really something going on in your tank. The other Cory seems to have the same problems (fins / skin).
 
Still think due to less waterconditions.
Grts,
Aad
 
Do you think something can be going wrong with good water perimeters? I have been checking it every night (Ammonia/NitrIte 0; Nitrate: 10) I have been doing small water changes daily (about 10-15%) to keep Nitrate low just incase anything else is going on. All my False Juliees are doing great, they haven't been affected by anything, its just the pandas. I heard they are sensitive, but they have been in my tank for months with no signs of anything until this past week?
 
Seachem Paraguard has some antibacterial and antiparasitic properties as far as I know, but it remains a matter of time whether it will heal anything or not. Metronidazole is an antiparasitic med but it also has some antibiotic properties, but it's best administered in food.
As DoubleDutch says, I highly doubt it melafix will help one bit looking at the condition of these fish.
 
If you see no improvements or at least stop in deaths in a few days, maybe try finding an antibiotic instead. Seachem has a few products and Seachem Kanaplex comes to mind as one of those corys can handle without adverse effects. I've read that combined with Furan 2 it makes a powerful combo for very advanced cases. However, I am certain there are many possibilities and it all depends on what exactly your fish are sick from.
 
Ok. Well since I started Tetra Parasite Guard, I figured Im going to try it for the full length. If the fins start healing, Ill add more Indian Almond leaves to help condition the fish and stop another other treatments, and keep my Seachems products close incase of any more outbreaks. Thanks.
 

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