cvilapla

125 gal tank
10 Australian rainbows
4 Green Cory Cats
5 Platties
5 Silver Dollars

Temp 82°F
chlorine 0ppm
nitrite 0ppm
nitrate ~5 to 10 PPM (ambient amount in tap water)
pH 7.7

I recently changed my tank from Cichlids to my current stock. When I added the cory cats I noticed that a couple of them developed a swollen sore where the pectoral fin meets the body. I am not sure what this is, but I think it might be some sort of bacterial infection. The interesting think is it has only infected the right fin.

I have some salt in the tank about 1.5 tablespoons/5 gal and I gave them a salt-bath.

I treated the tank with melafix.

Any recommendations on what to do with the cats? Of course my UV Sterilizer lamp blew and I will not get the new bulb until tomorrow.

Please help

Shawnie

welcome to fishlore!!! im sorry for the sick babies

are you using test strips? I ask this because you have no ammonia reading posted and test strips are famous for being inaccurate ...

salt and melafix is someting cories are very sensitive to and is probably doing more harm than good.....getting a test for ammonia will help allot....having nitrates in the tap means the tank could be going through a mini cycle......doing water changes with some prime, amquel+ , or ammo lock will help allot either way...you need to get that salt out of there and water changes are going to be the only way.....I hope things look up!

cvilapla

What do you mean by mini-cycle?

So I need to remove the melafix and the salt?
So you think it might be ammonia and not an infection of some kind?

yes I am using test strips and a pH kit

Shawnie

mini cycle means you have ammonia or nitrites in a tank thats been already cycled....how longs the tank been up and running? when you did the species changeover, did you use the same filter and media? getting a reliable test kit (an API liquid master kit has everything you need and will do 100 tests) is a must so you know for sure...and yes I think you need some water changes to remove the salt ....ive never used melafix but others have.....it very well could be an ammonia burn but without a test kit , its hard to tell..it never hurts anything to do water changes ....one of those 3 i mentioned, will detox ammonia if its there, for 24 hours until another water change.....

cvilapla

My tank has been running of 8 months and I made the change about a week ago.

I also noticed that while I was making the change that my pH had jumped, so I did some changes and got the pH to 7.7. I added the Cory Cats after the series of changes.

Shawnie

how did you do a ph change? with chemicals or more naturally? cories are super sensitive to allot of things again im sorry they arent feeling well and hopefully we can help make them better!

cvilapla

both chemicals and water change...

I am going to get an ammonia test kit

How much water should I change at a time to remove the salt?

Ammonia level 0 mg/ml

Here is a photo of the little guy and you can see on his right side he has a round red spot right where the fin meets the body

Attached Images

008.jpg (423.2 KB, 26 views)

Shawnie

hes a cute little bugger!
do you have any prime, amquel+ or ammo lock? thats needed in case there is ammonia.... that pic does look like an ammonia burn around the gill plate..but its hard to tell 100%

I would do a 40% water change and continue to do so for a few days ....

cvilapla

I did pick up some amquel, but the test kit showed no ammonia. I will do the water change. Should I still treat with the amquel?

I will do the water change.

Shawnie

it has to be amquel + ...what test kit did you get? if you show no ammonia, the amquel will be fine...but with test strips being unreliable, the nitrites and nitrates could be off also...especially if you have nitrates in your tap...at any rate, the amquel will do for now and partial water changes again, never hurt anything.....you can also lower the temps a bit to 78ish unless you are treating for ICH? again, im not sure its ammonia but thats the first thing to worry about....did you add the salt after the spots were noted or was it there when you added the cories?

cvilapla

I had some salt in the tank, but after I noticed the sore I added more.

I got a tetra test ammonia test kit

Shawnie

im not familiar with tetra brand kits..but maybe others are....lets go on the salt which I know isnt good for cories and do a 40% water change with the amquel asap...then maybe if you can, do another 30% a 5 or 6 hours later with amquel again...I dont know where you are from or what time it is, but at least get the one 40% change in before bed time...

cvilapla

well I just did 40% I can do another 30 or 40 in a few hours. I did add stress zyme and I will add some amquel.

Shawnie

oh lordy ..stress zyme will mess up your cycle as the bacteria in the stress zyme, will not self sustain itself and will consume the good bacteria... if you can, get an api liquid master test kit because you are going to have readings all over the place with the different things you have been using...and some will be false readings..for now, just stick with water changes and your amquel...

cvilapla

I meant stress coat+ I am not sure if that makes a difference

Shawnie

oh yes!!!!!!! that makes a ton of difference ..phew stress coat+ is great to use...

cvilapla

just a quick update. The sore has gone down, still there but a lot smaller.