So I managed to develop full blown Ich in the tank. I noticed the Betta was spotty last night and researched a bit and picked up some Kordon Ich Attack today. It doesn't have that malachite green stuff in it and is herbal -- safe for reefs and plants (mostly) and on scaleless fish. Got home from work and the Betta was looking pretty rough with more spots breaking out -- I changed about 40% of the water and lifted up all the decor and vacuumed the heck out of it to the point where when I refilled, I didn't even really see any debris floating from adding water. The Betta did NOT take kindly to the water changes though, and shortly after adding the meds, he looked dead -- I have a plastic plant that floats and he went up and laid on it and was kinda gasping in the corner and then his gills stopped for about 30 seconds and then he started again. A couple hours later he looks to be off his death bed at least, however I still don't think he will pull through.
The other Cory who was questionable (two had short barbebls, one I put to rest yesterday) was underneath an ornament and upside down -- I thought he was dead and went to net him and he swam off and started rummaging in the gravel and looked fine. It was quite odd. I personally don't think he will make it either as he has appeared stressed for a few days. Anyhow, he is spotty, as are two other catfish now (3 of the remaining 5), although the other two who developed spots have their barbels and seem none the worse for wear. Plecs are tough to even find so I have no idea how they are, and all the Rasboras and Danios are fine.
I'm about 90% sure that the catalyst for this was nasty substrate. I actually gravel vac and change water religiously, however I have about 2" of gravel, not super fine, and I realized that a great deal of the food that I put in there ends up wayyyy down in the substrate, especially the algae wafers everyone tore to shreds. I thought that they ate all of them (fed 2 total over the course of 3 nights), however when I vacuumed where they were and pushed the vac down to the bottom, I honestly probably pulled up half a wafer in gunk form, if not more than half. It was really dirty there in just 3 days. I wouldnt doubt that I overfeed flake food as well, but not a ton --- my thought was always that the cats would get it, however I suppose that a lot of it can just slip and down and never be found. Lesson learned.
That said, I will be switching to sand substrate -- I don't have to worry about crap finding its way all the way to the bottom of the tank, my Corys will be happier if they pull through, and I will be happier too as I find it to be more aesthetically pleasing.
Anyhow, just sharing my first experience with fish ailments and hoping everyone can recover!
The other Cory who was questionable (two had short barbebls, one I put to rest yesterday) was underneath an ornament and upside down -- I thought he was dead and went to net him and he swam off and started rummaging in the gravel and looked fine. It was quite odd. I personally don't think he will make it either as he has appeared stressed for a few days. Anyhow, he is spotty, as are two other catfish now (3 of the remaining 5), although the other two who developed spots have their barbels and seem none the worse for wear. Plecs are tough to even find so I have no idea how they are, and all the Rasboras and Danios are fine.
I'm about 90% sure that the catalyst for this was nasty substrate. I actually gravel vac and change water religiously, however I have about 2" of gravel, not super fine, and I realized that a great deal of the food that I put in there ends up wayyyy down in the substrate, especially the algae wafers everyone tore to shreds. I thought that they ate all of them (fed 2 total over the course of 3 nights), however when I vacuumed where they were and pushed the vac down to the bottom, I honestly probably pulled up half a wafer in gunk form, if not more than half. It was really dirty there in just 3 days. I wouldnt doubt that I overfeed flake food as well, but not a ton --- my thought was always that the cats would get it, however I suppose that a lot of it can just slip and down and never be found. Lesson learned.
That said, I will be switching to sand substrate -- I don't have to worry about crap finding its way all the way to the bottom of the tank, my Corys will be happier if they pull through, and I will be happier too as I find it to be more aesthetically pleasing.
Anyhow, just sharing my first experience with fish ailments and hoping everyone can recover!
He is one of the original two that looked poorly. He has been coming to the surface a lot more and hanging around there.
