Cory Turn For The Worse....(SOLVED)

Hiya, yeah sorry to say the wee cory is back in the hospital tank  . There is something really wrong with his gills, they are very read swollen and open and when he finally manages to get to the surface of the tank it's as if he's really jumping out for air, and sometimes gets stuck on his back when he makes it back down to the surface. He's still eating though. The pic doesn't quit show how bad it looks in real life but think you can see all is not well.

I'm thinking gill flukes so treating in the wee tank for that. But if it is that should I treat my big tank as well? I'm assuming there might be more fish affected, although everyone seems OK, (not so sure about the rest of the cories as I never see them. 

Also reading about Oil of Cloves and Vodka, for euthanising? Really don't want to go down that route but I'm not sure what's the best for him? When he's looking for food he seem OK then the next minute he's floating around out of control on his back 

hi I've got AquaCare anti Fluke and wormer. wee guy is still handing in there. I think best to order your suggestion then if I need to use it I've got it.

I don't have any snails or shrimps etc, so assuming if OK with the filter then I could try it.


Ta

A further thought: do you have labyrinth fish such as gouramis? Sometimes they don't respond well to some treatments.

If not, then, yes, it sounds as though it might be worth treating the main tank. Monitor ammonia, nitrite and nitrates for at least a couple of weeks after completing the treatment course, to see that they remain "on track". The accompanying information for the treatment suggests the filter bacteria ought to be ok, but definitely best to err on the side of caution by monitoring these.

Good plan re the water changes - always helpful. Looking at this thread https://forums.thinkfish.co.uk/fish-medicines/medicines-for-treating-different-conditions/msg35552/?PHPSESSID=7e5bcc3e10a5b35eecad4fc0facfd93e#msg35552 , you might actually be fine with your medication for the main tank unless it happens to have tea tree oil in it.

Best of luck for whatever happens.

Glad the wee guy is still hanging in there.

Your decision to use anti-bacterial treatment is probably a good idea - probably before you started using the forum, I had a tetra with a hole in her side but didn't actually start treating until much later down the line, by which time the hole had become larger and kept going through recurring phases of seemingly becoming infected; for that reason, I think you're taking the right course of action in treating this how you are.

If it's any consolation, I also have a fish who's currently "hanging in there" (literally - she rests completely on her side a couple of inches above the sand) and am not really sure how the situation is going to end up - I suspect adversely in the next week to few months - but she doesn't look distressed, so I'm leaving her be for now, following a treatment course at the end of last week / early this week.

Best of luck, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

hiya, been away for the weekend just outside Carlisle, so maybe in some of your neck of the woods.

Wasn't sure what I'd come home to, but the wee guys is still hanging in there  he even seems to be getting longer barbles!! although his sides behind his gills still doesn't look great. But he's swimming around and yes still eating. Given him another dose of anti bacterial along with mini water change and I'll keep doing this for the 4 doses and see how he is.

@fcmf how's your wee one doing?

Great news, @Lynne W - let's hope the sides behind the gills start to improve soon too. Just checking - it is sand you have in the tank and not gravel? Do you know what the brand is? The reason I'm asking is that cories sift through the sand and expel it from their gills, so, if it were large or sharp, it may be that that is contributing to the problem.

@fcmf how's your wee one doing?

Thanks, Lynne. Huge one, as opposed to wee one, might be a more appropriate term for her - it's as though I have 1 whale and 9 fish in the tank, due to the amount of food she consumes and whatever else may be going on internally. She's actually doing very well now, thanks - but, because of the way she tips over onto her side when resting, rarely stops swimming. If I were less experienced, I'd be tempted to think she's on the mend / healed - but there are lump-like protrusions under the scales and I suspect there may be something going on internally and/or that she'll wear herself out eventually and succumb just as I think she's learning to "manage" her situation, so I'll not be resting on any laurels for the foreseeable few months ahead.

If it feels like sand it's fine.
I've bought a pack of black sand previously, and when I rubbed it between my fingers it felt more gritty, so was too sharp. Also had someone on the axolotl forum report her little one had a red tummy & toes. She had black sand as well, which turned out to be the same stuff, so she had to change what xshe had in her tank. Shame I can't remember the brand