ONLY sterbai corydoras infected

[Rocky998]

Ordered up the meds and new food for the fish on Amazon last night

Salt is definitely slowing the affects and helping, but I need the meds, so I'm hoping they arrive quickly.

Newest photo of my poor little guy.
@Colin_T

 

[sharkweek178]

Instead of salt, nuke the tank with very heavy tannins. Softwater fish respond better to tannins than with salt, and they're a better front line option before jumping to meds.

Clean water, then add tannins. Indian almond leaves are good, get the water a nice amber color.

I've never used them myself, but I hear alder cones are a good way to add tannins.

 

[MaloK]

It's true that Alder cones are really potent compared to catappa leaves.

It went dark to the point in one night I thought my LED light was defective in the morning, with 2 cones in a 5 gallons.

The tannin released are different tho, Alder cones release Humic and fluvic acids and Catappa releases ellagic and gallic acids.

After mashing this a little... Catappa leaves seems a stronger antimicrobial/antifungal compound. Alder Cones are more used for the black water effect.

 

[Rocky998]

Tannins and leaves in the water!

 

[Rocky998]

@Colin_T @GaryE
What if it's hexamita? Internal parasite... may explain the gudgeon death too and the erosion of that one corydora... right?

 

[CassCats]

Hexamita was a potential, however, erosion is limited to sensory pits rather than a massive area and often lack the bacterial film over the outside skin, it may have white ooze from the pit itself.

Of course, it's plausible, but symptoms to me leaned more bacterial.

Below shows a progression of hexamita in a ram cichlid, you see what I mean over lack of bacterial film on the outside of the wound and the oozing from the wounds themselves that started at the sensory pits of the fish (the small holes that fish use to sense things in the water, often around the eyes, mouth, and along the lateral line of the fish)

Given yours has a covering of film on other parts of the body, I lean away from hexamita and more bacterial.

 

[Rocky998]

Hexamita was a potential, however, erosion is limited to sensory pits rather than a massive area and often lack the bacterial film over the outside skin, it may have white ooze from the pit itself.

Of course, it's plausible, but symptoms to me leaned more bacterial.

Below shows a progression of hexamita in a ram cichlid, you see what I mean over lack of bacterial film on the outside of the wound and the oozing from the wounds themselves that started at the sensory pits of the fish (the small holes that fish use to sense things in the water, often around the eyes, mouth, and along the lateral line of the fish)
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Given yours has a covering of film on other parts of the body, I lean away from hexamita and more bacterial.

Oh ok. Well it's good to know it doesn't sound like that then...

@Colin_T @GaryE @WhistlingBadger @MaloK
The corydora with the head rot sadly passed. I'll have to remove him here soon.
The other corydoras are looking good except for the one with some spotty excess slime and a clump by his dorsal fin.
I'll do some water tests and get back to the forum with an update

 

[Rocky998]

How should I go about doing the meds while I do the daily water changes for the salt?

The instructions for the meds are: "For aquarium treatment, add 10 mL (1 capful) of ParaGuard for every 80 L (20 US gallons) of water. Repeat daily as needed, as long as the fish don't show signs of stress."

The meds wear off every 24 hrs and so you need the daily repeat doses. But with the daily water changes I'll be doing, should I wait until after Im done with the water changes, first?

 

[MaloK]

If you add the meds after each water changes it's going to be good.

 

[Rocky998]

If you add the meds after each water changes it's going to be good.

Sounds good! Thank you so much for all your help!

Should I be waiting 30 minutes to an hour after a water change to add the meds so the tank has a chance to circulate the new water?
And also, do you think that by doing it after the water change, maybe before the 24hrs is up, that it will add to the already existing medicine in the tank and possibly do more harm to the fish?

 

[Rocky998]

These are the photos of the fish I removed. He was the one with the hole in his head. Maybe these photos will help in saving the other ones?

Spoiler: Graphic fish death photos

 

[Rocky998]

@Colin_T @MaloK @CassCats @WhistlingBadger

I took this video of one of my corydoras that are really sick. He's like one of the only ones showing symptoms right now.
He did this and THEN just started swimming NORMALLY then... I'm so confused

 

[MaloK]

This can be caused by bacteria that are attacking the nervous system, or the fish had a seizure. If it was a swim bladder issue it wouldn't come back like that.

If the episodes become more close and last longer with time. It's not a good sign. But I had fish do things like that and never do it again after.

While I don't know you personally, I'm pretty sure you understand enough on water quality to exclude it from the picture. but still high ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate and hardness can have such symptoms.

At some point, I start checking my source. Where did you get the fish from ? If it's a LFS go back and investigate all their tanks to find ill fishes. Try to be there at opening hours

It's not to be rude, but some LFS have no idea, they are buying farmed fish with an expiration date already written on them. It really kills the hobby by burning solidly people with the best intentions.

Having to deal with small things after rehousing fish is close to normal, but if it turns into calamity every time, there's a problem.

 

[CassCats]

Infection has set in to its brain, unlikely to survive.

 

[Rocky998]

This can be caused by bacteria that are attacking the nervous system, or the fish had a seizure. If it was a swim bladder issue it wouldn't come back like that.

If the episodes become more close and last longer with time. It's not a good sign. But I had fish do things like that and never do it again after.

Yup, that's what I thought as well. Wanted to confirm it on here though.

While I don't know you personally, I'm pretty sure you understand enough on water quality to exclude it from the picture. but still high ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate and hardness can have such symptoms.

Yup. I knew that, but my water is very clean as far as nitrates and ammonia and stuff so I wasn't sure. Although I did wonder if the salt could've played a role in it.

At some point, I start checking my source. Where did you get the fish from ? If it's a LFS go back and investigate all their tanks to find ill fishes. Try to be there at opening hours

I got all these guys in 2023 online from The Wetspot Tropical fish. I don't blame them... Obviously an infection got in. From where? I have no clue...

It's not to be rude, but some LFS have no idea, they are buying farmed fish with an expiration date already written on them. It really kills the hobby by burning solidly people with the best intentions.

Yup. I'm always cautious cause my lfs kinda sucks tbh.

Having to deal with small things after rehousing fish is close to normal, but if it turns into calamity every time, there's a problem.

Yeah, definitely.

Infection has set in to its brain, unlikely to survive.

Yup. Sadly probably true... The meds just got shipped here today though and I dosed it for the tank. So I'm hoping that maybe I can save him? Praying for a miracle lol