Help with my Cory cats

[The603]

Can anyone offer any advice as to what is wrong with my Cory Cats? Two out of five have it so far.

Tank size: 55 gallons
tank age: 9 months running
pH: 6.6 to 6.8
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: @ 40 PPM
kH: not sure
gH: 29 PPM/2 gpg
tank temp: 74° F


Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): White bumps on their backs and bellies, acting and eating as if nothing is wrong.

Volume and Frequency of water changes: 30% every two weeks.

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: Seachem Prime for water changes, activated carbon in my canister filter.

Tank inhabitants: 5 Emerald Cory Cats, 5 Buenos Aries Tetras, 5 Red Eye Tetras, 6 Zebra Danios, 1 Clown Pleco

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): Malaysian Driftwood (7/31/21)

Exposure to chemicals: None
Thanks
Gary

 

[fishyfun&fans]

looks fungal too me??

@Fishmanic @emeraldking @Bruce Leyland-Jones @Byron might be able to diagnose this better

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

The white stuff on the head and back, might be excess mucous.
This suggests an irritant in the water. caused by something in the water irritating the fish...
The 40ppm nitrates are a tad on the high side.

That said, it could be a fungus and/or an external parasite.

No need to fret if this is the case, because you can treat both with aquarium salt.

@Colin_T ?

 

[The603]

Thanks for the quick response, I'm doing a water change/filter cleaning right now.

Any suggestions for the salt quantity and duration?

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Thanks for the quick response, I'm doing a water change/filter cleaning right now.

Any suggestions for the salt quantity and duration?

Given 1tbsp per 5 gallons is a good maintenance dose, try that to begin with. Some say Corys are hyper-sensitive to salt, but I am yet to see this. That said, keep an eye on your fish and do a water change if you think there's distress.
A therapeutic salt dose would be at 1tbsp per 3 Gallon.

NOTE that we're talking about aquarium salty. This is normal salt, but without any anti-clogging agents or anything else that is normally added to table salt.

NOTE that you need to fully dissolve the salt in some warm aquarium water, before adding it to the tank.

 

[Byron]

I am not going to guess. There seems to be ich as well (perhaps) as something else.

I would suggest you try to lower the nitrate going forward though, at 40ppm is too high. This has not directly caused the specific problem, but at the same time, nitrate this high does weaken fish the longer they are exposed to it, and that means less resistance to other issues.

 

[The603]

Thanks again, I'll start the salt treatment as soon as my filter maintenance is complete. I haven't been using any aquarium salt as a maintenance routine since I had read the Cories were too sensitive to it, as well as my Tetras.

 

[Byron]

Thanks again, I'll start the salt treatment as soon as my filter maintenance is complete. I haven't been using any aquarium salt as a maintenance routine since I had read the Cories were too sensitive to it, as well as my Tetras.

These fish, indeed all freshwater fish, are sensitive to salt; some tolerate it better than others, but it should absolutely never be regularly added, only used when it is the safest and most effective treatment for something. Salt has no "preventative" properties when used in the usually-suggested level as some sort of conditioner.

Just noted something else...a weekly rather than bi-weekly water change wold benefit more, and increasing the volume the same. Provided the parameters (being GH, pH and temperature) are basically the same between tank water and source water, changing more water is not detrimental but is very much beneficial. When Colin enters this discussion I would expect him to mention water quality as a factor here.

 

[itiwhetu]

40ppm Nitrate is too high, this will stress the fish causing the problems you are having. Adding more live plant will help to lower the Nitrate level in your tank.

 

[The603]

I have no live plants in the tank, looks like I should try adding some to help out.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I have no live plants in the tank, looks like I should try adding some to help out.

Absolutely.
Even if all you do is to focus on the easiest aquatic plants on the planet, floating plants.

 

[The603]

That's a good place to start, I just want to be sure I'm giving my fish the best environment to live in. Should I still add the salt?

 

[Essjay]

What is the nitrate level of your tap water? If it's a lot lower than the tank nitrate, more and bigger water changes, as mentioned by Byron, will get tank nitrate down and keep it there.
Plants will also help by taking up the ammonia made by the fish so there's not much left for the bacteria to turn into nitrate.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

That's a good place to start, I just want to be sure I'm giving my fish the best environment to live in. Should I still add the salt?

@Byron doesn't like salt in his tanks and will quote a scientific aquarist who supports his caution.
Personally, I am an advocate of some salt, as I discovered and believe that our tapwater is usually too pure and does not contain the essential elements that are present in natural fresh waters.
I've found it easier to find respected aquarists who support the careful use of aquarium salt, than those who do not.
For example, you might want to check these out;
Aquarium Coop
KGTropicals
Prime Time Aquatics
Rachel O'Leary

I'm sure @Byron will supply is own anti-aquarium salt references.

Check these out and please make your own decision.

 

[DoubleDutch]

What are they fed ?