False julii cory missing whiskers - looks very bad

[Colin_T]

Is Melafix an appropriate treatment for that?

Melafix isn't strong enough for an infection like that.

Post a picture of the fish so we can check them

 

[Gamegurl564]

Melafix isn't strong enough for an infection like that.

Post a picture of the fish so we can check them

Ok, when I get home I'll put up a pic.
Interesting thing is I read a bunch of articles about this problem.
They claim it's a myth that the rough substrate is the cause.
Anyways, I'll get a pic up and thanks

 

[Gamegurl564]

Ok, here's a pic of my little cuties. The one to the far right has the worst of it and I'm not convinced he has an infection but would like your opinions.
Just so you don't have to re-read the post, my question was if Melafix was an appropriate treatment but was told if infected that's not strong enough.
Attached to the right is my little guy, they are eating active and breeding.
Thanks in advance

 

[Essjay]

Melafix is tea tree oil (melaleuca as cajeput oil, to quote API's safety data sheet) which is not very strong at all.

 

[Gamegurl564]

What would you recommend?

 

[Byron]

The most common cause of this on cories is due to the substrate. The roughness is one aspect, but more often it is the bacteria that get down in the substrate. Is this substrate sand, because it looks too large for sand. Cories must be able to filter the sand through their gills, this keeps the substrate clean because the food does not get trapped as it does in gravel.

Before I understood this, I tried a black gravel substrate, and within one week all my cories looked almost as bad as here. One panda even had about a third of its lower jaw missing. I moved them into a sand substrate tank and they all recovered, though the panda did look rather lopsided. It may have been either the roughness or the bacterial issue, or both.

 

[Gamegurl564]

The most common cause of this on cories is due to the substrate. The roughness is one aspect, but more often it is the bacteria that get down in the substrate. Is this substrate sand, because it looks too large for sand. Cories must be able to filter the sand through their gills, this keeps the substrate clean because the food does not get trapped as it does in gravel.

Before I understood this, I tried a black gravel substrate, and within one week all my cories looked almost as bad as here. One panda even had about a third of its lower jaw missing. I moved them into a sand substrate tank and they all recovered, though the panda did look rather lopsided. It may have been either the roughness or the bacterial issue, or both.

I had a stripe of black and blue gravel at first but suspected it was to rough so removed 90% of it and am using Imagitarium brand Black sand.
Maybe it's the wrong sand? It's a fish tank product.
There may be a couple chunks of the gravel left but most of it is gone.
I will be freeing up my ten gallon tank soon and can move them over while I make sure I have alk gravel out. One little Anubias on a Lava rock isnt bad? Its mostly covered in roots but I can move it to something else if need be.
Thanks again and sorry for highjacking the thread

 

[Colin_T]

There's a minor infection or inflammation on their nose. They are also covered in excess mucous so you should check the water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH. Try doing the following and see if it helps. If it doesn't you can try salt or a broad spectrum medication. But try the stuff below first and post more pictures if there's no improvement after a week.

-------------------

Test the water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH.

Wipe the inside of the glass down with a clean fish sponge. This removes the biofilm on the glass and the biofilm will contain lots of harmful bacteria, fungus, protozoans and various other microscopic life forms.

Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week. The water changes and gravel cleaning will reduce the number of disease organisms in the water and provide a cleaner environment for the fish to recover in. It also removes a lot of the gunk and this means any medication can work on treating the fish instead of being wasted killing the pathogens in the gunk.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.

Clean the filter if it hasn't been done in the last 2 weeks. However, if the filter is less than 6 weeks old, do not clean it. Wash the filter materials/ media in a bucket of tank water and re-use the media. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the garden/ lawn. Cleaning the filter means less gunk and cleaner water with fewer pathogens so any medication (if needed) will work more effectively on the fish.

Increase surface turbulence/ aeration to maximise the dissolved oxygen in the water.

Stop adding plant fertiliser for a week if you are adding it.

 

[Gamegurl564]

There's a minor infection or inflammation on their nose. They are also covered in excess mucous so you should check the water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH. Try doing the following and see if it helps. If it doesn't you can try salt or a broad spectrum medication. But try the stuff below first and post more pictures if there's no improvement after a week.

-------------------

Test the water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH.

Wipe the inside of the glass down with a clean fish sponge. This removes the biofilm on the glass and the biofilm will contain lots of harmful bacteria, fungus, protozoans and various other microscopic life forms.

Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week. The water changes and gravel cleaning will reduce the number of disease organisms in the water and provide a cleaner environment for the fish to recover in. It also removes a lot of the gunk and this means any medication can work on treating the fish instead of being wasted killing the pathogens in the gunk.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.

Clean the filter if it hasn't been done in the last 2 weeks. However, if the filter is less than 6 weeks old, do not clean it. Wash the filter materials/ media in a bucket of tank water and re-use the media. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the garden/ lawn. Cleaning the filter means less gunk and cleaner water with fewer pathogens so any medication (if needed) will work more effectively on the fish.

Increase surface turbulence/ aeration to maximise the dissolved oxygen in the water.

Stop adding plant fertiliser for a week if you are adding it.

I test my water every week with my water changes as well as wipedowns.
I have been battling brown diatoms for months, that stuff is evil.
Would it contribute to harmful bacteria, etc that you mention above. I am diligent about cleaning and water changes. I can move my snails to another tank and try the salt treatment.
In my maintenance I actually keep a log of when I test, change filter, everything.
I am close to just redoing the 29 gallon tank and kinda feel the sand is to coarse so would get some nice Caribsea sand.
Thanks for your help.
I did week before last do water changes every other day for a week but I'm willing to do the work.
I heart these guys

 

[Gamegurl564]

Question, why would they have excess mucous coating and how can you tell that?

 

[Colin_T]

Question, why would they have excess mucous coating and how can you tell that?

They have a creamy white film over them in the picture. That is excess mucous produced by the fish when something is irritating them.

 

[Gamegurl564]

They have a creamy white film over them in the picture. That is excess mucous produced by the fish when something is irritating them.

Ok, thanks a ton. I will get this right. Cheer for my Cory's

 

[Neonlights]

Two weeks on and my cory is doing a lot better! His flesh grew back but what I’m seeing now is a small raised translucent lump above his mouth.

@Colin_T can I get your opinion (and that of any other Cory owners!).

Is this mucus and part of his healing or is it fungal? If the latter I can repeat the treatment I gave him (eSHa 2000 - Fungus, Finrot, and Bacteria Treatment) and if the former, should I just add stress guard?

Someone also mentioned holding back on plant fertilizer, I use API Leaf Zone) should I hold back on it?

I tested my water using NT Labs Aquarium multi-test kit and everything is in safe parameters.

 

[Byron]

Someone also mentioned holding back on plant fertilizer, I use API Leaf Zone) should I hold back on it?

I would change fertilizers as this one is iron and potassium, but no other nutrients are mentioned. As you are in the UK, one of your best options is TNC Lite. It is balanced and has all the micro-nutrients.

 

[Neonlights]

I would change fertilizers as this one is iron and potassium, but no other nutrients are mentioned. As you are in the UK, one of your best options is TNC Lite. It is balanced and has all the micro-nutrients.

Thanks! I was advised to pick that up by the shop owner but I’ll see if I can find the one you suggested.